Challengers face high hurdles
What does it take to get elected to Yorba Linda’s City Council?
Through 20 municipal elections, 112 different individuals have tried to win a position on the city’s five-member governing body, but voters have approved admission to the select council club to only 26 people in nearly 39 years.
Nevertheless, more are now signing up to compete in this year’s contest. These prospective candidates have until Aug. 11 to complete the filing procedure at City Hall.
So what factors will make two of the contenders winners and all of the remaining hopefuls also-rans?
Widespread name recognition and, lately, a substantial campaign treasury are the two key ingredients needed for a successful run for political office in Yorba Linda. Of course, the sitting council members always have a built-in advantage in both areas.
They’ve gained valuable exposure during their four or more years making decisions at the council dais and attending countless community events, including Eagle Scout Courts of Honor, business ribbon-cuttings, Lobsterfests and other high-profile civic gatherings.
Incumbents are able to draw financial resources from a wide-variety of contributors, including those with a stake in council votes, such as city contractors, developers and individuals and businesses associated with the building and real estate industries.
Past electoral experience has shown that individual contributions of $100, $150 and $200 from ordinary residents aren’t enough to fund campaigns that can consume $35,000 or more in a couple of months of intense electioneering.
Usually, challengers can’t raise that amount of cash, unless at least one incumbent sponsors them and opens the door to the same sources that contribute to incumbents.
And this year’s campaign will be expensive. Those slick, full-color brochures mailed to residents whose names appear on lists of “high-propensity voters” will run about $5,000 each, with the deep-pocket candidates probably planning several such mailings.
In last month’s primary election, nearly one-half of Yorba Linda’s 13,940 voting residents cast absentee ballots, so candidates will time mailers to arrive as these ballots reach the mailboxes and again just before the actual Nov. 7 election day.
Even the cost of a candidate statement in the sample ballot packet the county Registrar’s office mails to registered voters has increased this year. Contenders must deposit $1,029 if they want to include a 200-word description of their qualifications for office.
Other expenses might include hiring political consultants and paying for endorsements on “voter guides” that associate a candidate with several impressively named organizations.
A FINAL NOTE
Late last August, the now-dismissed Old Town developers surveyed residents on the Right-to-Vote initiative, various city issues and people and groups active in public life.
One question asked voters for re-election opinions on council members Ken Ryan and Keri Wilson, with 28 per cent responding favorably to Ryan and 27 per cent to Wilson.
Ryan’s unfavorable responses were 22 per cent and Wilson’s 18 percent. The “don’t know” answers totaled 49 percent for Ryan and 55 percent for Wilson.
I’ll have some fascinating information from the most extensive survey of Yorba Linda political opinions ever conducted to date in next week’s column, gleaned from a closely held 682-page report of findings that I obtained this week.
Through 20 municipal elections, 112 different individuals have tried to win a position on the city’s five-member governing body, but voters have approved admission to the select council club to only 26 people in nearly 39 years.
Nevertheless, more are now signing up to compete in this year’s contest. These prospective candidates have until Aug. 11 to complete the filing procedure at City Hall.
So what factors will make two of the contenders winners and all of the remaining hopefuls also-rans?
Widespread name recognition and, lately, a substantial campaign treasury are the two key ingredients needed for a successful run for political office in Yorba Linda. Of course, the sitting council members always have a built-in advantage in both areas.
They’ve gained valuable exposure during their four or more years making decisions at the council dais and attending countless community events, including Eagle Scout Courts of Honor, business ribbon-cuttings, Lobsterfests and other high-profile civic gatherings.
Incumbents are able to draw financial resources from a wide-variety of contributors, including those with a stake in council votes, such as city contractors, developers and individuals and businesses associated with the building and real estate industries.
Past electoral experience has shown that individual contributions of $100, $150 and $200 from ordinary residents aren’t enough to fund campaigns that can consume $35,000 or more in a couple of months of intense electioneering.
Usually, challengers can’t raise that amount of cash, unless at least one incumbent sponsors them and opens the door to the same sources that contribute to incumbents.
And this year’s campaign will be expensive. Those slick, full-color brochures mailed to residents whose names appear on lists of “high-propensity voters” will run about $5,000 each, with the deep-pocket candidates probably planning several such mailings.
In last month’s primary election, nearly one-half of Yorba Linda’s 13,940 voting residents cast absentee ballots, so candidates will time mailers to arrive as these ballots reach the mailboxes and again just before the actual Nov. 7 election day.
Even the cost of a candidate statement in the sample ballot packet the county Registrar’s office mails to registered voters has increased this year. Contenders must deposit $1,029 if they want to include a 200-word description of their qualifications for office.
Other expenses might include hiring political consultants and paying for endorsements on “voter guides” that associate a candidate with several impressively named organizations.
A FINAL NOTE
Late last August, the now-dismissed Old Town developers surveyed residents on the Right-to-Vote initiative, various city issues and people and groups active in public life.
One question asked voters for re-election opinions on council members Ken Ryan and Keri Wilson, with 28 per cent responding favorably to Ryan and 27 per cent to Wilson.
Ryan’s unfavorable responses were 22 per cent and Wilson’s 18 percent. The “don’t know” answers totaled 49 percent for Ryan and 55 percent for Wilson.
I’ll have some fascinating information from the most extensive survey of Yorba Linda political opinions ever conducted to date in next week’s column, gleaned from a closely held 682-page report of findings that I obtained this week.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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