Race for Assembly gets personal

As the 68th District assemblyman, Van Tran’s legislative career has been partly a campaign against the excesses of Sacramento Democrats.

Now Paul Lucas, Tran’s Democratic opponent on the November ballot, is running a campaign charging that Tran is part of what’s wrong with state government.

Tran was first elected in 2004 to represent the 68th District, which includes Costa Mesa and parts of six other cities.

In the past two years, he had eight of his 30 bills signed into law. He said he’s most proud of one that allows courts to consider grandparents’ petitions for visitation and adoption of their grandchildren, and one that cut some of the red tape associated with state transportation projects.

But just as important is what he’s prevented, Tran said.

“When you are a lawmaker, it isn’t necessarily that your only job is to make laws,” he said. “I would say that more than 50% of your job, especially in the state of California where we have so many regulations, is to oppose bad laws.”

If he’s reelected, Tran said, his main goals will be to draft legislation to cut bureaucracy and save money, and to make sure the state’s long-term transportation plans are adequate.

Lucas, a water quality specialist and first-time candidate, said a big issue in this election is the integrity of elected officials, and that’s where the GOP has failed.

“I’m a regular guy,” he said. “Born and raised here in Orange County, I care about my home. I don’t plan to move up to Sacramento and be an absentee representative.”

Lucas said he’d have more clout if elected because he’s in the majority party.

“I have a relationship with the majority party in Sacramento,” Lucas said. “I know a lot of those guys, and I know Van Tran is in the minority party and he doesn’t have any leverage.”

If elected, Lucas said his first priority would be to ensure Orange County starts getting back a fairer share of the tax dollars it sends to the state’s coffers.

Tran hasn’t been effective, and his integrity is questionable, Lucas said. The Democrat has attacked Tran for alleged legal problems faced by Tran’s wife, Cyndi. Lucas’ website prominently features a news article that alleged Cyndi was given probation for participating in a medical insurance fraud scheme.

“The question is, What did he know and when did he know it?” Lucas said. “I believe that he knew about her activities while he was a [Garden Grove] city councilman and campaigning for the state Assembly.”

Tran called the article “a political hit piece” that is full of errors, and he said Lucas’ tactics are “the most despicable and dirtiest types of campaigning.”

“It has nothing to do [with my candidacy], and it is irrelevant to the campaign,” Tran said.

Neither candidate said he opposes local enforcement of immigration laws, as Costa Mesa officials have proposed, and both said the city should make sure it can fund the program before moving forward.

“It’s really up to the local jurisdiction,” Tran said.

Lucas said he expects his campaign to benefit from voter anger at the GOP, but added, “I don’t know if it will be enough to put me in Sacramento or not.”

Tran said he’ll stand on his record.

“I think I’ve done a very good job representing the interests and the aspirations of the people in the district,” he said.