2 Ventura County GOP Congressmen Denounce Duke

Ventura County’s two Republican congressmen strongly denounced former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke Saturday after the county’s GOP chairman praised Duke as “good for the Republican Party.”

Speaking even as Louisiana voters were rejecting Duke’s gubernatorial candidacy on Saturday, GOP Central Committee Chairman Bill Jones told The Times that he felt Duke had tapped into the feelings of voters angry with the political status quo.

“All this support for David Duke shows that people are disappointed and frustrated,” Jones said. “I think it might be good for the Republican Party. It will show people how far you can go by just standing up and saying what you believe in.”

Earlier, Jones was described in another newspaper account as supporting Duke’s candidacy. He denied that Saturday, saying, “I don’t feel I have enough information to make an opinion on David Duke . . . . I have no idea if I would support him or not.”

While Jones was qualifying his views of Duke, both Congressmen Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley ) and Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura) made a special point in a joint news release that they have no sympathy for Duke’s political views and do not think he has any place in the Republican Party.

Gallegly and Lagomarsino said they feel that Duke’s candidacy was bad for the Republican Party because people might confuse Duke’s views with those held by the party.

Jones said Saturday that President Bush should not have endorsed Duke’s Democratic rival, Edwin Edwards, in the Louisiana race. Both Gallegly and Lagomarsino strongly disagreed.

“David Duke is an insult to the Republican Party,” Gallegly said. “This is probably one of the saddest commentaries that we have had in U.S. political circles.”

Lagomarsino said Jones was correct in one sense, and that “obviously people are dissatisfied.”

While neither Gallegly nor Lagomarsino called for Jones to resign from his position, Lagomarsino said he talked to two central committee members on Saturday who were displeased about Jones’ comments seemingly in support of Duke.

“He certainly does not represent my views or the views of any other Republican I know in the county,” Lagomarsino said.

The congressman said he doubted that Jones would be forced out of office. The controversy over his remarks, Lagomarsino said, “would have been a bigger firestorm had Duke won.”

Jones said he is bracing for “pointed questions” from his colleagues on the central committee.

“I would not step down in any case, no matter how much pressure there is,” Jones said. “I’m not in this to win a popularity contest. I’m in this because I have strong views and care about this country.”

Jones, a Simi Valley resident, considers himself “a conservative evangelical Republican” who got involved in politics during the unsuccessful presidential campaign of the Rev. Pat Robertson, a television preacher. Jones was elevated as chairman by his peers on the county’s GOP central committee in July to replace his predecessor, who moved out of state.

Jones, 42, a former computer and electronics salesman, recently started a direct-marketing business selling nutrition products--an enterprise which he said is similar to Amway.

Weiss is a Times staff writer and Lee is a correspondent.