By KATHERINE PETERSEN
Sunnyvale hasn't seen the last of Mark O'Connor, Cindy Pocius and Trafton Muller.
The three city residents, each of whom sought election to a county, state or national seat in the March primary, lost their bids for public office. None, however, ruled out the possibility of running again. All plan to remain active in the community.
Sunnyvale Planning Commis-sioner Mark O'Connor, 47, lost his bid for the District 5 seat on the county Board of Supervisors. O'Connor placed third in the race with 13.9 percent of the vote.
His opponents, Palo Alto Mayor Joe Simitian and former Cupertino Mayor Barbara Koppel, will compete in a runoff election in November for the seat vacated by Dianne McKenna. (Koppel earned 46.4 percent of the vote and Simitian earned 39.8 percent; the winning candidate in county races must have 50 percent of the votes plus one.)
O'Connor, who serves on the El Camino Hospital District board, said that although he was disappointed with his loss, he learned a lot about the campaign process.
"It's hard [to lose] when you get involved and put this much effort into it. I was warned about politics and what I was up against," he said. "I essentially ran my own campaign and was up against two professionals. I had too little name recognition, too little time for fundraising and too little background and experience."
He said his concern for the county's medical and social-welfare system, is what prompted him to run. He believes the county is in desperate trouble and that nobody has voiced support for fundamental changes.
"I hope whoever wins in November will bring the same passion for the problems of the county that they brought to getting elected. I hope they have a sincere interest in solving them," he said.
O'Connor said that if the issues have not been resolved, he may take another stab at candidacy. He said he did not know how soon he might do so.
City resident Trafton Muller was beaten by Benjamin Brink in the Republican primary in the U.S. 14th Congressional District. Brink received 85.8 percent of the vote, compared with Muller's 14.2 percent. Brink will oppose Anna Eshoo in November.
Muller said he may run for political office again, and it may be for a different seat.
"I'm not going to close the door. I'm in good health," said Muller, 74. There were days that I was tired, but the next day I felt great."
Muller said he enjoyed all aspects of campaigning, from meeting new people to traveling throughout the district. He said it will take a few days to put himself back together, and he will be ready to go again.
"I haven't made up my mind. It's just so fresh that I haven't given a lot of thought to it," he said.
Meanwhile, he will continue to supervise high school students who serve dinner at Life's Garden, the residential community for seniors where he lives.
"It's quite a challenge each and every day. It's amazing to see these young people working with seniors," he said.
Pocius was disappointed by her loss. The city resident received only 15.2 percent of the vote, compared with Karin Dowdy's 63.4 percent, in the Republican primary for the 22nd District of the state Assembly. Andrew Diaz came in second with 21.4 percent of the vote.
Pocius, 48, said that the voters chose whom they wanted.
"I guess God has another plan for me. I have to wait and see what happens," she said.
She said her name may appear on a ballot in the future. For the next few weeks, however, she plans to regroup and figure out her next step.
Pocius said she enjoyed her experience as a candidate, which allowed her to become acquainted with leaders in the Republican Party. "I made many new friends. Even when you're disappointed, you have to sit back and say, "What is the best thing for me?' " she said.
For the past few years, Pocius has dedicated her time to politics. She said she now may become more locally involved in community service and education to provide balance in her life.
"I will be here," she pledged. "Like it or not, here I am."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 3, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.