Conservative Democrats to Run in GOP Strongholds

Two Antelope Valley Democrats announced Friday that they will seek seats in the state Assembly and Senate in newly drawn districts that are both Republican strongholds.

Lancaster City Councilman Arnie Rodio said he is running in the new 36th Assembly District, which covers most of Los Angeles County north of San Fernando.

Meanwhile, Bill Olenick, former board president of the Antelope Valley Union High School District, said he will run in the new 17th Senate District, a vast region stretching from northern Los Angeles County to Inyo County.

Rodio, 63, who described himself as a “very conservative Democrat,” said he wants to change the way California finances its public schools and to reform its welfare and unemployment insurance systems.

He said the state should consider using sales taxes, rather than property taxes, to finance its cash-starved schools. Sales taxes, he said, would yield more revenues.

Rodio, who has served on the Lancaster City Council for seven years, also said the state should subsidize the payrolls of firms that hire the unemployed, rather than make jobless payments directly to individuals.

“You got a person who gets unemployment checks, after awhile that person becomes lazy. They don’t want to go look for a job,” said Rodio, who lost a race for Assembly in 1972.

Olenick, 40, of Lancaster, said he will take detailed positions on various issues once he has visited the entire district and talked to more potential constituents.

However, Olenick, who also described himself as conservative, said he favors capital punishment and abortion rights, although he is personally opposed to abortion.

Olenick served as board president of the Antelope Valley Union High School District between 1985 and 1989, when he was defeated for reelection. He narrowly failed in another election bid in 1991.

The 1989 loss followed an accusation by Olenick’s estranged wife that he had hit her in the mouth with the back of his hand, splitting her lip, during an argument.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office decided not to file criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence.

Olenick, who is now divorced, said he doesn’t think the episode will be a factor in his upcoming campaign.

“I was very candid in discussing the particulars of that issue, and I think people understand what happened. Anyone who has gone through a divorce understands that it’s never easy,” he said.

The 36th Assembly District and 17th Senate District were created when the state Supreme Court recently redrew California legislative and congressional districts to reflect population changes reflected in the 1990 federal census.

Both new districts contain more than 50% registered Republican voters, and Rodio and Olenick are likely to face uphill battles against GOP nominees in November. But both said they will appeal to Republican and independent voters and expect to receive many crossover votes.