Gallegly Kicks Off Campaign for 8th Term

Rep. Elton Gallegly on Monday officially kicked off his eighth congressional campaign.

Surrounded by about 100 party supporters, including Sheriff Bob Brooks, former congressman Bob Lagomarsino and a dozen council members from cities across Ventura County, a confident Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) promised that his politics would remain the same if reelected.

“You have my word that I will continue to do the best I can to continue to live up to the support you all have given me,” Gallegly said during a 20-minute speech at the County Government Center. He promised to continue to push for lower taxes, improved public education, public safety and responsive government.

The incumbent, a former real estate broker and mayor of Simi Valley, never mentioned the man expected to be his main opponent, Michael Case, a Democrat and prominent Ventura lawyer who is president-elect of the county bar association but a first-time candidate for political office.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Case was turning in the last of the 3,000 voter signatures that are required to become a candidate without paying a filing fee.

Case said getting on the ballot by petition is just one way he is reaching out to the public, and asserted that his outreach efforts in a district that has a plurality of Democratic voters has forced Gallegly to court the public more actively than he has in years.

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“This race is very different for him” than every other race since his election in 1986, Case said. “Among other things, he’s been going to a lot of public events he’s never gone to before. I think he sees this race as a tough one.”

Gallegly dismissed Case’s analysis, saying, “We have historically proven we have always run our campaigns on a grass-roots level.”

Case gained attention as a serious contender earlier this month when six Republicans who are farmers--a group traditionally behind Gallegly--said they would break ranks in next year’s race and favor Case, the son of a farmer, over Gallegly.

Among their reasons, the group cited dissatisfaction with Gallegly’s support of certain trade and labor policies they said hurt farmers locally. For example, Gallegly has opposed extending normal trade relations with China.

At the same time, Gallegly has retained the support of many long-time farmers, and has largely written off Case’s coup as a political stunt, noting that one of the six farmers was a former law partner of Case’s.

“Talk to some of the real farmers, not the ones who are his former law partners,” Gallegly said. “Sure, it’s disappointing, I’d prefer to have 100% of the Republican vote, and I’m optimistic some of these folks will support me in the end. But take a look at the folks who have supported us who are lifelong Democrats.”

To date, Gallegly has raised more than four times as much as Case--more than $900,000 compared with just under $200,000. Case intends to reach the $250,000 mark by year’s end, and says he doesn’t want to spend more than $1 million altogether on the race.

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Gallegly also is likely to face a GOP primary challenge, from former Playboy Playmate Patricia McClain.

The 23rd Congressional District includes all of Ventura County, except for most of Thousand Oaks.