Several changes developed in the OC judicial races yesterday.
Attorney Frederick Fascenelli has dropped out of both races (Seats 3 and 40) for which he originally pulled papers. According to people close to him, he has set his sights on the 2018 judicial race, and is already talking to media mavens about putting together a game plan. If he’s smart, he’ll follow candidate Mike Murray’s lead and start active campaigning before anyone else does. Surprisingly, a judicial candidate can file with the CA Secretary of State, open an official campaign committee, and even begin fundraising without choosing a specific seat to chase.
Loud word on the street is that District Attorney Scott Zidbeck is pulling out of the race for Seat 3. This is a surprise because retiring Judge Andler specifically anointed Zidbeck for her seat. This may be the first time a candidate, handpicked by the judge, joined the race then got cold feet and stumbled out. This is the kind of slap-in-the-face to Judge Andler that may doom any future shot Zidbeck has at the bench. Having paid his non-refundable filing fee of $1800 or so, he’ll be known as the guy who threw in the towel at the first bell of the match. Doesn’t show the perseverance or resilience a winning candidate needs. Continue reading