COUNTYWIDE : 5 Run for 3 Seats on Senior Legislature

Five Ventura County senior citizens are running for three seats in the California Senior Legislature, a senior citizens advocacy group.

Ventura County is represented in the group by one senator and two Assembly members. All positions have two-year terms.

Three candidates seeking the Senate seat are J. C. Gills, a former postal service worker, of Port Hueneme; James Giles, a retired teacher, of Ventura, and incumbent Joseph Gaynes, former Los Angeles teacher and administrator, of Camarillo. Gaynes is serving his fourth term on the Senior Legislature.

Senior Assembly members Maxine Culp and M. L. Strohbehn are running unopposed. Culp, who lives in Ventura, has been in office since 1989. Strohbehn, an Ojai resident, has been an Assembly member since 1983.

Registered voters over the age of 60 are eligible to vote in the election, which will be held in March at 18 polling sites throughout the county.

Last year, the Senior Legislature advocated bills for a state health program, a California fund for senior citizens, senior housing and mobile rural health-care clinics.

The Senior Legislature was formed by the state Legislature in 1980 and has 40 senators and 80 Assembly members. It meets every October for a five-day session.