Minuteman brings immigration to fore

Though he says he’s not running on one topic, Jim Gilchrist says immigration is ‘the major issue.’ It’s never certain that credentials will translate into votes, but when it comes to fighting illegal immigration on the ground, American Independent Party congressional candidate Jim Gilchrist has more credentials than most.

Illegal immigration is shaping up to be one of the biggest issues in 2006 political campaigns. As the founder of the Minuteman Project, a group of volunteers who patrol the U.S.-Mexico border, Gilchrist has put the issue in focus with his own bid for a U.S. House seat.

One of five candidates in Tuesday’s election for the 48th Congressional District seat, Gilchrist is hoping to wrest votes from Republican state Sen. John Campbell, who many see as having the race in the bag. Also on the ballot are Libertarian Bruce Cohen, Green Party candidate Béa Tiritilli and Democrat Steve Young.

Those candidates emerged as their parties’ winners from an Oct. 4 primary to replace Chris Cox, Newport Beach’s congressman for nearly 18 years. Cox is now chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Some political hay has been made over Gilchrist’s candidacy as an American Independent, but he says he picked that party so he could survive the primary. Despite the national media attention he’s had for the Minuteman Project, he believes he was still obscure enough that he wouldn’t have won a GOP primary.

He calls himself an independent Republican. He also says he’s not a one-issue candidate; he says it’s just that stopping illegal immigration will solve many of the other big problems facing the nation -- bankrupt hospitals, failing schools, oppressive taxation, the drain on the Social Security system.

“There are other issues, but the major issue that’s jeopardizing the security and safety of this country and its prosperity is the rampant disregard of its immigration laws,” he said.

Problems with illegal immigration could be solved in about two years by increasing funding by 500% for the border patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Gilchrist said. Spending more on enforcement, some say, could ultimately save billions of dollars.

Being politically independent is an advantage in Gilchrist’s eyes, because he can work with whichever party has a good idea.

If elected, Gilchrist said he would support President Bush staying the course in Iraq, but he’d vote against any spending increases, even if they are proposed by Republicans.

With some of Gilchrist’s supporters verging on fanaticism and the expected negative attacks coming from GOP opponent Campbell’s camp, Gilchrist’s image has been all over the place.

“That’s because my opponent’s political campaign advisors feel it’s better to distract the voters by printing and disseminating as much garbage as they can,” Gilchrist said.

There’s even a website specifically focusing on the more outrageous of his printed and recorded remarks, but he dismisses it as a cheap campaign tactic.

“I’ve been dealing with the issues. I knew they were going to take all those quotes out of context,” he said.

Although the 14.8% of votes Gilchrist won in the Oct. 4 primary looks small next to Campbell’s 45.5%, Gilchrist isn’t discouraged.

Asked about his future plans if he loses Tuesday, Gilchrist said he expects to win, partly because he’s raised about $600,000 in just 10 weeks -- “more money than any other independent that anybody knows of.”

He’s also got something he calls a priceless commodity: “It’s called grass-roots support,” he said. “I’m banking on it, and there’s plenty of it.”

JIM GILCHRIST

Age: 56

Residence: Aliso Viejo

Party: American Independent Party

Family: Married to Sandy, with two grown children

Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of Rhode Island; bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State Polytechnic Institute; MBA in taxation from Golden State University

Career: Retired accountant; U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran; founded Minuteman Project in 2004