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Orange County Sheriff Was A Democrat
Monday, Apr. 20 2009 @ 2:55PM
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In an interview for a March profile, Hutchens told me she is a Republican; holds conservative views, particularly on fiscal matters; felt George W. Bush had been an unfairly maligned president; and considered Ronald Reagan her political role model. Indeed, a glass plaque on her office desk inside the Orange County Sheriff's Department features a Reagan quote. I hadn't thought to ask the sheriff if she'd ever been a Democrat.
According to official Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder records, Sandra Sue Anderson--Hutchens' name during a prior marriage--was registered as a Democrat from at least November 1993 through August 1997. At the time, she was employed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Records in Orange County show she was a registered Democrat from at least 1990 to May 2000, when she became a Republican.
Of course, registering with Bill Clinton's party in the 1990s wouldn't raise eyebrows if Hutchens were the top cop in LA, a liberal stronghold. But this is Orange County, where Republican activists dominate political offices--including judicial and law-enforcement posts. Indeed, OC is still considered the heart and soul of the statewide Republican Party. Non-GOP candidates here often face monumental barriers to public office given the organizing strength and voter-registration advantage of Scott Baugh's local Republican Party.
News of Hutchens' onetime affiliation probably won't impress Steven Greenhut, a senior opinion writer at the Orange County Register, a libertarian and a frequent critic California's third female sheriff, whom the all-Republican OC Board of Supervisors named to finish the remaining two years on disgraced ex-Sheriff Mike Carona's term.
Hutchens, a self-described political novice who has made her agenda restoring morale and instituting post-Carona reforms, is expected to face a challenge in the June 2010 election. While her tightening of eligibility for persons wanting to carrying a conceal weapon (CCW) has angered gun-rights activists, rumors continue to swirl around the pending candidacy of Paul Walters, the police chief of Santa Ana. Walters had been conventional wisdom's top choice to replace Carona until a last-minute majority alliance formed among supervisors John Moorlach, Janet Nguyen and Pat Bates.
What impact, if any, Hutchens' now-canceled Democratic registration will have is unknown--if for no other reason than it will be nearly impossible for Walters to use the information as a weapon. At least, not with a straight face: Records show that in 2000, he was registered as a Democrat. Three years later, he switched to "decline to state" and then, in November 2007, became a Republican.
Dave Gilliard, Hutchens' campaign manager, believes past party registrations are irrelevant. "Sheriff Hutchens will be judged by the job she does," he said, "not how she registered years ago."
-- R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly
News of Hutchens' onetime affiliation probably won't impress Steven Greenhut, a senior opinion writer at the Orange County Register, a libertarian and a frequent critic California's third female sheriff, whom the all-Republican OC Board of Supervisors named to finish the remaining two years on disgraced ex-Sheriff Mike Carona's term.
Hutchens, a self-described political novice who has made her agenda restoring morale and instituting post-Carona reforms, is expected to face a challenge in the June 2010 election. While her tightening of eligibility for persons wanting to carrying a conceal weapon (CCW) has angered gun-rights activists, rumors continue to swirl around the pending candidacy of Paul Walters, the police chief of Santa Ana. Walters had been conventional wisdom's top choice to replace Carona until a last-minute majority alliance formed among supervisors John Moorlach, Janet Nguyen and Pat Bates.
What impact, if any, Hutchens' now-canceled Democratic registration will have is unknown--if for no other reason than it will be nearly impossible for Walters to use the information as a weapon. At least, not with a straight face: Records show that in 2000, he was registered as a Democrat. Three years later, he switched to "decline to state" and then, in November 2007, became a Republican.
Dave Gilliard, Hutchens' campaign manager, believes past party registrations are irrelevant. "Sheriff Hutchens will be judged by the job she does," he said, "not how she registered years ago."
-- R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly
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El Gringo says:
The sheriff is supposed to be a non-partisan office.
Changing parties is not such a big thing anyway. In his younger days, President Reagan is said to have been a registered Democrat, and OC's highest profile Democrat, Rep. Loretta Sánchez, was formerly registered with the GOP.
Posted on Monday, Apr. 20 2009 @ 3:19PM
art pedroza says:
Why was Hutchens dishonest with Moxley? That seems fishy.
And perhaps she should have stayed in the Democratic Party. They own DC and Sacramento - and Obama almost won Orange County.
Posted on Monday, Apr. 20 2009 @ 3:39PM
Travis says:
Please ask Hutchens how she feels about today's incorporation of the 2nd amendment. It will almost certainly throw a monkey wrench into her concealed weapons policy.
Posted on Monday, Apr. 20 2009 @ 3:41PM
Dan B says:
This just means that Hutchens and Walters are like the rest of us: not locked forever into twiddle-dee party or twiddle-dum party.
Posted on Monday, Apr. 20 2009 @ 5:02PM
Me says:
Who cares? Anyone can change their views - I would say most Republicans are made after seeing the reality of life. I was a registered democrat at one time (my parents were both democrats) but life experiences and a reality check made me change my views. It actually took a few years to get around to changing my party "officially" and my brother (a hard core republican) is also a registered democrat for the same reasons (laziness). Sounds like the author is alleging that the Sheriff changed her views based on the political winds. This is total BS - saying that there was a 8 year gap between her changing parties (officially). Go try and find a real news story...
Posted on Monday, Apr. 20 2009 @ 10:26PM
Tim Motts says:
The new sheriff is yet another Democrat in Republican clothing that has infiltrated the Republican Party here in Orange County and all of California. It's a plan the Democrats have been working on for years and it's reaping huge political gains in the state. One only has to look at Governor Swartznagger and Orange County Superior Judge James L. Waltz who was appointed by him to an elected position. Five days after his appointment there was a $289k donation made to Carroll Lutheran Village in Carroll, Maryland in Waltz's name. Waltz's as an attorney gave his confidential client-attorney file to the presiding judge at the time. He's client was conficted of the crime and was sentenced to over 20 years in prison. Waltz's was also voted on a national website in 2008 as the worst Supreme Court judge in California. Waltz's is clearly a female activist judge, inlined with the Democratic Party even though at his time of appointment he was a registered Republican. The new sheriff, Waltz and Swartznagger are all wolves in sheep clothing.
Posted on Tuesday, Apr. 21 2009 @ 9:39AM
Ltpar says:
I concur with those who say, "Frankly, who really cares what her political affiliation was ten years ago." For those of you with short memories, the last Sheriff was hard core Republican and how did that work out? When it comes time to vote, I will join with a majority of citizens looking at things like what changes has Sheriff Hutchins brought to the OCSO to make it a better organization. So far, despite the rants and raves of the Sheriff's Department detractors, I like what I see.
Posted on Tuesday, Apr. 21 2009 @ 12:03PM