Braly Gears Up for Campaign to Unseat Wright

Hunt Braly said Sunday that he has raised nearly $50,000 for his campaign to oppose Assemblywoman Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) in the June, 1990, primary.

Braly, an attorney and top aide to state Sen. Ed Davis, made the announcement at a $150-a-plate “campaign kickoff brunch” attended by about 100 people in Newhall.

According to a campaign finance report Braly released to the media, he had raised $28,768 as of June 30. Braly said he raised another $21,000 in July.

“The response has been tremendous,” he said, adding that most of his support has come from individual contributors, not political action committees. “We’ve raised $50,000 and only $1,000 of that is from a Sacramento PAC.”

In a brief talk to supporters, Braly attacked his opponent and said ethics and Wright’s ties to Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) would be among the chief issues in his campaign.

In May, a report by the Ventura County district attorney’s office concluded that Wright had improperly intervened with state and local officials to keep her daughter, Victoria, from losing her driver’s license or going to jail as the result of 28 traffic citations since 1981. Brown asked a Ventura County Municipal Court judge to give favored treatment to Victoria Wright, according to the report.

Wright also caused a furor among GOP lawmakers last year when she refused to support their bid to replace Brown as Speaker.

“She has a personal relationship with Willie Brown that none of us understand,” Braly said. “You have to work with the Democrats in the Assembly, but you don’t have to become best friends with the Speaker.”

‘Tough Race’

Davis (R-Valencia) spoke in support of Braly at Sunday’s campaign kickoff. “It will be a very tough race,” Davis said. “He has raised a lot less than the incumbent but a lot more than any other candidate in similar circumstances. If he wins the primary, it will be a tribute to his skill as a candidate.”

A spokeswoman for Wright said Friday that the assemblywoman had raised $108,000 as of June 30, but she would not comment further on the campaign. “As far as Mrs. Wright is concerned, there is a time for campaigning and this isn’t the time for it,” the spokeswoman said. “She’s busy working around the district.”

The 37th Assembly District stretches from Lompoc and Solvang in Santa Barbara County, to Simi Valley in Ventura County and to Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County. Braly said that his strongest base of support is in the Santa Clarita Valley, which he said has 50% of the registered Republican voters in the district.