Mountjoy Pledges to Step Up Campaign for Senate

Having scored a surprisingly easy victory over two formidable Republican challengers, Assemblyman Richard Mountjoy (R-Arcadia) pledged Wednesday to step up his campaign to win a runoff for the state Senate seat that Frank Hill vacated after his political corruption conviction.

No matter that the ultraconservative Mountjoy is facing seemingly weak challenges in the Nov. 8 contest from Democrat Sandra K. Hester, Libertarian Matthew J. Piazza and Green Party candidate Walter R. Sheasby III.

“You’ll see a race that’s twice as hard as my campaign for (Tuesday’s) election,” Mountjoy said. “I by no means take the race for granted.”

The liberal Hester said she would forge ahead, acknowledging her underdog status. “The positions we hold are so opposite,” Hester said. “(Voters) will have a clear choice with my candidacy.”

Mountjoy is the heavy favorite in the race because the 29th Senate District in eastern Los Angeles County is a Republican stronghold. In Tuesday’s vote, for instance, the four Republican candidates won almost 85% of the votes cast, while Hester received about 14%.

The special election was set up when Hill, a Republican, resigned July 8, three weeks after a federal jury found him guilty of extortion, money laundering and conspiracy. He was sentenced earlier this week to 46 months in prison.

In Tuesday’s vote, Mountjoy easily overcame strong challenges from Assemblyman Paul Horcher (D-Diamond Bar) and Gary Miller, a wealthy Republican businessman. Mountjoy, a member of the Assembly since 1978, finished with about 45% of the vote, not enough to avoid a runoff but more than twice as much as Miller, who finished second.

Mountjoy said Wednesday that in the coming weeks he will continue to emphasize his longtime opposition to tax increases and his support of other conservative causes. The assemblyman is a strong backer of Proposition 187, which would cut educational, medical and other benefits to illegal immigrants.

Hester, who opposes Proposition 187, said she hopes to attract the vote of Republican women with her support for abortion rights, which Mountjoy opposes.

The two other candidates who will appear on the November ballot--Piazza and Sheasby--each received less than 2% of the vote.