Tran sets sights on higher office

Assemblyman considers run for state Senate seat held by Democrat since 1998.After a year in the state legislature, Costa Mesa Republican Assemblyman Van Tran has announced he’s considering a 2006 run for the open seat in the 34th state Senate District.

Democratic Sen. Joe Dunn has held the seat since 1998 but is termed out next year. The Senate district is larger than Tran’s Assembly district -- nearly 280,000 voters compared with 205,000 voters -- but it includes parts of Garden Grove, Westminster and Anaheim, cities he represents now.

Tran was elected to the 68th Assembly District seat in 2004. He said Wednesday he’s forming an exploratory committee to look at his Senate prospects and has had a lot of encouragement from supporters, but “I haven’t made a decision yet.”

As an assemblyman he has fought for smaller government and lower taxes, Tran said, and he’d have a bigger say in those issues as a senator.

Also, he said, “I’ve been living and/or working in that district for 20 years, the district is heavily diverse and I know the district very well.”

Tran would be giving up a safe Assembly seat, but he’d have a few things going for him. On the plus side, Tran has high name recognition -- and Democratic voters only outnumber Republicans in the Senate district by a slim margin, said UC Irvine political scientist Mark Petracca.

“I think he’d have a good chance of winning, but his chances go way down if he’s got serious opposition from Republicans in the primary,” Petracca said.

Tran estimates the race could cost $2 million to $3 million, but the Orange County GOP would likely throw considerable resources behind his candidacy if he runs.

“Definitely it would be the top priority for the Orange County Republican Party,” Tran said.

“I expect a crusade and everybody to join in.”

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