ARTICLES

Primary Primer

RUNDOWN OF LOCAL PRO-LIFE CANDIDATES

By Ernie Grimm and Stephanie Knight

Since the June primary election is approaching, here is a rundown on the declared pro-life candidates at press time. News Notes spoke with three of them.

GERALD HOKSTAD is running for the Superior Court Office Eight bench now occupied by Judge Anthony C. Joseph. Hokstad, 43, lives in Santee with his wife of 20 years and two teenage sons. He practices civil law in Mission Valley and attends Shadow Mountain Community Church. He defended pro-life demonstrators against criminal prosecution following East County abortion-clinic rescues in the late 1980s. In 1994, he represented the Escondido Pregnancy Care Center when they were sued by Planned Parenthood for engaging in deceptive practices to fool women out of having an abortion.

Of his campaign, Hokstad said, "I'm a pro-life person who has family values. My opponent's famous case was in 1990 when he made a decision involving the Boy Scouts of America." In that case, El Cajon police officer Chuck Merino sued the Boy Scouts after he was terminated as an Explorer Scout leader because he was openly gay. Judge Joseph ruled in favor of Merino. "Ten judges -- three appellate court judges who unanimously overturned the decision and recently seven California supreme court justices who ruled in a different case with the same issues -- had a different opinion than Judge Joseph," Hokstad said.

ROBERT O'NEILL, a Knight of Columbus and parishioner at Mary Star of the Sea in La Jolla, is a candidate for Superior Court. The 49-year-old father of two is a "cradle Catholic" who has demonstrated outside of abortion clinics and done pro bono legal work for the pro-life cause. " I applied for judicial appointment but my application was rejected," he said. "I was told it was because Governor Wilson didn't like my politics. I'm pro-life. That's what he didn't like. So now I'm running for a seat."

O'Neill was a San Diego police officer and a deputy district attorney before spending the last 13 years as a civil law attorney in private practice. He's been endorsed by Sheriff Bill Kollender, the San Diego Police Officers Association, the San Diego Deputy Sheriffs Association, and over 20 local judges. But despite past antagonism between pro-life demonstrators and police, O'Neill says former shouldn't be nervous about his law enforcement background. "I've picketed and said the Rosary in front of abortion clinics. I know what goes on out there from both the police and pro-life perspectives."

As a state judge it's possible O'Neill could hear abortion-related cases, such as abortion clinic "bubble law" challenges. "My personal opinion is that they were engineered and targeted toward only one group of people, not the entire population," he said. "It's selective enforcement, let's face it. It would be interesting to hear somebody argue against them on that basis."

BOB PIANTEDOSI is one of six primary candidates for mayor of Chula Vista. He is married, has two children in public schools, and works as a visiting teacher in the San Diego Unified School District for bilingual and special education, math and physical education, in kindergarten through 12th grade. He is also a self-employed as a real estate broker.

Piantedosi favors putting pressure on Chula Vista abortion clinics by enactment of new zoning restrictions, publicizing the names and addresses of clinic owners and their earnings, as well as the abortionists they employ, and providing detailed information to the public regarding what occurs inside a clinic.

If any of the mayoral candidates wins over 50 percent of the vote in the June primary election, he becomes mayor. If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two vote-getters will face each other in a November runoff.

AT PRESS TIME, both the California Pro-Life Council and the California Republican Assembly were in the process of compiling their endorsement lists. What follows is a list -- as yet incomplete -- of candidates endorsed by both organizations, except where noted:

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Governor: Dan Lungren
Lt. Governor: Richard Mountjoy (CRA only)
U.S. Senate: Darrell Issa
State Senate 36th District: Ray Haynes
State Senate 38th District: Bill Morrow
State Senate 40th District: no endorsement
State Assembly 73rd District: Jim Lacy (CPLC only)
State Assembly 74th District: Howard Kaloogian
State Assembly 75th District: Joel Anderson (CPLC), Mark Price (CRA)
State Assembly 76th District: Duane Admire
State Assembly 77th District: Steve Baldwin
State Assembly 78th District: no endorsement
County Board of Supervisors: Bill Horn (CRA only)
State Board of Equalization 3rd District: Jim Stieringer (CRA only)
San Diego County Board of Education: Tom Davies, Susan Fay
Grossmont Union High School District: Gary Cass (CRA only)
Judge of Superior Court #8: Gerald Hokstad
Judge of Municipal Court, North County #1: Mike Kirkman (CRA only)
Mayor, City of Chula Vista: Bob Piantedosi (CRA only)

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Jenkins's organization also recommends a "no" vote on reconfirmation of State Supreme Court Justices Ming Chin and Ron George; they voted last September to overturn California's parental consent law. Voters may contact Jenkins's office at (619) 516-1244 for additional information. For more information from the California Republican Asembly, call (619) 460-3017.