Why is O.C. Register political reporter Martin Wisckol ignoring the sole Democratic candidate for the 33rd State Senate District? Heather Pritchard, who is married to Gary Pritchard (pictured above), the Democratic candidate in question, posed that question in an email to Wisckol today. It is a good question.
But the fact is, Wisckol is not the only O.C. Register reporter who has the blinders on. Somebody named Brian Joseph wrote a recent O.C. Register article about the nasty campaigns being waged by the GOP candidates for the 33rd District, Assemblywoman Mimi Walters and Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu. Joseph also ignored Pritchard’s candidacy.
Even worse, Joseph quoted OC GOP hack Matt/Jubal Cunningham in that article, “It’s good theater,” said Matt Cunningham online editor of the RedCounty.com blog. “I can’t remember a local legislative race that went this negative, this early.”
What a stupid comment by Matt! The nasty race between Walters and Sidhu has been utterly disgusting. It has seen Walters try to hate Mexicans more than Sidhu does, and she has even resorted to outright lies about Sidhu. I am no fan of Sidhu by the way. He also hates Mexicans and he also is not happy about gay marriage.
Clearly Walters and Sidhu both blow, so let’s focus on Pritchard. Here is what he has to say about himself on his website:
I’m a 37 year old California native who was born in the Central Valley town of Bakersfield and raised near the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park. I now live in Aliso Viejo with Heather my supportive spouse of 10 years; Charlotte our exuberant five year old daughter; and Sophie our family’s high-strung weimaraner.
I am a dedicated educator in the public school system. I completed college in Southern California where I attended Chapman University, the Claremont Graduate School, UCLA, and UCI. I hold a Ph.D. in the Social Sciences and am a tenured professor in the Fine Arts and Communication Division of Cerritos College where I have taught since 1999. In the summer, I am also a lecturer at UCI.
As a tested leader in the California Community College system, I have served as a department chair, sat on curriculum and program review committees, co-authored grants for the National Endowment of the Humanities and federal vocational education programs. I have chaired tenure committees, reviewed textbooks, authored new curriculum including distance education courses, and have participated in a variety of local and national conferences and symposia.
Pritchard appears to be a lot more qualified to serve in the State Senate than Walters and Sidhu.
Sidhu has to to say about his background, on his campaign website:
Harry worked his way through Drexel University, earning an Engineering degree, and in 1980, settled down in Southern California gaining employment in the aerospace industry. It was our nation’s peak defense build-up period, and Harry was proud to know that he was helping his country stop the communist threat.
He soon met and married his wonderful wife, Gin. They bought their first home together, and in the years to come, had two amazing children, both of whom attend pubic school. It was their “California Dream” to one day own a business. They started a local restaurant working day and night to make it succeed. In time, they came to own a number of local restaurants creating jobs for hundreds of people.
In 2004, he was elected to the Anaheim City Council and considers public service a meaningful way of “saying thank you and giving back.”
Here are a few excerpts from Walter’s bio:
Mimi Walters possesses a background in both business and local government. Her professional career has included time with the firm of Drexel, Burnham & Lambert as an Investment Executive and then subsequently joining Kidder Peabody & Company.
Mimi began her public service on the Laguna Niguel City Council in 1996. She served as Mayor in 2000. As a Councilwoman, Mimi was a leading voice for fiscally responsible government and local control. As a Director of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority (ETRPA), Mimi helped defeat efforts to convert the El Toro Marine Air Base into a commercial airport. She was named Chair of ETRPA in January of 2003.
Mimi Walters graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She and her husband, David, live in Laguna Niguel with their four children.
Mimi currently serves as Vice Chair of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations and as an Assembly Assistant Republican Leader.
So the fact is, Pritchard has a Ph.D. and he is a college professor. Walters has a bachelor’s degree and she sold stocks. Sidhu has an engineering degree, but no longer uses it, and apparently he sells fast food. Which one of these candidates do you think is better qualified to serve as a state legislator? Pritchard of course. And the O.C. Register won’t even give him the time of day.
Ask anyone what the top three issues in California are and most likely education will be one of those issues. Pritchard is uniquely qualified to help in that area. Walters and Sidhu? Not so much. And yet the O.C. Register continues to ignore Pritchard. What a disservice to their readers.
If you would like to contact Pritchard, click here.
I wanted to interview Gary for our next radio show. Now you’ve really piqued my interest. What do you say Art and Gary?
SMS
Art, I hope this helps Heather, you’re right the local press in OC only focuses on the sensational news and their Libertarian philosophy – except when it comes to your bedroom. Seriously, do you actually expect the ‘talk-radio dependent’ voters of the 33rd to focus on qualifications? The only qualifications they need to hear are ‘Humanities’ and ‘hate illegals.’ I can turn dimes into dollars betting on that outcome. P. T. Barnum’s philosophy is apparent in south county voting.
If my comment upset you, Art, I must have been on the mark.
But to answer your question: it’s because Gary Pritchard has zero chance of winning. It has nothing to do with him. Judging by the comments his wife writes, he’s probably a very fine man. But the registration is so lopsided in the 33rd, he doesn’t have a chance.
It’s the same reason the OCR doesn’t write about the GOP nominee in the 69th AD. Come to think of it, neither have you.
#2
I’d rather be a Libertarian than a Neo-Con. I mean what’s so conservative about Neo-Conservatives anyway?
And yes, this is a shameless plug for tomorrow’s article. 🙂
SMS
Thank you Art. I also believe Gary is uniquely qualified when it comes to education and we have a five year old going into the public school system in September, this is our community and we do want to help because we are not happy with what we see.
Matt – Thank you, I appreciate that. But we do have to try. Whether we have a zero chance or not we took this on and said we would do our best. It is not a one party system and the only way for things to change is to run. So Gary will be knocking on as many doors as possible and talking to voters directly. Republicans and Declined to States are included in his precincts walks.
It’s a strange year for Democrats, you never know.
And with Mimi turning into a grotesque caricature of a Republican, you never know.
Art, let’s you me & Sarah interview Gary, but after June 3, no point rushing. By then we’ll have all the technical issues settled. Before the 3rd we still need to do that 3rd-supe challenger, Donald Ritze!
Why won’t the O.C. Register write about the Democratic candidate for the 33rd Senate District?
As Matt alluded too and I’ll say more bluntly, he’s irrelevant.
Aye aye Captain. Irrelevant like Loretta in the 90s. You stick with your wingnut Mimi, the world is changing.
“He’s irrelevant”. Not completely, there are Democrats in the 33rd district and they matter as well. They deserve to have a choice and with the Presidential election, you never know, there are enough Declined to States to make a difference for Gary.
By the way, if people want to donate, they can here:
http://actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18910
We are focussing on this right now, please help if you can. Thank you!
Heather:
I don’t disagree that Democrats deserve a choice – just as much as Republicans do in LA or San Francisco, where they too are irrelevant. Redistricting reform will be good for everyone.
Also, I didn’t notice the common last name. I didn’t mean to imply that he is irrelevant as a person. But yes, there is no relevancy to his candidacy because either Sidhu (my “wingnut” in the race) or Walters will get 65% or more of the vote in November.
Heather,
I will definitely make a donation and I encourage my readers to do so as well.
Thank you Art! I’ve become the shameless fund raiser for my husband, you have to be if you want to compete. It’s just the nature of politics!
So Captain, just out of curiosity and in all courtesy, why do you prefer Sidhu to Mimi? From over here, as an HB Democrat, I can’t really tell them apart. (Except for looks.)