NEWS ANALYSIS : Voters in GOP Stronghold Buck Trends

So much for throwing the rascals out and the Year of the Woman. Forget Bill Clinton’s coattails or Dianne Feinstein’s skirt tails. They didn’t reach to Ventura County.

This county’s voters, always independent, again bucked state and national trends in Tuesday’s election.

While record numbers of women were elected to Congress and the state Legislature, Democrats Feinstein and Barbara Boxer stumbled in this conservative stronghold where Republican sympathies run wide and deep.

And in a sweep for local incumbents, county voters sent two congressmen back to Washington and gave new terms to three legislators in Sacramento. To fill an open Assembly seat, they elected Oxnard’s incumbent mayor, a Republican.

County voters reflected the nation’s mood of discontent and demand for change only in backing President-elect Bill Clinton--the first Democrat to win a presidential race here since 1964--and in supporting Ross Perot.

But even Perot supporters tended to vote for Republicans as they worked their way down the ballot, helping incumbents in this county, according to strategists and exit interviews by The Times.

Incumbents also fared fairly well in City Council races throughout the county, except for Oxnard, where a rigorous Latino voter-registration drive helped elect a black and Latino to the City Council and, apparently, a Latino mayor.

“Does this sound familiar?” asked political consultant John Davies of Santa Barbara. “Ventura County is incredibly independent. It’s still Republican, and it’s still conservative.”

Campaign analyst Steve Frank, who himself was buried Tuesday by incumbent Greg Stratton in the race for Simi Valley mayor, said: “It wasn’t the Year of the Woman in Ventura County. It was the Year of the Incumbent.”

Ventura County voters wanted to dump incumbents, analysts said, but somebody else’s incumbents, not the ones they knew best.

The results of Tuesday’s election--where 76% of 359,236 registered voters cast ballots--also suggest several trends for the future:

* Perot’s 27% showing here, and the enthusiasm of his supporters, could inspire a continuing movement for change. Campaign coordinators here have vowed to serve as government watchdogs, not to just shut down and go away.

* The county’s Republican lawmakers have pledged to redouble their efforts to work with Democratic colleagues. For example, Assemblyman-elect Nao Takasugi said he plans to use his longstanding friendships with Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) and Republican Gov. Pete Wilson to forge alliances that will help the county.

* The Democratic Party’s aggressive voter registration drive, which closed the GOP margin to just 10,000 votes last summer, will probably lead to a strong continuing effort after the successes in Oxnard.

“We’re dancing in the streets. Ventura County went for a Democratic President for the first time in years,” said Nels Henderson, chairman of the county Democratic Central Committee. “But we didn’t bring it down to the congressional or state levels. We’ve made gains, but the challenge now is to keep it going.”

Republican strategists said, however, that this election shows how far Democrats still have to go to win the four legislative seats that include the conservative, white-collar communities of the suburban east county.

In the east county, four women candidates who ran on a women’s rights platform were all easily defeated. But Feinstein, Boxer, congressional candidate Anita Perez Ferguson and Assembly candidate Roz McGrath--who pooled resources and coordinated schedules in a show of solidarity--ran about even with Republicans in the west county.

Both Perez Ferguson and McGrath won in heavily Democratic Oxnard, the county’s largest city, even though McGrath’s opponent was Oxnard Mayor Takasugi.

McGrath, in fact, said she was encouraged by her first run for public office and undaunted by Takasugi’s 50%-to-44% victory. Analysts of both parties said they were surprised by the strength of her showing.

“I spent $43,000 and he spent $250,000,” McGrath said. “If I’d spent $250,000, I’d have won the race.”

More perplexed was Perez Ferguson, who had been given an even chance to knock off three-term Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley). The Democratic Party targeted the incumbent after the drawing of new district boundaries last year gave Democrats an edge in voter registration.

Several factors pointed to a possible upset by Perez Ferguson, including an anti-incumbency mood, her championing of women’s issues and support from labor unions, and an unprecedented drive to register Latino voters.

But Gallegly won by a 13% margin, baffling analysts who had uniformly predicted a close race and defying Perez Ferguson’s own polls, which showed her close to Gallegly as recently as last weekend.

“I actually thought that race was a coin toss,” said Jim Dantona, a Democratic consultant in Simi Valley. “A lot of people who do this for a living were shocked at the spread. But the difference is that Perot’s people went over to Elton in a major way.”

Voters, Perot’s backers included, insisted that they would “throw the bums out,” Dantona said. “But, basically, they were saying we want the incumbents out generically. They threw out the top of the ticket. But they knew their incumbents. They were local people.”

Some voters said they were turned off by Perez Ferguson’s two juvenile mailers that mocked Gallegly’s use of congressional perks with pictures of a young man literally rolling in dollars. One flyer taunted the congressman with the headline “Bad Boy!” and said his actions were “practically criminal.”

A former Simi Valley mayor, Gallegly said he won the most important victory of his life because voters knew him personally and saw Perez Ferguson as an interloper who moved to Ventura County this year to run for office.

Several voters interviewed as they left the polls agreed.

“Anita came down here as a carpetbagger,” said Tom Laubacher, an Oxnard insurance broker. “She doesn’t represent Ventura County in any way, shape or form.”

Also central to Gallegly’s campaign, both candidates agreed, was the incumbent’s crackdown on illegal immigrants and his constitutional amendment that would deny automatic citizenship to their children.

“Elton played his race card and it worked,” Republican consultant Davies said.

Oventer Pittmar, a 68-year-old Ventura physician who emigrated from Germany, said he saw the congressman’s point.

After voting for Perot on Tuesday, Pittmar said he also favored Gallegly “because of the tremendous influx of immigrants crossing the border. It took me years to get permission to come here.”

Denying a racial motivation, Gallegly said his proposed restrictions struck a chord with many voters, including legal residents from Mexico who compete with undocumented workers for jobs.

Perez Ferguson’s campaign manager, Sam Rodriguez, said the issue, highlighted in a last-minute mailer, “tainted the election” by emphasizing something that divides Latinos and Anglos.

Perez Ferguson also said “there’s a fear factor involved, about what the future holds and how our communities are changing.”

The challenger said, however, that she lost mostly because of Ventura County’s conservative inclinations.

It was a county where the voters, regardless of their frustrations with President Bush, could embrace only so much change at one time.

“They stayed more conservative closer to home,” Perez Ferguson said. “I think Ventura County is getting what it wants. They went more for a safety net.”

Gallegly sees his victory as a mandate, not the result of voter caution.

“You don’t have a 13-point margin of victory in a Democratic district if you don’t have more support than your traditional base,” he said. “I received broad support in a very tough year. There weren’t too many victories like this in the Republican Party last night.”

VENTURA COUNTY ELECTIONS ’92

School Boards

Ojai Unified 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Karen A. McBride: 4,101 (26%) Tim Peddicord: 3,761 (24%) Alan Fletcher: 2,289 (15%) David A. Watson: 1,784 (11%) Frank Stephenson: 1,500 (10%) Bruce A. Johnston: 1,382 (9%) Daryl Biberston: 900 (6%)

Simi Valley Unified 3 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Debbie Sandland: 20,220 (24%) Judy Barry*: 19,507 (23%) Diane Collins: 17,370 (21%) Jim King: 14,144 (17%) Jacqueline L. Richardson: 12,632 (15%)

Oxnard Union High School 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Steve W. Stocks*: 25,200 (24%) Fred A. Judy: 20,437 (19%) Roy Lockwood: 18,455 (17%) Paul J. Kowalski: 14,589 (14%) Shirley Bumpus: 10,749 (10%) Fred Schwartz: 8,276 (8%) Carlos Jose de Moss: 4,816 (5%) Preston Marshall Ransone: 2,423 (2%) Marvin Petal: 2,043 (2%)

Santa Paula Union High School 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Robert (Bob) Gonzales: 4,921 (37%) Roylene Cunningham: 3,169 (24%) Victor Salas*: 2,793 (21%) Al Sandoval*: 2,346 (18%)

Briggs Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Carolyn (Jauregui) Bowker: 521 (43%) Ron Merson: 368 (31%) Ralph Ramos*: 319 (26%)

Hueneme Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Marla A. Petal: 4,386 (27%) Rafael (Ralph) Ramos: 4,324 (27%) Herbert C. Templeman*: 4,144 (25%) Rosie Magallanes: 3,469 (21%)

Mesa Union Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Karen A. Stearns*: 634 (47%) James Edward Niles: 422 (31%) Susan Bing Prosser: 303 (22%)

Oxnard Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Dorothie Sterling: 12,001 (37%) Susan E. Alvarez: 10,847 (34%) Charles Ray Johnson*: 9,453 (29%)

Pleasant Valley Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Ricardo A. Amador*: 12,164 (34%) Robert Rexford: 11,893 (33%) Juan Lozano: 6,874 (19%) Richard Paradyse: 5,244 (15%)

Santa Clara Elementary 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Gayle Reed*: 35 (63%) Deann K. Hobson: 21 (38%)

Santa Paula Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Benjamin F. Saiz: 2,376 (22%) Eugene E. Marzec: 2,223 (20%) Patricia Harrison: 1,959 (18%) Joe Michael Gonzalez: 1,652 (15%) Karen Cottingham: 1,095 (10%) Suzi Skutley: 854 (8%) Co Englehart: 723 (7%)

Somis Union Elementary 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Robert W. Fulkerson*: 737 (46%) A. F. (Drew) Sutherland: 553 (35%) John Catano: 304 (19%)

Special Districts

Bell Canyon Community Services 3 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Hannelore Buss: 319 (19%) Marc Silverstein: 295 (17%) John F. Moistner: 283 (17%) Arch D. McGregor*: 280 (16%) Kathleen Hartoch: 272 (16%) Jeff Chiarella: 260 (15%)

Channel Islands Beach Community Services District 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Patrick M. Forrest*: 767 (33%) Gail L. Pringle: 548 (23%) Marcia L. Marcus: 519 (22%) Mike Hanna: 405 (17%) Kathleen Dugan: 100 (4%)

Oxnard Harbor District 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Ray A. Fletcher*: 16,035 (27%) Jess J. Ramirez: 13,906 (24%) Bill Hill: 9,704 (16%) Robert E. Turner*: 8,143 (14%) Dana Weber Young: 7,260 (12%) Bill Bradley: 4,224 (7%)

Camarillo Health Care District 3 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Jean Daily Underwood: 13,505 (23%) John A. Rush: 9,281 (16%) James M. Jeffers: 8,886 (15%) Gerald N. Karpman*: 7,717 (13%) Robert A. Vos: 6,232 (11%) Marion R. Gordon*: 5,814 (10%) Richard D. Culbert*: 4,840 (8%) James E. Prosser: 2,329 (4%)

Montalvo Municipal Improvement District 3 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Ethel G. Todd: 398 (24%) Ernie (Ernesto) Morales: 364 (22%) Vernol Colvin: 347 (21%) Henry G. Nass: 312 (19%) Wayne T. Hellstrom: 266 (16%)

Calleguas Municipal Water District

Division 1 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Ted Grandsen: 18,992 (72%) Vincent P. Nowell: 7,580 (29%)

Division 2 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Jeffrey A. Borenstein: 20,134 (54%) L.B. (Les) Kovacs*: 17,530 (47%)

Division 3 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Don Hauser: 19,329 (48%) Kurt O. Reithmayr*: 18,563 (46%) Fred Brook: 2,647 (7%)

Casitas Municipal Water District

Division 2 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) William L. (Bill) Austin*: 1,757 (54%) Phillip F. Marquez: 1,471 (46%)

Division 5 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Conner Everts: 2,418 (53%) James W. Coultas: 2,131 (47%)

Conejo Recreation & Park District 2 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Mark Jacobsen*: 30,596 (47%) George M. Lange*: 17,425 (27%) Douglas V. Nickles: 16,658 (26%)

Rancho Simi Recreation & Park District 3 Elected 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Debi Schultze*: 26,991 (31%) Bonnie Carpenter*: 26,842 (31%) Don Funk: 23,846 (28%) Steve Ostrander: 8,300 (10%)

Castaic Lake Water Agency Division 3 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) James L. Gates: 9 (82%) Laura Lynn: 2 (18%)

How Ventura County Voted * Returns in the “How Ventura County Voted” columns represent vote totals from Ventura County only.

PRESIDENTIAL 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Bill Clinton: 93,602 (37%) George Bush*: 88,251 (35%) Ross Perot: 67,492 (27%) Andre Marrou: 955 (0%) Ron Daniels: 250 (0%) Howard Phillips: 247 (0%)

U.S. SENATE (Full Term) 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) Bruce Herschensohn: 124,336 (50%) Barbara Boxer: 98,568 (40%) Jerome McCready: 9,742 (4%) Genevieve Torres: 9,124 (4%) June R. Genis: 5,429 (2%)

U.S. SENATE (Part Term) 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%) John Seymour**: 113,868 (46%) Dianne Feinstein: 112,846 (46%) Paul Meeuwenberg: 7,570 (3%) Gerald Horne: 6,775 (3%) Richard B. Boddie: 6,444 (3%)

PROPOSITIONS 100% Precincts Reporting: votes (%)

155--Public Schools General Obligation Bond Yes: 126,137 (51%) No: 119,611 (49%)

156--Passenger Rail and Clean Air Bond Act Yes: 134,206 (56%) No: 107,425 (45%)

157--Toll Highways Yes: 173,014 (72%) No: 66,383 (28%)

158--Office of the California Analyst Yes: 149,989 (65%) No: 82,627 (36%)

159--Office of the Auditor General Yes: 146,132 (63%) No: 84,894 (37%)

160--Property Tax Exemption for Military Surviving Spouse Yes: 113,776 (47%) No: 128,012 (53%)

161--Physician-Assisted Death Yes: 140,169 (57%) No: 107,988 (44%)

162--Public Employees’ Retirement Systems Yes: 119,957 (51%) No: 114,429 (49%)

163--Snack Tax Yes: 89,214 (36%) No: 156,483 (64%)

164--Term Limits for Congress Yes: 80,788 (33%) No: 165,166 (67%)

165--Welfare, Budget Process Yes: 122,708 (50%) No: 123,559 (50%)

166--Basic Health Care Yes: 175,720 (71%) No: 72,533 (29%)

167--State Taxes Yes: 152,935 (62%) No: 92,877 (38%)