Countywide : Republican D.A. Backs 2 Democrats
Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, one of the county’s top Republican elected officials, said Friday he has endorsed two Democratic candidates for office in the Nov. 3 election.
Bradbury said he is supporting Henry Phillip Starr, who is running for the 19th District state Senate seat against Assemblywoman Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley). He also is backing incumbent 35th District Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) in his reelection campaign against Allan O. (Lanny) Ebenstein, a Santa Barbara Republican.
Bradbury and Wright have been at odds since he supervised a 1989 investigation into allegations that the assemblywoman used her political clout to help her daughter avoid penalties for traffic offenses.
In a prepared statement, Bradbury said Starr has integrity and is committed to “maintaining a high level of public safety for our citizens.”
Wright’s campaign spokesman, John J. Theiss, said he was not surprised by the announcement. “The district attorney’s had a reputation in the past for endorsing losers,” Theiss said. “It’s purely personal. I think it’s pathetic when he abandons his own party.”
The spokesman said Wright has been endorsed by more than 30 local and state law enforcement officials and organizations. These include California Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Assn. and Crime Victims United.
The Senate district includes most of Ventura County and parts of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.
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