Supervisor Judy Mikels to Run for State Senate

Touting her experience in local government, Ventura County Supervisor Judy Mikels launched her first bid for state office Wednesday.

The former Simi Valley councilwoman is the first of what could be many candidates to officially announce their interest in the 19th Senate District seat, which term limits will force Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) to give up in 2000.

“I really feel that I have the qualifications to fill her shoes,” Mikels said, adding that she hopes to receive the retiring senator’s endorsement.

Mikels cited her four-plus years of experience representing Simi Valley and Moorpark on the Board of Supervisors and her service on the Simi Valley City Council as qualifications for Wright’s seat.

“The experience we gain from serving in local government makes us better state representatives because we understand that local needs are best determined at the local level,” she said.

Mikels, who was reelected to a new four-year term last year, launched her campaign before about 25 supporters at the Simi Valley Veterans Memorial at the East County Courthouse.

Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge) has all but officially announced his candidacy to represent the GOP-leaning district, which includes all of Ventura County except for Santa Paula, Ventura and Ojai, plus portions of the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys.

Former Assemblyman Nao Takasugi, onetime mayor of Oxnard, said Wednesday that he will decide in the next week or so whether he will throw in his hat. Supervisor Frank Schillo, whose name has also been mentioned as a possible Republican contender, said Wednesday that he will not run.

County Democrats will meet today to discuss whom they will field, the party’s local chairman, Hank Lacayo, said. Possible candidates include Ventura County schools Supt. Chuck Weis, Roz McGrath, who has lost two Assembly races, and Oxnard Harbor District President Jess Herrera, he said.

“We’re sort of watching this to see what kind of primary the Republicans are going to have,” Lacayo said. “They’re going to beat each other up, it appears.”

Who will represent the Republicans on the ballot won’t be decided until the primary a year from now. In the meantime, McClintock said Wednesday, contenders could disappear and still more names could surface.

“My experience has been when you see 10 candidates coming down the road at you, nine of them are liable to run off the road into a ditch before they hit you,” he said.

McClintock, whose Assembly district includes Simi Valley and Fillmore, will definitely not be receiving Wright’s endorsement, Wright said Wednesday.

Mikels seems the favorite to get her nod, but Wright--also a former Simi Valley councilwoman--said she won’t give her stamp of approval until the Republican field is set.

“We’ll wait awhile,” she said, “but we do wish [Mikels] well and I do think that she’s a good, hard worker and that’s what the district needs.”

Mikels said she will remain on the Board of Supervisors during her campaign and does not want her work to be sidetracked by her run for Senate.

“I will do absolutely everything I can to keep it out of the boardroom,” she said. “I don’t want anything that I’m doing to be perceived incorrectly.”

Mikels said her campaign will focus on strengthening cooperation between state and local agencies, especially to improve education and public safety.

“Resources are scarce, needs are many and for governmental agencies to not be cooperating is just atrocious.”

She said she has begun raising money for her campaign but would not disclose how much.

“I’m fully confident that we will raise everything that we need,” she said.

In his last campaign finance filing in January, McClintock reported that he had raised $112,000.

Mikels already has endorsements from Simi Valley Mayor Bill Davis, three other Simi council members, two Moorpark City Council members and other east county officials.