Hold that support a second

Paul Clinton

An endorsement brouhaha is further spicing up a hot-tamale of an

Assembly race for the GOP nomination.

In the run for the 70th Assembly District seat, Supervisor Jim

Silva has watered down his support for Cristi Cristich, a Corona del

Mar GOP fund-raiser and Anaheim business woman, by endorsing a second

candidate.

When contacted Wednesday, Silva said he is also throwing his

support behind Chuck DeVore, a defeated Irvine City Council

candidate, who has proudly posted the endorsement on his campaign Web

site.

“What I’m doing is a dual endorsement,” Silva said. “They’re both

good people and would do a good job for that district.”

Silva, a familiar face at Republican Party functions, said the

move was not related to Cristich’s endorsing Bill Clinton in the 1996

presidential race or her pro-choice stance. The more moderate

Cristich is also positioning herself as an advocate of business and

opponent of additional taxes.

Marianne Zippi, a defeated Newport Beach City Council candidate

and Don Wagner, an Irvine businessman, are also in the race.

In a race like this, with no clear favorite, these endorsements

can give a candidate the needed boost to push them over the top.

They may be especially important in the race to replace John

Campbell, who is leaving to make a run at a chair in the state

Senate. So far, three other Republicans have announced their

intentions to make a play for the seat.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has also endorsed DeVore, while former

Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer and former state Sen. Marian Bergeson

have thrown their weight behind Cristich.

On Sunday, Zippi announced that she had pinned down the support of

Carl Karcher, the founder of Carl’s Jr.

“Having Mr. Karcher’s support is validation of my business skills

and conservative Republican platform,” Zippi said.

Since 1984, Zippi has run a marketing and communications business.

COSTA MESA WATER ACTIVIST HONORED

Costa Mesa water activist Joan Finnegan has been named the 2003

Woman of the Year in the 68th Assembly District.

Assemblyman Ken Maddox, along with Speaker Willie Brown, honored

Finnegan on the Assembly floor on Monday.

Finnegan, who moved to Costa Mesa with her family in 1950, has 39

years of experience on water issues. She is now president of the

Municipal Water District of Orange County.

An avid Japanese koi fish hobbyist, Finnegan is also a past

president of the Southern California Koi Club and founder of the Zen

Nippon Arinkai organization from Japan.

She has been married for 51 years and has two daughters, a foster

son and four grandchildren.

HONOR FOR FALLEN MARINE

Jose “Angel” Garibay will be honored as a war hero today in the

state Legislature.

State Sen. Ross Johnson, who represents the district that includes

Garibay’s former Costa Mesa home, has said he will honor the Marine

in the state Senate by closing the session in his memory.

Johnson is expected to praise Garibay during a speech on the

Senate floor, said Matt Ross, the senator’s spokesman.

Garibay, 21, was killed in combat in Iraq. He was one of seven

Marines killed Sunday in heavy fighting near Nasiriyah.

NEWPORT NATIVE LANDS IN HIGH-PROFILE PR FIRM

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle has hired Jeffrey Solsby, a Newport

Beach native and political operative, at his Irvine public relations

firm.

Curt Pringle & Associates, founded in 1999, announced the move

March 18.

Before this move, Solsby served as the chief of staff to

Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, a former county supervisor. He held a job

as Spitzer’s communications director for the year leading up to his

election to the Assembly in November.

Solsby has also worked as the communications director for Reps.

Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and James Rogan (R-Glendale). He was on Rogan’s

staff when the Congressman led the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

Solsby also worked in Pringle’s press office when he was speaker

of the Assembly.