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Dornan Files for Re-election
Still Disputes Election Loss to Sanchez
SANTA ANA, Calif., Posted 3:37 p.m. October 15, 1997 -- Former Rep. Bob Dornan has declared himself a candidate for the 1998 election to the seat he lost last year and is still disputing.
Dornan (pictured, right), a nine-term Republican, claims voter fraud led to his 984-vote defeat by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (pictured, below left). He has urged Congress to throw out the results and call a special election. He had never said whether he would run again in a regular election, however.
Dornan filed papers Oct. 8 with the Federal Election Commission. He was on vacation this week in Canada, his attorney Michael Schroeder, the state GOP chairman, said Wednesday.
The former congressman told the Los Angeles Times that campaign fund-raising laws were partly behind the decision. Federal officials balked at letting him accept contributions for a special election this year. As a candidate, he can raise money for 1988, however.
But Dornan said he was also prompted by a House vote last month barring him from the floor (Full story), a privilege accorded former members. Voting for the ban were 111 Republicans.
"It is a matter of honor," he said. "If they don't want to suffer Bob Dornan as a self-appointed conscience of Congress now, then they better plan on having Bob Dornan being there with an attitude in 1999 and 2000."
Two GOP contenders in the June primary said they entered only after Dornan told them he wouldn't run. A third, Superior Court James P. Gray, said he was in the race regardless of Dornan.
Sanchez' campaign manager said he was delighted.
"The only thing better than beating Bob Dornan once is beating Bob Dornan twice," John Shallman said.
Shallman earlier told congressional investigators that the leader of an immigrant aid group under investigation of voter fraud had asked him for money during last year's campaign and threatened to sway Hispanic voters to Dornan if he didn't get it.
The testimony was released Tuesday.
Nativo Lopez, president of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, said the allegations were "preposterous and insulting" and denied ever calling Shallman.
"We don't endorse candidates," Lopez said.
California Secretary of State Bill Jones, a Republican, has said that 305 people registered through Hermandad voted illegally in the Dornan-Sanchez contest (Full story).
The Orange County district attorney as well as Congress is looking into allegations that Hermandad registered noncitizens to vote.