Carchio’s address may change state campaign plan

Huntington Beach Councilman Joe Carchio, who has said he is considering a run for state Assembly, will have to rethink his original plans if he enters the race.

Carchio said in November that he was considering running for the newly formed 72nd Assembly District, which covers part of Huntington Beach and surrounding cities.

However, he actually lives just over the boundary line in the 74th district, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. The California Constitution dictates that legislators must live in the districts they represent.

In other words, if Carchio opts to run for Assembly, he won’t be facing off against fellow Huntington Beach Councilman Matthew Harper, who has officially declared his candidacy for the 72nd district.

Carchio said if he enters the race, the district itself won’t be an issue.

“If I decided to run, it wouldn’t really make a difference where I ran,” he said. “I would just throw my hat into the ring. But obviously, I would have to run for a district where I live.”

The 74th district covers the southern part of Huntington Beach as well as areas of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine and Laguna Beach.

Carchio was scheduled to join other prospective 72nd district candidates at a Nov. 17 forum hosted by the Fountain Valley Republican Assembly. However, he canceled his appearance due to obligations with the League of California Cities Policy Committee, of which is a member.

John W. Briscoe, the president of the Fountain Valley group, said three prospective candidates ended up speaking at the forum: Harper, Westminster Councilman Tyler Diep and Orange County Board of Education Trustee Long Pham.

“They all looked like good, solid candidates,” he said. “They looked like they’d all represent the district well in Sacramento.”

Candidates will officially be able to file paperwork with the registrar Dec. 30.

michael.miller@latimes.com

Twitter: @MichaelMillerHB