Candidates Already Are Gearing Up for Primary : Politics: Leaders of both parties agree that outcome of June races may hinge on voter satisfaction with President Clinton and Gov. Pete Wilson.

Although primary elections are six months away, candidates are already lining up on both sides of the political field to run for various legislative and congressional seats representing Ventura County.

Prospective candidates are also jockeying for a host of city and countywide offices, which this year will include everything from two east county supervisorial positions to sheriff and district attorney.

In addition, two longtime Ventura County politicians are making bids for statewide office. State Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) will compete for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor, while former Republican Assemblyman Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks will run for state controller.

Democratic and Republican leaders agree that the county’s legislative and congressional races could hinge on Ventura County voters’ satisfaction with the performance of Democratic President Clinton and Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

“The two questions in 1994 will be: Does Clinton perform strongly? And, does the economy pick up in California?” said Bob Larkin, chairman of Ventura County’s Republican Central Committee.

Democrat Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson, a strong supporter of Clinton’s economic program, has already attracted four Republicans who are considering bids to oppose the veteran congressman. Beilenson, a Woodland Hills resident, represents a district that includes most of Thousand Oaks, Malibu and portions of the San Fernando Valley.

Among those eyeing the Beilenson seat are Robert Hammer, a Newbury Park banking consultant and the only officially announced Republican candidate; Richard Sybert, a former senior aide to Gov. Wilson; Bill Spillane, a Thousand Oaks pilot, and Mark B. Benhard of Agoura, a former assistant to former Rep. William K. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton).

“My candidacy is not meant as any disrespect for Tony,” Hammer said. “But California is continuing to languish. And somebody’s been in charge around here.”

No one has stepped forward yet to challenge Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) in the 23rd Congressional District that covers nearly all of Ventura County except for most of Thousand Oaks.

Gallegly predicted President Clinton’s defense cuts, which threaten to further damage an already battered California economy, would only boost Republican candidates chances in 1994.

“Republicans are going to do better this year,” said Gallegly, whose district’s voter registration is 45% Republican and 43% Democratic. “It’s an off-election year and Clinton has done a great deal to help the Republican Party.”

But Hank Starr, chairman of Ventura County’s Democratic Central Committee, dismissed Gallegly’s predictions as nothing more than partisan bashing.

“With the end of the Cold War, everybody agrees that much has to be cut in defense,” he said. “Of course California’s ox is going to be gored. California for years has had the highest expenditures in defense.”

Starr predicted that Gov. Wilson, who he said will be fighting for his political life in November, will be a liability to Republican candidates seeking other political office.

“During the Bush years, Wilson took a position on the extreme right,” Starr said. “Since then, he’s tried to move further to the center. In the process, he hasn’t made any friends on the Democratic side, and has only angered the far-right wing of his own party. All told, Wilson has never looked worse.”

Here is a look at some of the key legislative, county and city elections coming up this year.

State Senate District 18

Seeking to replace his political mentor in the state Senate, Democratic Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) is already running hard for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara). Hart’s 18th District includes Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and other portions of northern Ventura County and all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

O’Connell, who has already amassed $300,000 in campaign contributions, said his biggest challenge will be getting his name known to voters in San Luis Obispo County. But he said he began walking precincts in that northern end of the district in July.

Although Democrats hold no significant advantage over registered Republicans in the district--43% to 41%--O’Connell said the numbers are not that different from those in his 35th Assembly District, where he has won six elections.

“I’ve always had a lot of bipartisan support,” he said.

O’Connell’s only announced challenger is Republican Steve Mac Elvaine, a cattle rancher and former San Luis Obispo County supervisor. Other possible Republican candidates include Santa Barbara County Supervisor Mike Stoker, California Energy Commissioner Charles R. Imbrecht and Assemblywoman Andrea Seastrand.

Assembly District 35

O’Connell’s decision to run for the state Senate leaves his 35th Assembly District seat up for grabs.

So far, Santa Barbara winery owner Brooks Firestone is the only Republican to announce his candidacy in the district, which encompasses Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and most of Santa Barbara County.

Ventura City Councilman Greg Carson, who hinted early on that he might run, said instead he plans to support Firestone.

On the Democratic side, Bob Ream, an aide to state Sen. Hart, and Mindy Lorenz, a former Green Party candidate who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year, have said they will run. Solvang City Councilwoman Carol Anders is also expected to compete for the Democratic nomination.

Assembly Districts 37-38

No one has yet stepped forward to challenge the reelection bid of Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills), whose 38th District includes Fillmore and Simi Valley, or Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard), whose 37th District encompasses most of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Port Hueneme and Oxnard.

“Jobs and crime were the No. 1 issues when I went to Sacramento three years ago, and they’re still the No. 1 issues,” said Boland, who has helped push through a handful of crime-fighting laws.

Local Elections

In eastern Ventura County, voters will go to the polls in June to decide who will replace county Supervisor Maria VanderKolk, who recently announced she will not seek reelection. Supervisor Vicky Howard, who was elected at the same time as VanderKolk, said she will seek a second term.

So far, anti-tax activist H. Jere Robings is the only one to announce his candidacy for VanderKolk’s seat, representing a district stretching from the Conejo Valley to Port Hueneme. Other potential candidates include Thousand Oaks Councilman Frank Schillo and former Supervisor Madge Schaefer.

Simi Valley Councilwoman Barbara Williamson said she is considering challenging Howard for the supervisor’s seat, which represents Simi Valley, Moorpark and the Santa Clara Valley.

“I have been approached (to run) by a number of people,” Williamson said. “Certainly the support is out there.”

Other county offices up for election this year include sheriff, district attorney, auditor-controller, assessor, county clerk-recorder, treasurer, county superintendent of schools and four Superior Court and two Municipal Court judgeships. Most incumbents, including Sheriff Larry Carpenter and Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, are expected to seek reelection.

Locally, voters in every city except Ventura will fill at least two city council seats in November, while voters in Simi Valley, Moorpark and Oxnard will also elect mayors.

Longtime Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton has already said he is considering a run for county auditor-controller against incumbent Thomas O. Mahon.

Stratton says he believes that the auditor’s office should be taking a more aggressive stance in managing the county’s $836-million budget. Mahon, a no-nonsense administrator who was appointed to the auditor-controller’s position a year ago, says his office has never performed better.

“We’re on top of things,” said Mahon, who previously served as assistant auditor-controller for 19 years. “This is an office that requires an individual with an extensive financing, accounting and auditing background. And with all my years in office, I’m confident I have that.”

The new year will also include elections for seats on the Ventura County Board of Education and the Community College District as well as 17 of the county’s 20 school boards.

The Simi Valley Unified School District, where sex education has been a major topic of debate, and the predominantly Latino Oxnard School District, which has been torn by racial tensions among its school board members, promise to have some of the most lively campaigns.

Latino activists said they are hoping this will be the year that Latinos finally win a majority on the five-member Oxnard school board. Two board members will stand for reelection, a third has decided to step down.

Mary Barreto, who is up for reelection, and Susan Alvarez are the only two Latinos on the panel.

Board President Jim Suter, who is also up for reelection, said he believes tensions on the board have been blown out of proportion.

“I don’t think we need a majority of this or that,” he said. “It’s just a personality thing. I think we can work things out.”

Barreto said problems on the board run much deeper than personality squabbles. She said she wants to see other minorities represented on the board. “We don’t want to take over the board,” she said. “We just want balanced representation.”

School board member Jack Fowler said he will not run for reelection.

Nineteen water, sanitation, health care and park districts--stretching from Thousand Oaks to Ojai--will also hold elections in 1994. The districts’ boards are responsible for approving service fee hikes, bond issues and assessments.