Turmoil, passion surround major Orange County law enforcement races

With mail-in ballots for the June primary arriving, it’s the official launch for what some call the silly season.
But cynicism with the democratic process has no part in America. As citizens, our duty is to vote, even if it’s a choice between the lesser of two evils.
Anita Ford, 70, left, and Phyllis Steele, 73, talk with Orange resident Jo-Ann Coller while they were out canvassing for a congressional candidate on Thursday, May 10, 2018. The pair had 18 houses to visit on this day. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Phyllis Steele, 73, and Anita Ford, 70, from left, canvass a neighborhood in Orange for a congressional candidate on Thursday, May 10, 2018. The pair had 18 houses to visit on this day. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Phyllis Steele, 73, left, and Anita Ford, 70, pass out information for Kimberly Ehert to give to the homeowner while they were canvassing in Orange on Thursday, May 10, 2018. The pair had 18 houses to visit on this day for a congressional candidate. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Phyllis Steele, 73, and Anita Ford, 70, from left, use a mobile app for a list of houses they need to visit while canvassing a neighborhood in Orange for a congressional candidate on Thursday, May 10, 2018. The pair had 18 houses to visit on this day. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Phyllis Steele, 73, and Anita Ford, 70, from left, canvass a neighborhood in Orange for a congressional candidate on Thursday, May 10, 2018. The pair had 18 houses to visit on this day. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Fortunately, skepticism is just fine. So is a sense of humor.
After all, a bad boy is better than a truly evil guy, right? Of course, your bad may be another person’s evil — and that may be the case in the two major law enforcement races in Orange County.
But, first, let’s talk grassroots.
Phyllis Steele, a retired teacher in Orange, has always voted but never worked a campaign. This year and this primary, though, is different.
After witnessing a polarized national mood as well as ugliness in Washington, D.C., Steele decided to make a difference, encourage people to vote and guide them toward a candidate who she believes can calm the waters.
“I said, ‘There are two things I don’t want to do,’” she told workers at a campaign office. “I don’t want to make phone calls and I don’t want to walk a district.”
What did she end up doing?
Hitting the pavement, making phone calls.
It doesn’t matter for this column who Steele supports. What is important — and inspiring — is that she cares so deeply she is willing to volunteer her time, make those phone calls, walk the walk.
“Sitting at home is not an option right now,” says the 73-year-old. “I want to be involved.”
Steele also discovered something more. She came out of her shell and found that yakking to strangers on the phone, even knocking on someone’s door, isn’t so tough.
“I’m impressed with how nice people are,” she says, admitting some are slightly irritated to be disturbed. “They’re never rude.”
District attorney race
From where I stand, the two most interesting local races are the election for Orange County district attorney, and deciding who becomes Orange County sheriff-coroner.
But both elections come with an asterisk. Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley explains that for this election to have a winner, one candidate must capture at least 50 percent of the ballots, plus one.
If no candidate gains a majority of votes, the top two candidates head to the runoff election in November.
First, the weirdest race — the one for district attorney.
In one corner, there’s county Supervisor Todd Spitzer. In the other, there’s the current and long-time district attorney, Tony Rackauckas. There’s also a dark horse candidate, Brett Murdock.
The leading candidates have law degrees, served as prosecutors and generally don’t use family members as election candy. Over the years, I’ve spent time with both men and found them to be smart, quick thinking, decisive, fun to talk to and exceptionally hard working.
Spitzer and Rackauckas also appear to share something else: mutual hatred.
Yet their campaign styles are markedly different. Where Spitzer sparks, Rackauckas smolders.
The homepage on Spitzer’s campaign website, ToddSpizer.com, leads off with: “Sunday (May 7), Tony Rackauckas’ unhinged meltdown at the Costa Del Sol Republican Club left the audience of senior citizens in shock.
“Repeatedly pressed on his failure as a prosecutor, Rackauckas in a moment of rage lost complete control and pounded the table.”
At the same time, Rackauckas’ campaign website, ocdistrictattorney.com, is circumspect.
Its homepage declares: “I will be running on the strong track record of our office where I oversee and am responsible for the performance of hundreds of attorneys, investigators and professional staff.”
In a twist, the Rackauckas site also includes boilerplate prose from the county’s official government website, orangecountyda.com.
County site: “In 1982, Tony took an unpaid leave of absence from the OCDA to lead a statewide campaign to remove three rogue California Supreme Court Justices in order to uphold the death penalty.”
Campaign site: “In 1982, Tony took an unpaid leave of absence from the OCDA to lead a statewide campaign to remove three rogue California Supreme Court Justices in order to uphold the death penalty.”
Murdock, however, could prove the spoiler. A victims’ rights attorney, it’s possible his fresh face could be what voters are looking for.
Consider that Murdock served as mayor of Brea and has the backing of the Democratic Club of Orange County.
Still, I suspect that as we approach the November general election, we’ll see an epic duel between Spitzer and Rackauckas.
Sheriff-coroner election
Now, the heaviest race — sheriff-coroner.
After a decade of selfless and challenging service, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens is stepping down to retire.
That opens the door for two well-known candidates, current Undersheriff Don Barnes and retired Sgt. David Harrington.
Hutchens has paved a yellow brick road for Barnes, stepping aside at various functions and allowing him to take lead. She’s also endorsed Barnes.
Additionally, Barnes is endorsed by nearly two dozen police chiefs, deputy district attorneys, deputy sheriffs.
Harrington, now mayor of Aliso Viejo, counters with endorsements from nearly 50 mayors and council members. He also pushes hard at “reigning in reckless spending,” and to “conduct a top-down review.”
But don’t completely count out a third candidate, Los Angeles County Senior Investigator Det. Duke Nguyen. As with the district attorney’s race, he could benefit from voters splitting the two candidates with Orange County Sheriff’s Department backgrounds.
The Tustin resident also has two potentially powerful backers: the local Vietnamese community and the Democratic Party of Orange County.
Relatively young ethnic communities tend to support their own, regardless of party persuasion. Democrats are more, well, flighty.
And that’s the tipping point.
With Orange County in 2016 for the first time supporting a Democratic presidential candidate, this election is considered a bellwether.
In the cover story for the June issue of The New Republic, contributing writer Vauhini Vara writes, “Even as political headwinds seem to be blowing in their favor, the chances of a Democratic sweep of Orange County are increasingly in question.
“Given its internal divisions,” Vara states, “it has been unclear from the start whether the Democratic Party can harness the energy of its grassroots while also drawing in centrists and Republicans.”
Regardless of who wins, there is henceforth an unwritten rule in America when it comes to voting:
If you don’t vote, you can’t whine about the outcome.
Source: Oc Register