Baker Changes Course, Withdraws Support From Fuhrman

John Baker, shown here during a candidates forum, has withdrawn from the race and has pulled his support from Tom Fuhrman.

The Menifee City Council race took another strange turn Sunday with the announcement by former candidate John Baker that he has withdrawn his support from District 2 incumbent Tom Fuhrman.

Only four days ago, Baker announced during the city council meeting that he was withdrawing from the race for the District 2 seat, representing the southwest portion of Menifee. At the time, Baker said he was throwing his support behind Fuhrman, saying he was more aligned with Fuhrman's beliefs than the other District 2 candidates, Matt Liesemeyer and Sue Kristjansson.

Then on Sunday, Baker called Menifee 24/7 to report that he no longer supports Fuhrman, saying he was "misguided" in information he received about Fuhrman and his campaign platform. Pressed for details, Baker said he was not re-entering the race and that he did not support any candidate.

"I was misled," Baker said. "Besides feeling the way I earlier stated about the mudslinging and so forth, I decided to pull my support for Tom.

"I feel there's some things behind the counter -- things I wasn't told. Come to find out after I withdrew, I was misguided. If you can't give me the whole piece of the pie, we have a problem."

Baker said he had not informed Fuhrman of his decision and did not plan to speak with him. Both Baker and Fuhrman stated last week that they shared the same beliefs about the need for stronger support of rural land owners in their district. Apparently, something Baker was told since then changed his mind.

Reached by phone on Sunday, Fuhrman (right) said he knew nothing about Baker's decision.

"I'm surprised," Fuhrman said. "He wants to get into politics. He wants to do something for the city. He wants to form a horsemen's association. And now this wishy washy attitude. He was firmly in my camp.

"This hurts his credibility as a future politician terribly. Once you make a statement in front of the council, you've got to stick with it. My opinion is, his political credibility with the voters in the rural district will be shaken."

Baker said he was also upset with the way Fuhrman reacted later in the council meeting, after Baker had stated his reasons for withdrawing from the race. While making a comment from the dais, Fuhrman praised Baker for having the courage to make such a decision, then gave him a military salute.

"The salute he gave me in the council meeting ... I have no idea what that was all about," Baker said. "You don't salute somebody who's not in the military service. I think that was kind of uncalled for.

"Maybe that was his way of showing 'we're together.' I just don't want to be a part of this election."

And so it goes in a race that seems to add a new twist every day. Baker's name remains on the ballot, even though he's telling people not to vote for him. Darci Castillejos' name is not on the ballot, but she is campaigning for mayor as a write-in candidate through local supporters from a military base in Afghanistan. Mayor Scott Mann has been publicly accused of unethical practices in the last election, while both Mann and Fuhrman claim they have been the target of smear campaigns in fliers distributed around town.

The election takes place Nov. 4. Stay tuned.