Primary challenger horns in on Horn

By: JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 2, 2005 10:36 PM PST ∞

Bruce Thompson's decision to take on county Supervisor Bill Horn in next summer's primary election should provide an interesting dynamic: two reliably conservative public figures duking it out to represent what is likely a safely Republican seat. Will Thompson (a former Assembly member from Fallbrook) try to outflank Horn to the right or to the center (the left not being a viable option in this case)?

The above is only the most obvious angle to an intriguing decision on Thompson's part. Why would Thompson, who claims to be old-school Republican, try to defeat a sitting Republican officeholder? And what would cause Rep. Darrell Issa, another Republican stalwart, to endorse Thompson over the incumbent Horn?

Adding to the irony of the internecine political warfare is that Thompson is criticizing Horn for not being a loyal Republican, or at least not loyal enough, in that Horn is not backing all of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot measures. But isn't running against a sitting officeholder of your own party an even greater act of party disloyalty than disagreeing over an initiative or two?

While the smart money will hold that Horn is the odds-on favorite to keep his seat for another term, the fact that two prominent fellow Republicans are willing to publicly take him on may spell trouble for Horn.

Still, underestimating Horn's ability to tangle with the establishment candidate and win carries its own risks.

Lee Thibadeau could tell you about that. In 1994, county Supervisor John MacDonald announced he was retiring, and a crowded field jockeyed to replace him. Thibadeau, then mayor of San Marcos, and Carlsbad Mayor Bud Lewis both announced for MacDonald's seat. Horn, a little-known school board member from Valley Center, attracted scant notice when he also jumped in the race.

But in the primary in June of that summer, Horn finished atop the pack ---- and headed to a November runoff against the far better known, far better financed Thibadeau.

Two things went in Horn's favor that summer ---- one of which should stand him in good stead if he can recapture it.

The first, and highly unlikely to be repeated, was Thibadeau making one of the great bone-headed political blunders in North County history when he challenged the legitimacy of Horn's combat medals. When it turned out that Thibadeau had received a deferment from the draft while Horn was humping a 50-pound pack through the rice patties of Southeast Asia, Thibadeau was badly damaged.

The other thing that helped Horn that year was his willingness to campaign ---- to meet voters, to shake hands, to listen. As Lewis pointed out after losing to Horn and Thibadeau in the primary, "I think Mr. Horn just did a better job (of campaigning) than Mr. Thibadeau and myself."

Thompson charges that, 11 years after that historic win, Horn has lost touch with his district, with the folks who have voted him into office. Thompson says that he can outwork Horn now ---- outhustle him in the precincts.

You wonder, though, how much of that is observation and how much hope.

Contact staff writer Jim Trageser at (760) 740-5424 or jtrageser@nctimes.com.

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