Wednesday, December 3, 2003
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Prosecutor Patrick David Campbell to Run Against Colleague for Open Seat on Superior Court
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A prosecutor who took out nomination papers for two different Los Angeles Superior Court seats has formally entered the race for the post now held by Judge Marcus O. Tucker.
Deputy District Attorney Patrick David Campbell, who is generally known as Dave but will run as Pat, Monday became the second of four potential candidates to complete the qualifying process for Office No. 18 on the March 2 ballot.
Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Miguel A. Dager is also in the race. Deputy District Attorney Daniel Feldstern and Superior Court Referee Mildred Escobedo are the other candidates who have taken out nomination papers.
Campbell, a trial prosecutor in San Fernando, had been openly interested in running for the court for months but had equivocated about which race he was going to run in. He took out papers for the seat of Judge Nancy Brown, later told the MetNews he would run for the seat of Judge Richard Hubbell, and eventually filed a declaration of intention for the seat of Judge Rosemary Shumsky, as well as one for the Tucker seat.
Campbell had expressed the hope of avoiding a contest with another member of his office. But that became impossible when multiple deputy district attorneys took out papers to run for each of the five open seats, which are now held by Tucker, Brown, Hubbell, Shumsky, and Judge James Wright.
By leaving the Shumsky race, he avoids what is currently the most crowded of the five contests. Deputy Attorney General Robert Henry and Superior Court Referee Daniel Zeke Zeidler have filed nomination papers, and former Superior Court Commissioner Richard Espinoza; Deputy District Attorneys David Lopez, Craig Mitchell, and Craig Renetzky; and criminal defense and family law attorney Michael Shook have taken out papers and have until Friday to file.
Campbell’s move also allowed him to finalize his selection of Fred Huebscher as his campaign consultant. Huebscher is representing Henry, and also represents Deputy District Attorney Lori-Ann Jones in her bid for the Hubbell seat, Deputy District Attorney Laura Priver in her bid for the Brown seat, and Judge Daniel Oki in his bid for re-election.
Another candidate, Zeidler, also made his consultant choice known this week. Cerrell Associates, Inc. will handle his campaign, as well as those of Judge David Wesley and Deputy District Attorney Judith L. Meyer, who is running for Wright’s seat.
Copyright 2003, Metropolitan News Company