Democrat Saldana Recruits Ex-Supervisor Dorn to Lure GOP Support

Gilbert R. Saldana, the Democratic councilman from Santa Catalina Island’s Avalon who is making a long-shot run for Congress in the conservative 21st District, Thursday resurrected a name from the past to demonstrate some badly needed Republican support.

Saldana said that former Los Angeles County Supervisor Warren M. Dorn will become chairman of Republicans for Saldana, a group aimed at luring some of the partisan backing of his GOP opponent, Simi Valley Mayor Elton Gallegly.

Dorn became a Southern California political fixture by representing the county’s 5th District from 1956 until his defeat by newsman Baxter Ward in 1972. During that time he won commitments to build recreational facilities in exchange for county support of the State Water Project in 1960.

His district included most of the San Fernando Valley and Agoura, Calabasas and Westlake Village--some of the same areas that lie within the 21st Congressional District.

Dorn, 68, now lives in the seaside resort community of Morro Bay and was appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board.

He was vacationing in Northern California Thursday and could not be reached for comment.

According to a statement released by the Saldana campaign, Dorn said: “Gil Saldana is a candidate that I can strongly support and that many Republican voters in the district can support. . . . It’s about time that a strong, dynamic and conservative individual like Gil run for the 21st Congressional District.”

Saldana has often noted the need to attract Republican votes to have any chance of winning. Democratic strategists contend that Gallegly’s bitter primary victory over Tony Hope, a lawyer and son of entertainer Bob Hope, has made some moderate Republicans angry with Gallegly.

Republicans claim 52% of registered voters to 39% for the Democrats in the affluent, far-flung district, which stretches from the northern San Fernando Valley across Ventura County to Port Hueneme on the coast, then skips over to Santa Catalina Island.

“Keying in on Republicans in this district is essential. Relying just on Democrats to turn out would be rolling over and playing dead,” Saldana said.

Saldana also named as vice chairman of the group Doug Bombard, a Catalina Republican and resort operator appointed by Deukmejian to the Boating and Waterways Commission.

Jim Dantona, Saldana’s campaign consultant, said an oversized postcard featuring Dorn and Saldana will be sent next week to 20,000 Republican households in the Los Angeles County part of the district in precincts that went for Hope.

Another mailing stressing the fact that two Deukmejian appointees back Saldana will be sent later to Ventura County Republican households, Dantona said.

Gallegly said of the announcement: “I can’t recognize the significance in it. It’s not going to cause us to change our campaign plan in any way.”

Noting that former Republican challengers Hope and Tom La Porte have endorsed him, he said, “I’d say we’re pretty united.”

Gallegly also ticked off a list of local Democrats who have endorsed him, including state Sen. Alan Robbins of Van Nuys, Ventura County Supervisor James Dougherty, Thousand Oaks Councilman Lawrence Horner and Moorpark Councilwoman Leta Yancy-Sutton.

“Elton Gallegly did something very courageous to take on Tony Hope, with Hope’s money and endorsements,” Robbins said Thursday.

“Saldana lives and spends his life . . . away from the San Fernando Valley. I believe that Gallegly knows the community well,” Robbins said.