Who put Sherry Walker on the ballot in the 69th Assembly District?

We will know by Monday who it is that signed Sherry Walker’s nomination papers to put her on the ballot for the 69th Assembly District.  A friend of mine is going to retrieve the nomination signatures from the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Walker, an unknown Republican, came out of nowhere to challenge for the seat that is currently held by Tom Daly, a career politician, and Democrat, who has previously serves as the Mayor of Anaheim and the O.C. Clerk-Recorder.  Wherever he has gone he as reveled in political favors, nepotism and the wanton waste of taxpayer money.

Could Daly be so afraid of his real challenger, SAUSD Trustee Cecilia Iglesias, that he conspired to put Walker on the ballot?  Remember there is precedence for such silliness.  None other than OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh got busted some years ago for drafting a bogus Democrat to split the vote in his favor.

But there are other culprits.  You see Iglesias’ entry into this race will affect other races – particularly the battle for the 34th State Senate District, which envelops the 69th A.D.  That race is pitting O.C. Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who has seen her reputation get blown to bits this year over her manhandling of CalOptima, a County agency that provides healthcare services to seniors, against former Assemblyman and current Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee Jose Solorio.

For Nguyen to beat Solorio she has to do her level best to suppress the Latino vote.  So did Nguyen have her underlings put Walker on the ballot – to hurt Iglesias’ changes in the June Open Primary – via a split of the GOP and women votes?

While that seems plausible it might also be that Solorio himself acted to put Walker on the ballot, to help his pal Daly, even though Solorio will benefit from having Iglesias on the ballot.

My sources tell me that OC GOP Central Committee member Tim Whitacre made calls all of last week on behalf of Walker – that he in essence was the driving force behind her nomination for the 69th A.D.

Now why would Whitacre do such a thing?  I haven’t asked him yet but it is a fact that he lives nearby Solorio, in Santa Ana’s Sandpointe Neighborhood.  And Whitacre has been seen with Solorio on several occasions over the past few weeks.

But Whitacre also knows Nguyen so he could have been working for either side of the 34th State Senate shootout.

Or my sources could be wrong, although I doubt that.

Regardless I don’t think Walker hurts Iglesias at all. The June election is an Open Primary and Walker, although unknown, will appeal to white voters who may not be inclined to vote for a Latina and who may not be all that enthused by Daly, who has openly supported ObamaCare and voted to undermine Prop. 13.

Walker will take white votes away from Daly.  That actually helps Iglesias.  So if Walker’s entry into this race was part of some crazed scheme to undermine Iglesias then it is a laughable plot that is going to backfire on Daly.

We will know more soon once we have a chance to look at Walker’s nomination signatures. God help any OC GOP Central Committee members who signed Walker’s papers.  This will not go well for them at all.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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