Republican Tops Border Activist in O.C. Election

In a race that drew national attention, Sen. John Campbell (R-Irvine) held a wide lead throughout the evening, ending the night with nearly 45% of the vote. But it was Minuteman Project co-founder and first-time candidate Jim Gilchrist of the American Independent Party who drew the spotlight with his one-issue campaign.

Campbell, 50, was buoyant Tuesday night. "People always want to draw big conclusions, but campaigns ultimately are about the people who are running, and I'd like to think that voters thought I did a good job for them in the last five years," he said.

Democrat Steve Young finished second with 28%, and Gilchrist was third with 25%. Both candidates significantly boosted their totals over the October special election, while Campbell gained just 30 more votes.

Gilchrist lost the election, but he found victory in his showing.

"This is just a start," he said at a party Tuesday night in Lake Forest. "We've got a huge victory tonight because we've issued a wake-up call to America

Experts said the five-person race could provide a unique opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of illegal immigration as an issue in Republican areas.

"Illegal immigration is the overwhelming issue in Orange County, and that's why he was able to come out of nowhere, because it was the perfect issue for Gilchrist to run on," said consultant Scott Hart, who supports Campbell.

But it wasn't enough, he said. "As a member of Congress, you have to tackle a number of critical issues facing this country."

Added Fred Smoller, a political science professor at Chapman University in Orange: "The share of the vote that Gilchrist receives will be watched across the nation by people like the president of the United States."

The district, which stretches from Newport Beach to Dana Point and as far inland as Tustin, has twice as many Republicans as Democrats, leaving little doubt that Campbell -- strongly backed by the GOP establishment -- would win easily.

Voters Tuesday chose among Campbell, Gilchrist, Democrat Steve Young, Libertarian Bruce Cohen and Bea Tiritilli of the Green Party.