The race for the 73rd Assembly District just got a bit more interesting as wealthy GOP donor Charles Munger’s PAC, Spirit of Democracy California, jumped in with over $66K in donations to the Anna Bryson campaign.
What about the other candidates for the 73rd A.D.? Jesse Petrilla has $101,000 on hand including a $3,500 loan, Paul Glaab has $69,000 and has a $100,000 outstanding loan to his campaign and Bill Brough has $22,000 on hand with no money loaned. Democrat Wendy Gabriella has $6,000 on hand including a $3,000 loan. (Source: OC Register)
Brough in particular appears overmatched. He doesn’t appear to be working. His Form 700 says he is a “government consultant” but his wife appears to be the real breadwinner in the family. Brough stated on his Form 700 that he is making less than $10K while his wife, a lawyer at an investment banking firm, makes over $100K. Hasn’t Brough marketed himself as a “successful businessman?” That seems somewhat dubious. Particularly when his LinkedIn page says he folded his consulting firm in 2011.
Has Brough quit on the race altogether? He failed to showed up for a recent Orange County Economic Coalition candidates forum after he RSVP’d. Brough didn’t bother to call and let them know he wouldn’t be there. They even waited a few minutes to give him time and said he is probably just running late. One of Bryson’s supporters, who lives across the street from Brough, said he was home with the kids that day.
Anna Bryson and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa
Scott Lay, the Publisher of the Nooner, a popular California political newsletter, suggested in a recent post that Bryson may have an advantage in that much of this district has elected three women in a row–Pat Bates, Mimi Walters, and Diane Harkey. Will the three male Republicans in the race split the male vote and allow Bryson to either win outright or at least advance to the November runoff?
Lay also wrote that “Petrilla is seen to be the most red meat conservative in the race, garnering the support of Tony Strickland (and Steve Knight). Bryson inherits the legacy (and endorsement) of Marian Bergeson as a conservative who will advocate for education reform in a constructive manner, and captures the endorsement of many of the more moderate Republican voices in Orange County.”
But Petrilla might be in trouble with the Republican Party of Orange County – just as the absentee voters are beginning to fill out their ballots. OC GOP Central Committee member Allan Bartlett posted this week on his blog that “I got word from friends that Jesse Petrilla sent out a deceptive mailer claiming/implying to have the support of Chairman Baugh and the endorsement of the OC GOP by using our county party logo. He has not been endorsed by the county party nor Chairman Baugh. No one in the race for the 73rd AD has the party endorsement. I have it on good authority that an ethics complaint will be filed immediately and heard in the next few days. A copy of the mailer is below. ”
What about Glaab? Like Brough he is a government consultant. Do voters really want to send more government consultants to Sacramento? After all the scandals we have seen up there this year with multiple State Senators caught doing monkey business with lobbyists and special interests, I am betting that voters will sour on the government consultant types in this year’s June Primary Election.
Art – the reports say $34k for polling. $20k for one mailer and $11k for another. The spirit of democracy pac is also funded by the realtors, dentists, san manuel indians and the california chamber of commerce.
Darn those wily dentists!
Bryson is flat out scary !
Issa has endorsed Brough, so why the picture?
That is exactly why I used that picture. I knew it would tweak the Brough faction.