Gonzalez Aims for Upset Over Gallegly

It has been a long-distance race for both candidates in the 23rd Congressional District.

Campaigning door to door, Democrat Dan Gonzalez is trying to beat longshot odds of winning the election by pounding miles of county pavement. Meanwhile, last-minute budget wrangling kept incumbent Republican Elton Gallegly 3,000 miles away in Washington and off the campaign trail.

“I would much rather be in the district right now working on the campaign, but the fact remains that this is my responsibility,” Gallegly said last week, while Congress was still wrangling with the White House over the budget.

Gonzalez charges that Gallegly has used Washington as an excuse to avoid scheduling a debate. In fact, Gallegly has not debated Democratic opponents in his two prior reelection campaigns either.

“I’m anxiously awaiting the date,” said Gonzalez, a 42-year-old Simi Valley attorney.

With or without a debate, Gonzalez thinks west county Democrats are his key to beating Gallegly, who is seeking a seventh term. Gonzalez calls Gallegly ineffective, anti-immigrant, anti-veteran and says he does not represent Ventura County’s diverse population.

Gallegly counters that the aid his staff has given to constituents with immigration and citizenship concerns--plus the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars--disproves Gonzalez’s charges.

Though Gallegly said he would prefer to be known for his voting record and bipartisan cooperation, he has been in the spotlight most recently as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the body conducting hearings on the impeachment of President Clinton.

A Simi Valley real estate broker, Gallegly, 54, boasts that he was the first person appointed to the committee who was not an attorney. He also serves on both the International Relations and Resources committees.

Gallegly brags that he has one of the most active voting records in Congress--weighing in on more than 98% of House votes. He also says he is one of Congress’ most effective legislators, with two of his 25 bills this session signed into law. (Only 100 or so bills become law each Congress.)

Of Gallegly’s successful bills, one expanded a program for identifying jailed criminals who were illegal immigrants. The second gave police officers in K-9 units the option of adopting their retired dogs.

Locally, Gallegly says he has brought thousands of jobs and millions of dollars into Ventura County’s economy, from the recently arrived wing of E-2 radar planes at Point Mugu to the new Simi Valley police headquarters.

Gallegly says he comes home virtually every weekend and maintains a staff in Oxnard, in addition to once-a-week office hours around the county.

In past elections, Democrats have fielded challengers who personified the issues where they considered Gallegly weak. In 1994, Kevin Ready--a veteran--criticized Gallegly on military issues. Two years later, 73-year-old Bob Unruhe touted his age and involvement with senior activities.

Gonzalez, president of the Mexican American Bar Assn. of Ventura County, is accusing the 12-year incumbent of failing to adequately represent the district’s Latino voters. Gonzalez also has criticized Gallegly’s uncompromising positions on illegal immigration.

“He’s been a one-issue congressman, and that issue for him has been nothing but anti-immigration,” Gonzalez said.

Gallegly counters that his opponent would work to open the nation’s borders and skirt federal immigration laws. He cites his district office’s extensive casework on citizenship issues as indicating his support for nonnative Americans.

“Let’s make no mistake about it: There is no person in the House of Representatives--no person--who is more pro-immigrant than Elton Gallegly,” he said. “There is also no person in the House of Representatives who is more anti-illegal-immigrant than Elton Gallegly.”

Gonzalez wants the federal government to reimburse states and localities for jailing, housing and providing medical aid to illegal immigrants.

“It’s not until we start taking money back from the federal government that they’re going to start paying attention to what Californians want,” he said.

Gonzalez also said he would work to bring more federal money for law enforcement into the district on a permanent basis--rather than grant money that only lasts a few years. He favors a stricter ban on assault weapons, and said he would push for programs to prevent youthful offenders from becoming adult criminals.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out education fights crime,” he said.

Gonzalez lauds efforts to hire more teachers but wants more money for teacher training. He would also like to see fewer portable classrooms and more permanent buildings on California’s campuses. He also favors increasing technology in schools.

Gonzalez supports a patients’ bill of rights, including the right to sue HMOs for limited damages.

“When people pay money into any particular service or entitlement, then it’s a covenant, it’s a contract and it’s to be honored,” he said.

Gonzalez said he decided to enter politics because he believes the 23rd District lacks a strong voice in Washington. He has not held an elective office before.

“I find it quite disheartening that we as a county of 700,000-plus would have someone who doesn’t have leadership skills,” Gonzalez said.

He said Gallegly has passed up opportunities to express county residents’ views on President Clinton and the impeachment hearings against him--the result of a Starr investigation he calls a “$50-million peep show.”

Unseating Gallegly will be a tough task, if only because of his name recognition. In addition to his tenure in Congress, Gallegly is also known in the area for his seven years on the Simi Valley City Council, including four years as the city’s first directly elected mayor.

Gallegly would not reveal how much he expects to spend on his campaign, but a campaign finance filing this week indicates he has more than $600,000 on hand.

Gonzalez said he has raised more than $80,000 and expects to raise an equal amount in his campaign’s final weeks. All told, he expects his campaign to cost $175,000 to $180,000, a low total for a congressional race.

“Mine’s a grass-roots campaign,” he said. “It’s a David-and-Goliath battle.”

“The secret is to get out the loyal voters and to also cut into Mr. Gallegly’s traditional Republican base,” Gonzalez said, adding that some of his campaign volunteers are registered Republicans.

More Democrats than Republicans are registered to vote in the 23rd District. Gonzalez thinks he can win if enough west county Democrats, particularly Latinos, go to the polls. Nationwide, Democrats tend to turn out in smaller numbers than Republicans.

Not all of Ventura County’s residents live in the 23rd District. A small portion of the east county, including Thousand Oaks, is part of the 24th Congressional District, which stretches into the San Fernando Valley and is represented by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks). Republican Randy Hoffman is challenging Sherman.