Lagomarsino Seeks Sierra Club Backing

A spokesman for Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura) said the congressman plans to compete actively for the endorsement of the Sierra Club--a political blessing from the nation’s leading environmental group that Lagomarsino has never received during his 16 years in federal office.

“We’re taking this seriously,” said John Doherty, Lagomarsino’s spokesman.

“We are competing for their endorsement.”

The environment has emerged as an issue in the race between Lagomarsino and Democratic challenger Anita Perez Ferguson for the 19th Congressional District, which straddles Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Last week, Lagomarsino’s campaign criticized Ferguson for falsely claiming in campaign literature that she already had received the Sierra Club’s endorsement.

Bob Hattoy, the Sierra Club’s regional director, agreed that the environmental group had not officially endorsed Ferguson.

But he said the Ferguson campaign was confused because the Los Padres chapter had recommended the endorsement to the Sierra Club’s national political committee in Washington.

On Tuesday, however, Hattoy said he was misinformed that the Los Padres chapter had made its decision.

He said the Los Padres chapter, which has 6,000 members in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, has not decided which candidate, if any, it will recommend for endorsement in the race.

Hattoy said the confusion came about because several staff members and volunteers were on vacation.

“But now we are back on track,” he said.

Beverly Full, political action committee chairwoman of the Los Padres chapter, said her board members will not make a recommendation until September when they have reviewed candidate’s answers to an environmental questionnaire.

Doherty said he was relieved to hear that Ferguson had not sewn up the group’s endorsement before Lagomarsino had a chance to turn in his questionnaire, due today.

“We did a lot of work on this thing,” Doherty said.

Betsy Loyless, the club’s assistant political director in Washington, said the group has “never endorsed Lagomarsino because he has a poor environmental record.”

The Lagomarsino campaign hopes to turn around that image, partly with a letter from Sierra Club President Susan Merrow thanking the congressman for helping strengthen clean-air legislation to curb diesel fumes from offshore oil rigs.

Two years ago, the Sierra Club criticized Lagomarsino for implying in his campaign literature that he had the club’s endorsement when, in fact, the club had endorsed his opponent.