Westlake Village Councilman Won’t Challenge Gallegly
A Westlake Village councilman, who had been considering a challenge to first-term Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), said Tuesday he will not run in the June 7 primary.
City Councilman Franklin D. Pelletier, an attorney, said there is insufficient time for him to gain the name recognition needed to beat Gallegly in the sprawling 21st District.
The district includes eastern Ventura County, part of the north and west San Fernando Valley, Fillmore, Ojai and Santa Catalina Island.
“The limited amount of time I would have to meet people and properly address the issues facing us makes it too formidable a challenge at this time,” Pelletier said in a written statement issued Tuesday.
Last month, Pelletier, 45, formed an exploratory committee to assess his chances of beating Gallegly, whom Pelletier accused of neglecting business interests in the district.
Gallegly succeeded Rep. Bobbi Fiedler after Fiedler’s unsuccessful bid for the U. S. Senate in 1986.
Pelletier is a partner in the Woodland Hills law firm Pelletier, Supancic & Gill. He has served on the Westlake Village City Council since the city was incorporated in 1981.
Sang R. Korman, a Korean-American businessman from Newbury Park, already has begun a campaign against Gallegly for the GOP nomination.
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