Costly Race May Embroil 35th District

As local candidates filed fund-raising declarations Tuesday, actor Chris Mitchum said he will very likely challenge Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson for the 35th District seat next fall, prompting a possible replay of a bitter race that cost nearly $2 million last year.

Republican Mitchum, 55, of Santa Barbara lost to Democrat Jackson, 49, a Ventura lawyer, by eight percentage points in one of the state’s most expensive legislative contests.

But Mitchum, son of late actor Robert Mitchum, said he believes he can raise even more money this time.

“If I could raise $996,000 in five months last time, I think given a year I’ll do just fine this time,” he said.

“I haven’t started fund-raising yet, but it looks extremely likely that I will run.”

Mitchum took out papers last week that allow him to avoid a filing fee if he collects enough voter signatures by the Dec. 10 filing deadline. He said he plans to gather those signatures personally to get a feel for his support.

Jackson reported raising $114,000 this year, including $34,000 during the three months ending Sept. 30. She has $84,000 available for next year’s campaign.

“I’m hoping it won’t be as expensive as last time,” Jackson said. “I have a record now, and I’m going to be running on it. Frankly, I’ve been putting all my energy into doing my job and not thinking about the next campaign.”

The 35th Assembly District includes Ventura, Santa Paula and Ojai and Santa Barbara County.

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In a Republican primary race to replace retiring state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), county Supervisor Judy Mikels reported contributions of $58,000 since June, but failed to trim the fund-raising lead of Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge), who collected nearly $80,000 during the same three months.

Mikels has raised $137,600 this year, including $50,000 in a loan from Simi Valley insurance broker Reginall Richardson, the husband of her aide Jacqueline Richardson.

Still, McClintock reported $267,000 in contributions so far in 1999, including an early $100,000 loan from Camarillo religious broadcaster Edward Atsinger III.

With a carry-over from his last campaign, McClintock has $291,000 in the bank, compared with $79,000 for Mikels.

Two-thirds of Wright’s 19th Senate District is in Ventura County, including Oxnard, Camarillo and the east county. It also includes portions of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.

Just one of three county supervisorial seats on the March primary ballot has drawn much activity.

In the race for the Ventura-based 1st District seat, farmland preservation activist Steve Bennett, a former Ventura councilman, reported $35,000 in the bank, including donations from unions representing county firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and deputy district attorneys.

Former Ventura Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures had raised $11,250, including a $10,000 loan from her family trust. Councilman Jim Monahan had an ending balance of about $2,000 after raising $12,000 during the reporting period.

The winner will replace retiring Supervisor Susan Lacey.

Kathy Long, supervisor in the Camarillo-based 3rd District, reported contributions of nearly $37,000 this year, and had an ending balance of about $20,000.

She has no declared opposition.

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Unopposed so far, Oxnard-based Supervisor John Flynn has raised only about $4,000.

But he has not faced a serious challenger since 1980.

Fund-raising in the 37th Assembly District race remained one-sided. Port Hueneme Councilman Jon Sharkey, a Democrat, reported an ending balance of $13,000 compared with $175,000 this year for Tony Strickland, a first-term Republican from Thousand Oaks.

Strickland, however, had only about $45,000 in the bank after paying off debts from his costly 1998 win over Roz McGrath.