OXNARD : Maron to Run for Mayor in November

Saying that Oxnard would benefit from the guidance of a woman, Dorothy Maron, a 10-year veteran of the Oxnard City Council, announced Tuesday that she will seek the mayor’s seat in November.

Mayor Nao Takasugi’s two-year term expires in November as do the four-year council terms of Ann Johs and Manuel Lopez. Johs announced last week that she will seek reelection. Takasugi and Lopez have yet to announce their intentions.

Although Takasugi has not said whether he will seek reelection, he is considered the favored candidate and Maron’s strongest opponent.

Maron said Takasugi has “served his constituency well for eight years” but said she disagrees with him on the amount of growth that should be permitted in the city.

As mayor, she said she would not advocate selective growth in the city, long known for attracting and encouraging development.

Maron said she does not believe her candidacy will be hurt by a recall effort launched last year against her by Community Concern, a group that includes the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and the Assn. of Mexican-American Educators. The organization has targeted Maron for her role in the ouster of former City Manager David Mora, who is Latino.

Longtime city activist Roy Lockwood, a former federal fire chief, also announced Tuesday that he will seek either a council seat or the mayoral post in November. Oscar Karrin, a longtime council critic, has also announced that he will run for a council seat.