I was rumbling through Chron writer John Williams's archives and stumbled across and article about the Pasadena rivalry between Former Mayors John Ray Harrison and Johnny Isbell:

Harrison was identified with blue-collar workers north of Spencer Highway, Isbell with their bosses to the south.

Isbell served off and on as either mayor or a City Council member for Pasadena for 24 years between 1969 and 2001. Son J.J. Isbell is now on council.

Harrison wielded power for 30 years starting in 1964 as a state representative, then as a district court judge, council member and mayor. Brother Don Harrison was a councilman in the 1980s.

Between 1973 and 2001, the mayor's job switched back and forth between Harrison and Isbell. No one else held the post.

City Hall housecleanings occurred when one replaced the other.

I almost married very close to the Harrison clan a year or two back, so I'm neither new to it or unbiased. I practically lived in Pasadena during the 1997 election when they two faced off for the last time. By that point, the balance of power had shifted and Pasadena had become wealthier so incumbant Isbell won in a landslide. Isbell's favored successor beat Harrison again in 2001 and Harrison died shortly thereafter.

I didn't vote for J.J. Isbell when he ran for my state house district in 2000 nor do I see myself voting for Johnny in his current race for my country commissioner seat. I think Garcia is an excellent City Controller and my Hatfield to Isbell's McCoy aside, Isbell's tenure was often contentious with the miniburb outside Pasadena where I was raised. He's the Republican and Garcia the Democrat, but Isbell himself was a Democrat until it behooved him to be a Republican this election. He made the switch in 2001. More to the point, Isbell strikes me a lot more like the current County Commissioner Fontino, who forever lost my vote when he put up a civics center over two little league teaball fields near my house.

Garcia isn't liberal, Isbell isn't conservative, and Garcia isn't a McCoy.