Steve Greenhut posted Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu's re-election announcement over at Orange Punch, thus answering an open question in OC political circles:

Anaheim, CA - Anaheim City Council Member Harry Sidhu today formally announced his candidacy for re-election to a second term on the Anaheim City Council. As an Anaheim City Council Member and most recently as a Republican candidate for the 33rd State Senate District, Councilman Sidhu has garnered prominent local, county and state elected official support and strong fundraising assistance for his common sense leadership.

He has a proven record of protecting the taxpayers and property rights. As a successful businessman, Councilman Sidhu also brings real world experience to the halls of government. He is an experienced, trusted Republican leader who seeks to continue to serve and give back to his community through ongoing public service in Anaheim. The general election will take place November 4, 2008.

I guess this means the SidhuMobile will soon be cruising the sunny streets of Anaheim.

The general expectation was that if Harry lost to Assemblywoman Mimi Walters in the SD33 GOP primary, he would take a pass on re-election to council and run for Mayor in 2010. [Anaheim has a bizarre term limits law that prohibits sitting councilmembers from running for mayor -- but only if they are in the middle of their second term].

It's no secret Harry would like to be Anaheim Mayor. He explored challenging Mayor Curt Pringle's re-election in 2006 before coming to his political senses.

However, the general expectation was that if Harry lost in the primary, he would make a respectable showing -- not be blown out by almost 50 points. Mimi beat Harry in Anaheim 61.25% to 38.75%; out of Anaheim's 58 precincts, Harry carried one...by a single vote.

That made taking a two-year holiday from the council out of the question. Not running for re-election would be to go out a loser, and Sidhu has future political ambitions -- so re-election it is.

Some have urged Harry to open the door for a 2010 mayoral run by qualifying an charter amendment to amend the city's term limit law, i.e. eliminate the absurd prohibition against councilman in the middle of their second term  running for mayor.

Personally, I'd like to see former Councilman Tom Tait run for Mayor in 2010, but I agree that portion of the term limit law should be removed for the sake of common sense and good government.

As of yesterday morning, five other candidates had pulled papers to run for Anaheim Council:

Anaheim Councilwoman Lorri Galloway
Anaheim Planning Commissioner Gail Eastman
Perennial candidate John Karczynski
Jennifer Rivera (ooh...a Latina! That fact alone guarantees her a write-up on Orange Juice!)
Kostas Roditis (sounds like a joint ailment)

A big question is whether Disney is satisfied with winning de facto control over resort District zoning, or whether they'll come right out and try to pick the City Council, as well, by funding IEs for Gail Eastman and Harry Sidhu and against Lorri Galloway.