North County guru gone

North County Times – Escondido,CA,USA
The list of candidates advised by Orr reads like a Who’s Who of North
County politics: county Supervisor Pam Slater-Price; in Encinitas,
Councilman Jerome …

Our view: Jack Orr’s passing marks the end of an era in local politics

Some people will miss Jack Orr, the man; others, not so much. Some will mourn the passing of North County’s most prominent political consultant, and others, while not quite dancing on his grave, will relish the removal of a particularly painful thorn in their sides. But without question, Orr’s death Saturday marks a turning point for local politics.

In the last 20 years, few other figures have made a splash comparable to Orr’s. Few recent ballots haven’t listed an Orr-coached candidate or cause.

The list of candidates advised by Orr reads like a Who’s Who of North County politics: county Supervisor Pam Slater-Price; in Encinitas, Councilman Jerome Stocks; in San Marcos, Councilman Mike Preston and former Councilman Lee Thibadeau and former Mayor Corky Smith; and in Oceanside, councilman and mayoral candidate Jack Feller, as well as former Mayor Terry Johnson, the first black mayor in San Diego County, and many others.

Orr campaigned in 2004 against the Gregory Canyon landfill and for a proposed second Wal-Mart in San Marcos (both losses). Orr helped bring Home Depot to Encinitas in 1993, and the next year guided the creation of the Encinitas Ranch development and successfully strategized against that city’s slow-growth Proposition K. In Oceanside, he helped lead an unsuccessful recall campaign against longtime rival, then-Councilwoman Melba Bishop, in 1991.

The man’s thumbprints are all over this region. Developers and developer-friendly candidates, especially, have lost their cagiest consultant.

By one measure, Orr represented the professionalization of North County politics. Unlike the political campaigns of seasons past, today’s operations are much more organized, and there’s usually a Jack Orr-like shark at the helm.

And even Orr’s staunchest opponents would have to concede this point: He wasn’t some hired gun who occasionally dropped in from D.C. or Sacramento for a cameo. He had deep roots in the community. It’s doubtful that whoever fills the void left in Orr’s wake will be half as knowledgeable about local issues and players, or nearly as interesting a character.