Countywide : Gallegly Asks Foes in GOP to End Campaign Hostility

In the increasingly combative Republican race for a seat in the new 23rd Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) called upon his fellow Republicans on Friday to “abide by the 11th commandment” and not attack each other in their primary campaigns.

Gallegly and other Republicans running in the primary in Ventura County spoke at a candidates forum sponsored by the Ventura County Federation of Republican Women at Mandalay Beach Resort in Oxnard.

Sitting alongside Gallegly, who is seeking a fourth term, were his two primary opponents, Daphne Becker of Ojai, and Dr. Robert Shakman of Ventura.

Neither one appears ready to chisel such a rule in stone.

Last Wednesday, Becker interrupted Gallegly while he was addressing a Ventura Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

She contended that he was lying about facts connected with his legislation to reduce the number of illegal aliens entering the United States.

On Friday, it was Shakman’s turn to take a shot at Gallegly.

After Becker spoke, Shakman chided the lawmaker for not committing to debate his opponents.

“The congressman is doing what incumbents always do and that is refusing to debate,” Shakman said. “But this is the year when the public is fed up with incumbents doing what they always do. So it’s a hazardous way to behave.”

Shakman then lashed out at a taxpayer-financed newsletter Gallegly mailed earlier this year to 95,000 households in western Ventura County, who are not his constituents.

Instead, these households are in a new district where he has never campaigned before.

Gallegly was criticized by some of his opponents for using taxpayer dollars to pay for postage and printing--a cost his political opponents estimated at $24,000.

In a recent interview, Gallegly said: “I’ve always played by the rules” and, with hindsight, should not have done it.

Shakman told the forum that Gallegly, “as a sign of good faith,” should write a check to the U.S. Treasury for $24,000 to pay for the mailing.

He said Gallegly could take the cash out of the more than $340,000 he has in his campaign chest.

Gallegly did not hear the criticism. He left the forum immediately after speaking. His wife, Janice, said he had a radio interview to attend.