37th DISTRICT : First Volley Fired in Assembly Race

Throwing the first punch in the fight to represent the 37th Assembly District, Democratic nominee Roz McGrath unveiled two hard-hitting television commercials Friday labeling her Republican opponent a “career politician willing to auction his integrity to the highest bidder.”

Republican nominee and Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi responded by characterizing the ads as a “desperate appeal” by a campaign lacking significant support.

The two, 30-second spots will premiere on local cable television next week during prime-time CNN coverage of the Republican National Convention.

“I believe there’s more to leadership than cutting ribbons and cutting deals,” said McGrath in one of the spots, referring to Takasugi.

In the ad, she also questions Takasugi’s acceptance of more than $60,000 in special interest contributions to finance his campaign. “I’m running to represent the people of California, not the corporations and special interest groups,” said McGrath, after a press conference to unveil the spots.

Takasugi, who will address the GOP convention Tuesday morning, said his campaign contributions come from groups and individuals who share his political views, including police officers and teachers.

“I think it’s a desperate appeal on the part of the Democratic candidate to try to enlist the support and empathy of Republicans,” Takasugi said of the commercials. “Maybe she should have done that during the Democratic convention. It might have done her some good.”

A Takasugi campaign representative attended the McGrath press conference.

“It seemed a little sneaky, especially when I had to pry out of him who he was working for,” McGrath said.

Takasugi said he did not know a campaign worker had attended the unveiling. But his campaign consultant, John Davies, said he sent a campaign representative after reading in the newspaper that the press conference was open to the public.

“If she didn’t want him to be there, she could have thrown him out,” Davies said.