Race for Cox Seat Heats Up Airwaves

The final day of campaigning in an Orange County congressional race that has received national attention because of its focus on immigration played out on the airwaves Monday as the front-running Republican and aggressive third-party challenger sniped at each other.

State Sen. John Campbell (R-Irvine) could be heard with Irvine attorney Hugh Hewitt on KRLA-AM (870) while Jim Gilchrist, co-founder of the border security group called the Minuteman Project, was a guest on “The John & Ken Show” on KFI-AM (640).

The race is being closely watched in part because it underscores a deep division among conservatives over securing borders and dealing with illegal immigration.

Debate was heated again Monday during the afternoon radio shows, as each candidate accused the other of ducking a face-to-face debate. At one point, Hewitt suggested that Gilchrist had brazenly cozied up to KFI hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou. “Basically, it’s ‘Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice’ time over there,’ ” Hewitt said, referring to the 1969 movie about spouse-swapping.

Not to be outdone, Kobylt labeled Hewitt a “Republican party toady and low-rated talk-show hack.”

It mattered little that most listeners of either station live well outside coastal Orange County’s 48th Congressional District. Voters there will choose among Campbell, Gilchrist and three other candidates on today’s special election ballot to replace Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach). Cox resigned in July to become chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gilchrist, 56, the candidate of the American Independent Party, finished a surprising third in the Oct. 4 special election, propelled by his activism against illegal immigration. Gilchrist is a long shot, but his growing popularity among voters and donors underscores the potency of immigration as an issue among conservatives.

The district stretches from Newport Beach to Dana Point and as far inland as Tustin. Among its 406,000 registered voters are 203,000 Republicans, 110,000 Democrats, and fewer than 8,000 American Independents.

The other candidates are Democrat Steve Young, 51, a Newport Beach attorney; Libertarian Bruce Cohen, 44, a real estate broker from Irvine; and Santa Ana high school teacher Bea Tiritilli, 42, the Green Party nominee.

The abbreviated campaign was the first try at elective office for Gilchrist, who leapt onto the national scene in April after organizing citizen patrols along the Mexico-Arizona border. Gilchrist’s campaign forced Campbell, 50, a state legislator since 2000, to repudiate his votes on measures allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state universities and to use Mexican identification cards for official purposes.

So far, most of the campaigning has been done by mail and at a few sparsely attended debates. Campbell and Gilchrist appeared together on “The John & Ken Show” the day before the primary, and the talk-show hosts have savaged Campbell’s views since then.

The talk-show personalities took a similar approach last year when Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) ran for reelection, accusing the Republican congressman of being soft on illegal immigration. Dreier won, but his margin of victory was less than in past contests, and he was forced to step up his campaign spending in the final days of the contest.

The ranting Monday began on KFI, which broadcast live from a Laguna Woods hotel in the heart of the congressional district.

Kobylt and Chiampou urged district voters to choose Gilchrist despite his party affiliation. Bold action was needed, they said, to show Congress that voters were fed up with illegal immigration, which they and Gilchrist blamed for a host of social ills including traffic congestion and overcrowded emergency rooms and public schools.

“If Republicans in Southern California don’t vote out a Republican congressman, it’s not going to get any better,” Kobylt said.

On the air, Gilchrist supported a 500% increase in the budget of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and stiffer penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. He also quoted former President Reagan: “A nation without borders is not a nation.”

“Does anyone here not understand that?” Gilchrist asked.

Campbell’s absence prompted producers to invite Democrat Young to fill the empty seat. But Young’s plan to allow immigrants into the U.S. after paying a hefty fee to the federal government was booed by the audience.

On Hewitt’s show, Campbell dismissed the idea that illegal immigration has dominated the concerns of district voters. “It has been a big issue, but it’s not the only issue,” he said. “The tie for first is the war on terror and war on Iraq, and then the [federal] budget issues and then third is immigration.”

Campbell said he was aligned with national Republicans on most issues, though he disagreed with President Bush’s plan to allow foreign guest workers into the country.

Guests at Campbell’s fundraisers have included Vice President Dick Cheney and National Republican Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.

After dissecting several issues, Hewitt asked whether Gilchrist’s past bankruptcy was a factor in the campaign. Campbell said it was. Members of Congress are “your fiscal managers. If someone’s not willing to manage their own money, it’s a problem,” he said.

Gilchrist did get a voice on the station, though: His campaign ads aired during Hewitt’s commercial breaks.