Council Candidate’s Use of Old Endorsement Backfires

So whom does former Camarillo Mayor Bob Pena really support in next month’s City Council race?

Pena gives a glowing endorsement of Mike Morgan in the candidate’s campaign brochures, which have already been distributed to thousands. At the same time, Pena is serving as campaign manager for candidate Ned Chatfield.

What is going on here?

As it turns out, Morgan printed the same quote on his new brochure that he had used during his unsuccessful bid for county supervisor in November. The only difference is that Morgan substituted the words “City Council” for “supervisor.”

“Morgan didn’t clear it with me prior to putting the brochures out,” Pena said Wednesday. “I worked with him during the supervisor’s race, so it was legitimate at that time.”

Pena, who has known Chatfield for decades, had promised Chatfield his support early in the race and was listed on the nomination papers as his campaign manager.

“I made it clear I was supporting Mr. Chatfield,” said Pena, who served as Camarillo mayor in 1976.

“What [Morgan] was publishing was an error. He concurred with this and apologized,” Pena said. “But he didn’t touch bases and he should have.

“I don’t like it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. They’re out there and in error--I wish they weren’t.”

Morgan said he had other quotes he could have used, but that the brochures were already at the printer by the time he realized Pena was heading Chatfield’s campaign.

“The first time I knew this was when I saw Ned’s sign in his yard,” said Morgan, 50, who served on the City Council for 16 1/2 years before his bid for supervisor.

“There was nothing that would lead me to believe there was any problem with putting his quote in there.

“I felt it was safe to assume because we worked so strongly together in the other race,” Morgan said, adding that he also did not want to bother Pena because of Pena’s and his wife’s health problems.

Chatfield, 78, has subsequently had a lot of explaining to do.

“It’s very upsetting when people say they thought Bob was my campaign manager and then ask why he’s endorsing Mike,” said Chatfield, who served 10 years on the city’s original council beginning in 1964. “It’s confusing and embarrassing and there’s an out-and-out fault to it.”

Morgan knew from the start that Pena was his campaign manager, Chatfield charged.

“This is typical of Mike,” he said. “He knew full well that he was my campaign manager and he disregarded that. It’s not a very honorable thing to do.”

The third candidate in the race, 18-year-old Chris Valenzano, said that because it didn’t directly affect his campaign, he wasn’t too concerned about it.

“It’s a little disappointing to hear that that happened, but I really didn’t see it as having any negative impact on my campaign,” the Adolpho Camarillo High School student said. “I knew about it and have heard the complaints, but . . . I chose to not give it too much attention.”

One seat is open in the June 3 election, held to fill the seat of Councilman Ken Gose, who died in January. The winner will serve the remaining 17 months of Gose’s four-year term.