Michael Kotick, a candidate in California’s 48th Congressional District, endorsed the bid by fellow Laguna Beach Democrat Harley Rouda to unseat incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in the November midterm election.
In suspending his campaign on Thursday, April 12, Kotick becomes the second candidate after Laura Oatman of Newport Beach to back Rouda and drop out of the hotly contested race.
Democrats see the midterm race as an opportunity to flip District 48, which spans Seal Beach to Laguna Niguel. Republican voter registration in the coastal regions exceeds that of Democrats 36 percent to 34, respectively.
Some Democratic leaders have expressed concern their vote will be splintered across too many candidates for any one to win one of the top spots in California’s winner take all June 5 primary.
“This is going to be a tight one,” said county Democratic Party chair Fran Sdao, who pointed out the consolidation in District 48 comes too late to concentrate the Democratic vote.
“If they would have done this before March 9 I would have given them a parade,” she said of Kotick and Oatman.
Despite suspending their candidacies, their names remain on the ballot along with 14 others because they completed and submitted candidacy papers prior to March 9 with the county registrar. “Everything has locked down,” said Marcia Nielsen, a spokeswoman for the registrar.
Sdao also described as “misleading” an ad run by Rouda on cable television that includes a graphic saying he is endorsed by county Democrats. “He is not,” she said.
That powerful endorsement went to a rival in the race, scientist Hans Keirstead, also of Laguna Beach. “Orange County Democrats have chosen Dr. Hans Keirstead to take on Dana Rohrabacher because they know his experience using science and facts to solve problems is desperately needed in Washington to provide a check on Donald Trump’s dangerous policies,” said Kyle Quinn-Quesada, spokesman for the Keirstead for Congress campaign.
Another Rouda rival has vowed to stay in the race is Omar Siddiqui, an environmental lawyer from Costa Mesa. This week he picked up the endorsement of Orange County Young Democrats.
Kotick’s decision makes no impact on Siddiqui’s intentions, said campaign manager Luis Aleman. “We feel pretty confident where we are,” he said.
Though the longtime incumbent received the backing of the state Republican Party, he also faces a challenge from within his own ranks from former OC GOP Party chair Scott Baugh.
In a statement, Kotick said, “with 16 candidates declaring their candidacy for CA-48, and living in a country that is laced with division, the most important job for those who care about their community is to bring people together.” He thinks Rouda has done that.
For his part, Rouda complimented Kotick for running a spirited, issue-oriented campaign and expressed appreciation for his support. Besides his fellow candidates, Rouda’s backers include several Democratic members of Congress, unions, gun safety groups and some local elected leaders.
I am a supporter of Harley Rouda.
Harley Rouda did not mislead in his ad. Rouda has in fact been endorsed by all Orange County Democrat Congressional Representatives Lou Correa, Linda Sanchez, Alan Lowenthal, and Retired Rep Loretta Sanchez. Harley Rouda has also been endorsed by CA31 Rep Pete Aguilar, CA State Senator D-27 Henry Stern
What is misleading is Fran Sdao is 1 of the 24 delegates who endorsed Hans at CA convention. After convention, Hans Keirstead’s Communications Rep (also 1 of the 24 delegates) was forced to resign due to controversy she caused during convention. Anita Narayan was the delegate (who is also staffer to Hans Keirstead) assigned to choose proxy voters for the delegates that were not present at convention.
Please note it is also misleading when article states Omar Siddiqui as a Costa Mesa resident. Omar in fact lives in Fullerton, and only works in Costa Mesa. His campaign manager will argue the fact the Omar is registered to vote here in CA48, however this was only changed before he entered the race and the address used is NOT his primary residence; which is in fact Fullerton.
I previously posted my comments; but I see you deleted. Is that truly being fair and balance when you don’t allow all sides to be heard? I hope you do not decide to delete again.
I would like to correct the fact that Harley Rouda did not mislead in his recent ad. Rouda has in fact been endorsed by all Orange County Democrat Congressional Representatives Lou Correa, Linda Sanchez, Alan Lowenthal, and Retired Rep Loretta Sanchez. Harley Rouda has also been endorsed by CA31 Rep Pete Aguilar, as well as CA State Senator D-27 Henry Stern.
What is misleading is Fran Sdao is 1 of the 24 delegates who endorsed Hans at CA convention. After convention, Hans Keirstead’s Communications Rep (also 1 of the 24 delegates) was forced to resign due to controversy she caused during convention. Anita Narayan was the delegate (who is also paid staff to Hans Keirstead) was the one assigned to choose proxy voters for the delegates that were not present at convention.
Please note it is also misleading when you state Omar Siddiqui as a Costa Mesa resident. Omar in fact lives in Fullerton, and only works in Costa Mesa. His campaign manager will argue the fact the Omar is registered to vote here in CA48, however this was only changed before he entered the race and the address used is not his primary residence; which is in fact Fullerton.
Thank you Michael Kotick.
Harley Rouda, as mentioned, has the endorsements of Orange County Congressman Lou Correa, Orange County Congress woman Linda Sanchez, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Congressman Pete Aguilar, 8 California Labor Endorsements, and countless local Orange County officials and grassroots.
Interesting the article noted Omar by calling him Rouda’s rival. I thought we were trying to unseat Rohrabacher?
I would call Alan Lowenthal, Lou Correa, Linda Sanchez, and many other Democratic officials who have endorsed Harley, Orange County democrats. So therefore he is endorsed by Orange County democrats. It is not misleading or lying. They are just upset they picked the lowest polling candidate, Hans Keirstead. I don’t know when the DCCC will learn that pushing candidates on our district doesn’t always work.
[…] Line-Up Against Rohrabacher Shrinks […]
I’m disturbed and offended by Sdao’s statement describing “as ‘misleading’ an ad run by Rouda on cable television that includes a graphic saying he is endorsed by county Democrats. ‘He is not,’ she said.” He is indeed endorsed by many Democrats as well as others. It is true that one organization, as your article calls them “Orange County Democrats” oddly did not endorse him, a mistake they have been trying to explain ever since. Here is a list of endorsements from Harley’s website: Linda Sanchez, House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair and Congresswoman
Pete Aguilar, Congressman
Lou Correa, Congressman
Alan Lowenthal, Congressman
Loretta Sanchez, Congresswoman (ret.)
Katrina Foley, Costa Mesa Mayor (Ret.) and City Council Member
Toni Iseman, Laguna Beach Mayor
Dr. Gary LeFebvre, Laguna Beach Democratic Club President *
Laura Oatman, business owner and architect
Erwin Chemerinsky, Founder of the University of California (UC) Irvine Law School and current University of California (UC) Berkeley Law School Dean
Frank Barbaro (Ret.), Orange County Democratic Party Chair
Bill Lockyer (Ret.), California Attorney General
Henry Stern, California State Senator (D-27)
Gina Clayton-Tarvin, Ocean View School District Board of Trustees President
Steve Harris, M.ED, Centralia School District Board of Trustee
Sukhee Kang, former Mayor of Irvine
Dan Jacobson, Chair of the Democratic Foundation *
What wonderful news that Michael Kotick has decided to endorse and support Harley Rouda. As an elected school school board member in northwest Orange County serving the on the Ocean View School District Board of Trustees representing over 130,000 constituents; I agree with Mr. Kotick, Harley Rouda is the best candidate to move CA48 forward in a positive direction.
I’m looking forward to Southern Cal becoming it’s own State. No more Sacramento Democrats!!!!
Harley is endorsed by the local democrats, the ones that are in office. What a misleading story. Here’s the link.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-three-congressional-democrats-make-their-1521094572-htmlstory.html
[…] also received the support of the Sierra Club and two Democrats in the race, Laura Oatman and Michael Kotick, who dropped out but remain on the ballot. Rouda also received the endorsement of Indivisible OC […]
[…] also received the support of former candidates Laura Oatman and Michael Kotick, who quit the race, and Indivisible OC 48, a grassroots group that held several well-attended […]