Harry-SidhuChris Nguyen at OC Political reports that former Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu has opened a campaign committee for the 68th Assembly District:

Lending credibility to rumors swirling in the Spring, former Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu opened a new campaign committee this month: “Harry Sidhu for Assembly 2014.”

Sidhu filed a Form 501 (Candidate Intention Statement) for the 68th Assembly District when opening that committee. On the Form 501, Sidhu also indicated he would not accept the voluntary expenditure limit of $544,000 in the primary and $953,000 in the general election.

The only catch with a 2014 bid for AD-68 is a gentleman by the name of Don Wagner.

There are four possibilities for this committee:

  • Sidhu is crazy enough to challenge Wagner, who would cream Sidhu in the June 2014 primary

  • Sidhu is banking on Wagner running for CD-45 in 2014 (win or lose, Wagner would have to give up his Assembly seat if he chose to run for CD-45 since the elections for the two seats occur concurrently)

  • Sidhu is using the Assembly committee as a placeholder to raise funds for another office (Sidhu would then presumably launch a surprise by filing for another office at the last minute and then slide the money over)

  • Sidhu is using the 2014 committee as a placeholder for a future vacancy in the AD-68 seat in 2015 (Wagner leaves the seat early) or 2016 (Wagner terms out)

You can read the rest of Chris’ post here.

Like others, I have heard for some time of Harry’;s interest in running for AD68. I haven’t spoken with him about it, but I don’t believe for a second Harry has any intention of challenging incumbent Don Wagner. Harry has run for a few different offices, but has never sought to unseat an incumbent Republican.

It is commonly assumed AD68 will open up in the near future, either through term limits or Don Wagner’s election to the state Senate (in the event Mimi Walters is elected to the 48th Congressional District seat from which Rep. John Campbell is retiring.

Don was elected to the Assembly in 2010 and is therefore under Prop. 140 term limit rules restricting him to three 2-year Assembly terms and two 4-year Senate terms. Prop. 140 forces him out of the Assembly in 2016.

If Senator Mimi Walters is elected to Congress in 2014, it will force a special election for the 35th Senate District in early 2015. If Don Wagner runs in and wins that election, it will force a special election in AD68 sometime during the summer of 2015.

That, presumably, is when Harry Sidhu will be competing for the seat.

Harry gets a lot of flack from certain quarters, but the fact remains he would be a strong candidate. He was twice elected to the Anaheim City Council, and all of Anaheim Hills is in AD68. There will be no carpet-bagging issue for opponents to target. He has always been a very strong fund-raiser, in addition to his own personal wealth.

Let the games begin!