Assembly Endorsements

The retirements of Brooks Firestone and Nao Takasugi give Ventura County voters the opportunity Nov. 3 to choose two new faces to represent them in the state Assembly. Here are The Times’ endorsements:

35th District

Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson, a family law attorney, is competing with Chris Mitchum, an actor and son of Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum, to represent Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and most of Santa Barbara County.

Jackson and Mitchum, both first-time candidates, disagree most clearly on whether patients should be able to sue their HMOs, on how to combat juvenile crime, on who should pay for abortions and on whether parents should know when their daughters have them.

On health care, Jackson advocates a patients bill of rights, including the right to sue HMOs. Mitchum favors having independent review panels settle claims, saying that lawsuits would primarily benefit attorneys. Both support abortion rights, but Mitchum does not back government funding for them. Jackson opposes a requirement for parental consent, which Mitchum supports.

Both worry about gangs and juvenile crime. Jackson supports rehabilitation programs; Mitchum focuses on freeing up more jail beds for underage criminals and keeping their records intact through their adult years.

The Times endorses Hannah-Beth Jackson.

37th District

This campaign pits a kindergarten teacher from a local pioneer family against an eager young former top aide to Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Simi Valley) who has been campaigning full-time since December.

The choice is moderate versus staunch conservative, native versus newcomer to the district (although not to the county), and farmer / teacher versus professional politician.

The former in each case is Roz McGrath, 51, a Democrat making her third try for the Assembly seat representing Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Oxnard and Camarillo. The latter is Tony Strickland, 28, a Republican who grew up in Simi Valley and moved to Thousand Oaks two years ago.

McGrath opposes taxpayer-funded vouchers that would help allow students to attend private schools, saying it would undermine public education; Strickland favors the idea. She favors bans on assault weapons and small-caliber handguns; he opposes limits on citizens’ right to arm themselves.

She cites her experience as a teacher, college lecturer, farm manager and director of organizations that assisted battered women and moved women off welfare through jobs. He says his experience is far deeper in the political world, where he has earned his living as an aide and protege of two assemblymen.

We believe the 37th District would be better represented by a person deeply rooted in the issues and realities of the area. Local voters deserve to be the top priority of their Assembly member. The national support that has allowed Strickland to devote nearly a year to campaigning for this seat suggests that his allegiances may lie elsewhere.

The Times endorses Roz McGrath.