The ballot for Tuesday's 48th Congressional District special election
will list 10 Republicans, but at least eight of their names may be
unknown to many voters.
With most of the attention, endorsements and money going to front
runners Marilyn Brewer and John Campbell, the other Republicans have
had to struggle not to get lost in the crowd. But they're a
determined group, with only one -- Marshall Sanders of Santa Ana --
deciding not to campaign after qualifying for the ballot.
Tuesday's special election ballot includes 17 candidates. Because
it's an open primary, voters can cross party lines to pick a
candidate. If no one takes more than 50% of the primary vote, a
general election will be held Dec. 6 with each party's top
vote-getter.
Despite belonging to the same party, the lesser-known Republicans
are a diverse group, with a variety of reasons for getting into the
race.
"I run because I love this country and care about its future,"
Irvine attorney Guy Mailly, 51, wrote in an e-mail. "The race is not
about me; it's about how I can serve."
Irvine real estate agent Marsha A. Morris, 43, wants to raise
awareness about the danger of mercury in vaccines such as flu shots.
Huntington Beach businessman Edward Suppe, 49, wants to rebuild the
Coast Guard's fleet with Navy ships. Newport Beach urologist Don
Udall wants to reform the legal system.
But on other issues, some of them share a point of view. A number
of them say they're concerned about national security and government
spending, and they seem to agree that voters want to be represented
by someone who's not a professional politician.
"I don't like to see people making a career out of being a
politician and making a lot of money at it," said John Kelly, a
Tustin store owner. "It makes for disinterest by the public, and
people think that every politician is a crook."
The presence of so many Republicans challenging the party's chosen
candidate and talking about returning integrity to office doesn't
necessarily signal massive discontent within the GOP.
After looking at the candidates' websites, UC Irvine political
scientist Mark Petracca said, "It strikes me that all the Republicans
are pretty much to the right of where Brewer and even Campbell are
at."
Some of the candidates seem to be traditionalists, who want small
government and who don't compromise on social issues, he said.
Irvine attorney and real estate developer Scott MacCabe, 41, cited
his pro-life beliefs and fighting to shrink the national debt as
