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Diverse views among Costa Mesa council hopefuls

City Council candidates, from left, Katrina Foley, Tony Capitelli, Mayor Jim Righeimer, Jay Humphrey and Christopher Bunyan gather at an Oct. 2 forum at the Neighborhood Community Center in Costa Mesa.
City Council candidates, from left, Katrina Foley, Tony Capitelli, Mayor Jim Righeimer, Jay Humphrey and Christopher Bunyan gather at an Oct. 2 forum at the Neighborhood Community Center in Costa Mesa.
(KEVIN CHANG / Daily Pilot)
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This Nov. 4, two seats are open on Costa Mesa’s five-member City Council, and of the men and women vying for the coveted spots, two are already well-known, though politically opposite: Mayor Jim Righeimer, who is up for reelection, and school board Trustee Katrina Foley, a former councilwoman.

Righeimer has taken a hard stance against what he views as the influence of organized labor at City Hall while actively supporting investment in city infrastructure since his 2010 election. He’s raised the ire of employee associations and community activists while doing so, but has long contended that his conservative views are aligned with the “silent majority.”

Righeimer touts a record he says includes considerable public infrastructure improvements, stabilizing city coffers, reducing crime at motels and revitalizing the Westside.

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“The other side wants to say everything is wrong,” said Righeimer, who works in real estate development. “There are all these problems of trying to make up issues that don’t exist. But the streets are getting paved, and crime is down. Everything else is noise.”

Opposite of Righeimer is Foley, an attorney who says Costa Mesa is heading in the wrong direction under Righeimer’s watch. She supports her belief on a variety of points, including arguing against new high-density developments and high legal fees spurred by some of council majority’s decision-making.

She has also placed public safety — the ranks of the Costa Mesa Police Department have thinned in recent years — at the center of her campaign, which also calls for neighborhood improvement, maintaining “a prosperous and vibrant business community,” and gathering residents’ input.

Though Costa Mesa is known for its rough-and-tumble political climate, Foley said she’s been calling for civility from her supporters. She doesn’t want them getting caught up in “Facebook wars” with adversaries.

“It’s just a distraction,” she said. “We will just be talking to voters, listening to what voters are concerned about with regards to the city.”

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Field offers voters a variety of viewpoints

The remaining six candidates provide voters a vast selection of viewpoints, résumés and styles from which to choose.

Jay Humphrey, who’s running alongside Foley, is hoping to return to City Hall after a long absence. The retired pharmaceutical executive served one term, from 1990 to 1994.

Lee Ramos is a newcomer to Costa Mesa’s political scene, though not to the city. Ramos, a retired businessman, has lived in Costa Mesa since 1947. He served on the Charter Committee and is on the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee.

Tony Capitelli, a congressional aide, announced his intent to run in August 2013, more than a year ahead of Election Day. The Whittier Law School graduate works in the field office for U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) and is the son-in-law of Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry.

Rita Simpson, a retired consultant with the Automobile Club of Southern California, is another newcomer. Her candidacy surprised some political observers when her unfamiliar name appeared on the candidates list Aug. 8, the filing deadline.

Christopher Bunyan is making his third shot for council. He has a variety of jobs, including sports agent and hairstylist at The Lab, and has served on the city’s Cultural Arts and Historical Preservation committees. He is also known for his involvement in the preservation and restoration of Banning Ranch.

Al Melone may be recognizable for his advocacy for the city’s dog park, but the certified public accountant isn’t making it a major campaign issue, instead taking a hard stance against future developments. This year is his second run after a failed one in 2012.

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Campaign styles differ in contest

Ramos prefers a one-on-one style. He estimates the he’s knocked on 7,000 doors throughout the campaign season, which for him began last November.

He said he doesn’t like others handing out his fliers for him.

Ramos, who has raised about $45,000 for his campaign, also held weekly meetings with voters at a Costa Mesa Panera Bread for several months.

“It’s been an interesting year,” he said. “It got to a point that it became an intense learning experience. It really changed me.”

Ramos hasn’t stressed his heritage to voters, though he is one of few Latinos to ever run for office in Costa Mesa’s 61-year history.

Ramos, who is politically aligned with Righeimer, has received at least $3,500 from Grow Elect, a San Diego-based political action committee that supports Latino Republicans.

“I think [this election] is going to be about integrity and civility before anything else,” Ramos said, “and I think whoever is elected is going to be accountable on those items in order to return Costa Mesa to what it can be.”

Simpson is on the other end of the campaigning spectrum. As of this month, she is just starting to spread the word.

She’s not accepting contributions, and says she rather would spend that kind of effort reaching out to voters. Simpson said she’s particularly interested in seeing Costa Mesa divided into representative council districts.

“I know I am a person who listens, a person who cares and person who wants to solve problems,” Simpson said.

She has also made clear her support for the city charter proposal, Measure O.

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Campaign spending intensifies

Righeimer is leading the pack when it comes to personal campaign financing. He has about $90,000 on hand, many from interests outside Costa Mesa.

Righeimer, who is not accepting any money from unions, said while it may look like he has more than his opponents, he argued that some of them are being aided by organized labor, which spends on their behalf without making direct donations.

“What people should look for is to see where the mail came from for the candidate,” he said. “Don’t be surprised to see that it was paid for by labor unions ... it will be way more money than I have.”

Foley has about $40,000 so far, including $5,000 from the Newport Beach Police Department’s union.

“They really care about what happens in this election,” she said, “so that [Costa Mesa’s] staffing and Police Department can go back to normal.”

But it’s the small donations, she said, that really matter. Foley, who served on the council from 2004 to 2010, touted one of her recent campaign strategies: accepting hundreds of $25 donations from Costa Mesa residents by Oct. 25.

“Let’s show what local control really is,” she said. “It’s about the residents getting involved and engaged in their location election.”

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A lighter, ‘aloha vibe’ for Bunyan

Bunyan describes his campaign as nontraditional, a “Zen approach to politics” that isn’t afraid to take a light tone.

He recently started fundraising and has about $12,000, including his own money. Some of his online campaign materials were designed by a graphic artist in Hawaii, who gives them an “aloha vibe.”

One has an image of the “Dukes of Hazzard” car jumping over a river. Some depict the fictional Paul Bunyan.

“People like those,” he said. “They like seeing what new ones are going to be produced.”

Bunyan sees himself as an alternative to the “retrenched politicians” in the “Righeimer camp” or the “CM4RG camp,” the latter of which is Costa Mesans for Responsible Government, a community activist group that supports Foley and Humphrey.

Harold Weitzberg, who dropped out of this year’s race in August, is now backing Bunyan.

“The City Council needs new blood,” Weitzberg said. “And I think that one of our seats should be held by somebody who has new blood, and that’s why I like Chris Bunyan.”

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It worked for him 25 years ago

During a recent community barbecue, Humphrey looked to the sky and saw his name streaming alongside Foley’s. It was on an airplane’s aerial banner.

“It was heartwarming to see it up there in the sky, floating around,” Humphrey said.

Humphrey has raised about $23,000. He said his campaign technique is similar to when he first ran nearly 25 years ago.

It’s still about “getting out and meeting the voter, walking the precincts, talking to folks,” he said. “Let them to talk to you, eyeball to eyeball.”

He stressed that council races are supposed to be nonpartisan. Some of his campaign platforms include keeping Fairview Park free from further development. He doesn’t support the proposed city charter.

“I’ve got a lot of positive input and push from a whole bunch of different people,” Humphrey said. “It makes me very happy and proud to be doing what I’m doing and be a part of Costa Mesa.”

Capitelli has raised about $15,000, according to recent campaign filing reports. Some of it has come from his family, including Curry, a state Assembly candidate.

Capitelli — who has preached civility in politics and helping Costa Mesa’s homeless population — was unavailable for an interview. His campaign has been on hold for a bit; his wife gave birth this week to their first child, Anthony Jr.

Like Simpson, Melone isn’t actively fundraising.

“I was thinking of changing my name to Sean Connery,” Melone said with a laugh. “I think I’d have a much better chance.”

During recent candidate forums, Melone said he was surprised when people approached him and said he’s got their vote.

“That’s never happened before,” he said. “That sounds like a small thing, but I was shocked.”

Melone said with his second campaign, he’s been able to draw attention to issues he cares about, including the dangers coyotes pose to household pets.

And if he doesn’t win on Nov. 4, he said, “I may run four, five times in a row.”

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