ELECTIONS / ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 35 : Age an Issue as Two Rivals Argue Over Experience

With a 20-year age difference between them, the two candidates competing for the Democratic nomination in the 35th Assembly District have different ways of measuring experience.

“I do not just relate to people’s concerns and fears; I have lived them,” candidate Mindy Lorenz declares in a campaign flyer distributed to voters throughout the district, which covers Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and most of Santa Barbara County.

Lorenz, 47, goes on in the flyer to explain how she went from being a single mother living on food stamps to earning a doctoral degree and a job as an art history teacher at Cal State Northridge.

“My experiences proved to me that I have the strength, determination and commitment to accomplish tough goals,” said Lorenz, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1992 as a Green Party candidate.

At 27, Bob Ream, Lorenz’s Democratic rival, is among the youngest candidates running for the state Assembly this year.

Even so, Ream, for whom the word young translates as “energetic,” is quick to point out that he has more experience working in government than his challenger. He has served as an aide to state Sen. Gary Hart (D-Santa Barbara) since graduating with top honors from Santa Barbara’s Westmont College in 1989.

“My job has been trying to find solutions to people’s problems in the community for the last five years,” he said. “And I’ve been effective in doing that.”

During his tenure with Hart, Ream said, he initiated legislation to provide emergency tax breaks for Santa Barbara residents who lost their homes in the 1990 Painted Cave fire. He also takes credit for getting much of Hart’s district included in a government-financed earthquake preparedness program.

While respectful of Lorenz’s personal history, Ream said “all those life experiences don’t necessarily translate into effective legislative leadership.”

“If you want to change something, you have to understand how government works,” he said. “If I go to Sacramento, I can hit the ground running.”

But Lorenz said it is not enough to simply understand the mechanics of government. She said it is more important to have “a depth of experience that leads to mature judgment, and I think Bob comes up short in that regard.”

“Bob went to an ultra-conservative school on a baseball scholarship, then directly to work for Gary Hart,” said Lorenz, who has 20 years experience in education. “I’m not sure he’s ever had a real job.”

Ream fired back: “I’ve done five years of work in the job I’m running for. I can’t think of a better job to have.”

The two candidates will square off in the June 7 primary election. Each is hoping to snap up the Democratic nomination for the Assembly seat being vacated by Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria), who is a candidate for Hart’s Senate post. Hart is retiring from public office.

The winner of the primary will face Republican opponent Brooks Firestone in the November general election. The Santa Barbara County winery owner is uncontested in the Republican primary.

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On the issues, the two Democratic candidates agree on the need for more jobs, less crime and improvements in public education. They also pledge a commitment to protecting the environment.

The question voters in June will have to decide is who is the most viable candidate to challenge Firestone, 57, a former Assembly candidate who has already amassed more than $160,000 in campaign contributions.

“Right now, it’s too early to call,” said Mary Rose, a Democratic political consultant in Santa Barbara.

The 35th Assembly seat is considered important because it has long been a Democratic stronghold, she said, even though Republicans have significantly narrowed the lead Democrats have held in voter registration in recent years.

Although Lorenz and Ream both have their strong points, Rose said each also has obstacles to overcome.

Hart’s endorsement of Ream can open many doors in terms of support and money, “but Bob has to be a credible candidate in his own right,” she said. “He has to get across that he’s not just a 27-year-old former aide to Gary Hart. He has to develop his own identity.”

While Lorenz starts out with greater name recognition, “it’s not necessarily positive,” Rose said, referring to Lorenz’s previous bid for Congress as a candidate of the environmentally concerned Green Party.

“I think there are some (Democratic) party players that are concerned about where her loyalties lie in terms of her overall politics,” Rose said. “It’s much easier to apply that radical label given her past history. It makes her an easier target in the general election. I think it’s a liability.”

Lorenz said she decided to switch parties because she had become “disillusioned with the ineffectiveness of the Green Party” when it came to actually shaping public policy.

Still, she considers her experience in the Green Party an asset, not a liability. She said it helped her to mature as a candidate. She also played a key role in collecting 100,000 signatures to place the Greens on the state party ballot the same year.

Lorenz said her past political experience has made her “a tremendous organizer. I know how to build organizations and coalitions.”

Supporters agree that her Green Party affiliation will not hurt her.

“I’m a Democrat,” said Margaret Ely, a member of the Santa Paula City Council. “But I think the era of rigid party politics is behind us.”

Lorenz’s political background aside, Ely said she believed voters will be impressed with the candidate’s ability to overcome her own personal struggles.

“She’s been a single mother who has worked her way up,” Ely said. “I personally think that right now with some of the issues we are facing that we need someone who has been tested.”

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Ream’s supporters said his government work experience and close ties to Democratic Party leaders like Hart will give him the edge.

“My sympathies are more with someone who has long been involved in the Democratic Party, rather than someone who has been a candidate for a fringe party,” said Hart, who is co-chairman of Ream’s campaign.

Hart said he does not believe Ream’s age will be a major factor in the campaign, noting that O’Connell was 30 when he was first elected to the Assembly in 1982.

“I think history has shown that you can be young and get elected in this district,” Hart said.

Money is also expected to play an important role in the election. Each of the candidates said they will need to raise between $300,000 and $500,000 to win the Assembly race.

So far, Ream has raised more than $40,000 and has about $6,000 cash on hand. Lorenz reported raising $29,000 as of Dec. 31, and began the year with $5,000 in her campaign treasury. However, she recently held a fund-raiser in Ojai that she estimates garnered more than $10,000.

Both candidates will be filing campaign finance statements within the next two weeks.

In the meantime, the two are busy walking precincts and meeting with various organizations and neighborhood groups. Lorenz has hired a San Luis Obispo consultant to assist in her campaign. Ream’s sister Anne, who has a marketing background, has signed on as his campaign manager.

Over the next few weeks, voters can expect to hear a lot more from both candidates about experience, leadership and energy.

“I have the advantage because people know me,” Lorenz said. “Thirteen thousand people voted for me in 1992.”

“I think it’s a matter of who wants it more,” Ream countered. “I want it more than anybody else.”