In a shrewd and safe political move that will benefit him with even greater name recognition even if he loses, Chino Hills Councilman Ray Marquez was the first hopeful to declare his candidacy to succeed Ling Ling Chang, now that she is ready to vacant her post in the 55th Assembly District to run for the State Senate.
Marquez, who has been on the city council since March 2013, when he replaced former councilman Wilburn “Bill” Kruger in a special election, was reelected in 2014. A retired firefighter with 28 years’ experience on the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department who was on the Chino Valley Fire District Board, Marquez in 2013 outpolled Rossana Mitchell, Debra Hernandez and Jesse Singh. In 2014, he again outdistanced Mitchell and Hernandez, as well as Lou Alfonso in the November municipal election.
Chang is giving up the 55th Assembly District seat early, taking advantage of the departure of Bob Huff in the 29th State Senate District. Huff will be termed out and cannot run again. Chang, like Huff, is a Republican and she hopes her incumbency will benefit her in the heavily Republican 29th.
Marquez is probably a longer shot than Chang. The 55th Assembly district stretches from Chino Hills in San Bernardino County in the east to Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights and Walnut in Los Angeles County and through Brea, La Habra, Placentia, Yorba Linda and slivers of other cities in Orange County. He enjoys less name recognition in Los Angeles and Orange counties than he does in Chino Hills, but he has already contracted with San Francisco-based political strategist James Fisfis to carry out an energetic campaign that is starting early, seeking donations, heading off possible competition and familiarizing Marquez with voters across the district.
While obtaining a berth in the lower legislative house in Sacramento may prove to be an upward battle for Marquez, the upcoming campaign will very likely intensify his name recognition in his hometown through repetition, word of mouth and sign visibility. If he does not succeed in his Assembly run in 2016, that effort toward electioneering visibility will very likely increase his reelectability in Chino Hills in 2018.