Lynn Daucher

After a vote count that stretched for nearly two weeks after the election, Republican Lynn Daucher conceded a hard-fought Orange County state Senate race to Democrat Lou Correa on Monday, after he took an insurmountable lead with virtually all ballots counted. Correa, an Orange County supervisor and former assemblyman, was leading by 1,302 votes, 50.2% to 49%.

Former state Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher was appointed Wednesday to head the California Department of Aging. The appointment by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger requires Senate confirmation. Daucher, 60, a Republican from Fullerton, had served as chairwoman of the Assembly's Committee on Aging and Long Term Care until she was termed out of office last year. In November, Daucher narrowly lost a state Senate race to Supervisor Lou Correa. Daucher will earn $117,997 a year in her new post.

Republican Lynn Daucher widened her lead over Democrat Lou Correa to 833 votes Friday as absentee and provisional ballot counting continued in the 34th state Senate district race. Daucher led by just 13 votes after election night, but that has grown as county officials have continued to count ballots. More than 5,600 ballots were counted Friday, and an estimated 18,000 remain. Officials said they planned to continue the count today, take a break Sunday, then resume next week.

After a vote count that stretched for nearly two weeks after the election, Republican Lynn Daucher conceded a hard-fought Orange County state Senate race to Democrat Lou Correa on Monday, after he took an insurmountable lead with virtually all ballots counted. Correa, an Orange County supervisor and former assemblyman, was leading by 1,302 votes, 50.2% to 49%.

How can you (editorial, "The School Deadlock," June 9), state school Supt. Bill Honig or the Legislature defend spending more money to educate a limited English child because he lives in Los Angeles instead of Pomona? This inequity is not newly discovered. Those in power have long known about this but have chosen to ignore it. How many more years would you, Honig or others in Sacramento have the child in Pomona wait? Before we fund new programs, all children should have fair and equal access to state tax dollars.

Supt. Honig's defense of unequal school funding is not unexpected. Low-wealth districts have tried for years to convince him and others in power to end the state practice of paying more money to educate some students than others. Honig and others keep saying that $250 more per student makes no difference. In a district of 5,000 pupils that amounts to $1.25 million--enough to significantly lower class size, increase teacher salaries or fund extra counselors and music programs. LYNN DAUCHER, Brea

Former state Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher was appointed Wednesday to head the California Department of Aging. The appointment by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger requires Senate confirmation. Daucher, 60, a Republican from Fullerton, had served as chairwoman of the Assembly's Committee on Aging and Long Term Care until she was termed out of office last year. In November, Daucher narrowly lost a state Senate race to Supervisor Lou Correa. Daucher will earn $117,997 a year in her new post.

Encouraging more residents to present their views to city leaders will be a top priority next year for Lynn Daucher, who was chosen by her council colleagues this week to serve as mayor in 1998. Daucher, 50, was elected to the council in 1994 after serving on the city's school board for 13 years. She succeeds Glenn G. Parker in the mayor's job, which rotates among council members each year.

"Salt in California's Wounds" (editorial, Aug. 8) lauded the governor's expansion of California's Healthy Families program. This expansion effort lacks any semblance of accountability. The state budget provision signed by the governor would enable adult members living in a family of four that earns 250% of the federal poverty level--approximately $44,000 a year--to become eligible for comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage presently available for low-income children. This budget provision also enables people wanting to take advantage of this taxpayer-subsidized coverage to merely self-certify that they are eligible for the Healthy Families program.

Democratic state Senate candidate Lou Correa cut Republican Lynn Daucher's lead to 147 votes as counting continued Wednesday to determine the winner of the central Orange County seat. A Republican spoiler candidate funded by Democrats could end up making the difference in the race. Otto Bade, a Santa Ana businessman who launched a write-in campaign in the last days of the election as a conservative alternative to the moderate Daucher, has received 886 votes.

Democrat Lou Correa passed Republican Lynn Daucher for the first time Thursday in the race for a central Orange County state Senate seat, taking a lead of 282 votes as the tally moved into its second week. In the count released Thursday evening, Correa had 53,834 votes, or 49.7%, compared with 53,552, or 49.5%, for Daucher. Otto Bade, a GOP candidate who launched a write-in campaign in the final days of the race, appeared to be making the difference, garnering 891 votes.

Democratic state Senate candidate Lou Correa cut Republican Lynn Daucher's lead to 147 votes as counting continued Wednesday to determine the winner of the central Orange County seat. A Republican spoiler candidate funded by Democrats could end up making the difference in the race. Otto Bade, a Santa Ana businessman who launched a write-in campaign in the last days of the election as a conservative alternative to the moderate Daucher, has received 886 votes.

If Lynn Daucher clings to her narrow lead and wins back a state Senate seat for the Republican Party, the Orange County woman may owe it to a group of Vietnamese American leaders and consultants. The group, known in inner circles as "Team Tran" because of its association with Assemblyman Van Tran, wrote letters to voters and engaged in a furious campaign on Vietnamese radio and television stations on Daucher's behalf.

Republican Lynn Daucher widened her lead over Democrat Lou Correa to 833 votes Friday as absentee and provisional ballot counting continued in the 34th state Senate district race. Daucher led by just 13 votes after election night, but that has grown as county officials have continued to count ballots. More than 5,600 ballots were counted Friday, and an estimated 18,000 remain. Officials said they planned to continue the count today, take a break Sunday, then resume next week.

With the fight over an Orange County state Senate seat far from decided, Republican Lynn Daucher widened her lead over Democrat Lou Correa to 138 votes Wednesday as election officials continued counting ballots in one of the most expensive legislative races in the state. The initial count early Wednesday morning showed Daucher, an assemblywoman from Brea, 13 votes ahead of Correa, a former assemblyman now serving on the county Board of Supervisors.

Backers of Orange County Democratic state Senate candidate Lou Correa have launched a last-minute write-in campaign for a Republican in an effort to peel votes from Lynn Daucher, the GOP nominee who is Correa's chief rival for the seat. Backers of write-in candidate Otto Bade include an independent campaign committee that spent nearly $200,000 to support Correa in the Democratic primary, as well as Correa donors and supporters who signed Bade's candidate petition.

Democrat Lou Correa passed Republican Lynn Daucher for the first time Thursday in the race for a central Orange County state Senate seat, taking a lead of 282 votes as the tally moved into its second week. In the count released Thursday evening, Correa had 53,834 votes, or 49.7%, compared with 53,552, or 49.5%, for Daucher. Otto Bade, a GOP candidate who launched a write-in campaign in the final days of the race, appeared to be making the difference, garnering 891 votes.

Backers of Orange County Democratic state Senate candidate Lou Correa have launched a last-minute write-in campaign for a Republican in an effort to peel votes from Lynn Daucher, the GOP nominee who is Correa's chief rival for the seat. Backers of write-in candidate Otto Bade include an independent campaign committee that spent nearly $200,000 to support Correa in the Democratic primary, as well as Correa donors and supporters who signed Bade's candidate petition.

The run for an Orange County state Senate seat is shaping up as the most competitive and expensive legislative race in California this year, with both sides girding for a vitriolic political battle.

"Salt in California's Wounds" (editorial, Aug. 8) lauded the governor's expansion of California's Healthy Families program. This expansion effort lacks any semblance of accountability. The state budget provision signed by the governor would enable adult members living in a family of four that earns 250% of the federal poverty level--approximately $44,000 a year--to become eligible for comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage presently available for low-income children. This budget provision also enables people wanting to take advantage of this taxpayer-subsidized coverage to merely self-certify that they are eligible for the Healthy Families program.