Flynn Logs 7-Day Weeks in Bid to Top 2 Challengers

There is a reason Supervisor John Flynn hasn’t lost an election in 20 years.

On a day when both his challengers in the March primary are busy with other business, a day threatening rain and quickly losing light, the 67-year-old incumbent is knocking on doors in a blue-collar neighborhood where the houses are guarded by iron bars and snarling watchdogs.

Stopping at every home where votes are up for grabs, he urges residents to call him or visit his south Oxnard office if they are having problems with county government.

He tells Catholics he has the support of a church bishop and shifts into Spanish--a language he learned so he could better communicate with constituents--whenever he finds non-English speakers at home.

He has been at it seven days a week since July, a pace he hopes will deliver him to 15,000 doorsteps by the March 7 primary.

“They may have some way of beating me, but they can’t outwork me,” Flynn said of his challengers for the Oxnard-area seat. “I’m faster than they are and I’ve got a better read on the voters.”

His challengers don’t see it that way.

Oxnard School District trustee Francisco Dominguez is making his first run for county office, spurred by what he perceives as a lack of leadership on the board.

And Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Arlene Fraser is challenging Flynn for the third time, emboldened by her 1996 showing, where she pulled 23% of the vote.

Both challengers believe the six-term supervisor is vulnerable this time around, having been dogged in recent months by a series of image-tarnishing scandals that have plagued county government.

Flynn was the swing vote in 1998 on the decision to merge the county’s mental health and welfare agencies. That move indirectly uncovered a Medicare billing fiasco that resulted in millions of dollars in fines and penalties and is largely to blame for a midyear budget deficit.

More recently, Flynn’s leadership was called into question after the resignation of chief administrator David Baker. Baker bolted after only four days on the job, leaving behind a laundry list of complaints on the way county leaders manage their money and conduct other business.

Dominguez, 38, jumped into the race on the last day to file. He has been steadily building a war chest and a base of supporters, wooing voters by going door-to-door and hosting a series of meet-the-candidate socials.

He knows he has a lot of ground to make up against an incumbent who never stops campaigning, even though he hasn’t faced a serious challenge in two decades.

But Dominguez says he is up to the challenge.

“It’s time for new leadership and I believe there’s a sentiment that exists within the electorate that now is a good time for change,” said Dominguez, executive director of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, a Latino advocacy group.

“My goal is to win it March 7,” he said. “This is the time, this is the place, and change is going to happen.”

Fraser, a 53-year-old Silver Strand resident, also believes change is needed in the 5th District.

She initially ran against Flynn in 1992 because she believed the incumbent should not get into office unopposed.

But Fraser said she has been watching from the sidelines since then, studying how county government operates and bristling at decisions that have pushed the county into debt.

This time, Fraser said, her commitment to winning is the strongest it has ever been.

“I think [Flynn] has lost his effectiveness,” Fraser said. “I believe it’s time for a change.”

One way or another, change is coming to the 5th District.

Win or lose, Flynn says this will be his last race, setting up a change in leadership four years from now at the latest in a district redrawn nearly a decade ago to give Latinos a stronger political voice.

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All the candidates, however, downplay the Latino issue, choosing instead to focus on who would best be able to represent the community as a whole.

Hank Lacayo, chairman of the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee, said he believes Flynn will again be tough to beat.

Not only has he out-raised his challengers by more than 3 to 1, the venerable politician possesses key endorsements in the 5th District contest and a track record that usually translates into solid support at the ballot box.

Still, in a competitive field and with strong voter discontent, Lacayo said anything can happen.

All either candidate would have to do is prevent Flynn from getting more than 50% of the vote in the March primary to force a runoff election in November.

“It’s possible, but not very likely,” Lacayo said. “The bottom line is John Flynn has been a pretty good supervisor. No one runs harder or has a better grasp on the issues.”

Flynn Recalls Sting of 1976 Defeat

There is a reason John Flynn runs so hard.

The former junior high school history teacher remembers the dark days after his last defeat in 1976 to Thomas Laubacher Sr., whom he had beaten four years earlier to capture the seat the first time.

Flynn lost by 400 votes. The sting of defeat was hard to shake.

“It’s a matter of rejection,” he said. “At the time, all of my children were young and I wanted to set an example for them. I wanted to show them that you don’t give up.”

Flynn regained the seat in 1980, defeating Port Hueneme Mayor Dorill Wright by 1,650 votes. He hasn’t had a close race since, a string of victories he attributes to the way he looks out for his district.

He is a throwback to old-time politics, an affable Irishman who kisses babies, shuttles sick constituents to the doctor and sees to it that potholes are filled and stop signs installed.

He moved his office in 1997 from the County Government Center in Ventura to a south Oxnard bank building to make it easier for people to reach him.

“He has a deep following among the non-Latino community, the Latino community, the Filipino community,” said state Senate candidate Daniel Gonzalez, a Simi Valley lawyer and president of the Ventura County Mexican-American Bar Assn. “He’s done a lot of work for them, and they have a deep love for him.”

Flynn said he has been knocking on doors since July and plans to raise $50,000 to spend on signs, mailers and brochures.

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He touts his vast political experience, highlighting his role in shielding local military bases from closure, leading the fight to stop seawater intrusion into drinking water basins and building a community gymnasium in El Rio.

For the next four years, Flynn said he wants to restore fiscal health to the county budget, work to preserve farmland, resolve pollution problems at area beaches, develop a plan to revitalize Channel Islands Harbor and lure high-tech industries to boost economic development and job opportunities.

“You do have to earn your stripes in this system,” Flynn said, “and I think I’ve earned mine.”

Some of Flynn’s detractors argue otherwise.

Not only are they concerned about Flynn’s role in the problems that have plagued county government, they question his ability to get along with other board members to solve the problems at hand.

“It seems to be a situation where John pretty much makes up his mind and listens to nobody,” said Silver Strand resident Jean Rountree, who has tangled with Flynn over several issues concerning her unincorporated community. “I think he’s become arrogant and unresponsive.”

Flynn admits he has made some mistakes along the way, such as his support for the failed health care merger. But he insists other criticism, including David Baker’s assessment of the way the board does business, is off base.

The bottom line, Flynn said, is that he is a leader who is not afraid to chart his own course, no matter how unpopular. And more often than not, he said, that kind of independent thinking has been good for his district and for the county as a whole.

“I think that through my 24 years of service I have proven myself to be a trustworthy, able leader who has solved some of the county’s most complex problems,” he said. “You just don’t throw that kind of experience away.”

Dominguez Entered Race in Eleventh Hour

With exactly three weeks to go until election day, Francisco Dominguez was making up for lost time.

Because Dominguez waited until the eleventh hour to challenge Flynn, he hasn’t had as much time to raise money or get his message out.

That is why he was recently at Hollywood Beach, where two dozen residents gathered to hear his pitch.

Given county government’s financial troubles, Dominguez told the beach-area residents that supervisors should turn the chief administrative post into that of a more powerful county executive, with greater control over department heads and budgets.

He said some elected positions within county government, such as auditor-controller, should become appointed positions to put more oversight directly in the hands of the Board of Supervisors.

And he said the current culture of county government--where department heads make end runs around the chief administrator to pitch projects directly to supervisors--must be eliminated.

“We need to begin to restructure the county government system, and I say let’s start right at the top with a new supervisor,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said if elected he would work to build a more cohesive relationship with other board members, ensure fiscal stability and push an economic development platform that includes revitalization of Channel Islands Harbor.

It is a message that has plenty of resonance with voters.

“I think he’s really in tune with the community,” said Rio School District Supt. Yolanda Benitez, who initially endorsed Flynn but threw her support to Dominguez when he entered the race.

“I’ve been concerned with the things happening in county government,” she said. “If this isn’t a good time to challenge the incumbents, I don’t know when is.”

Like Flynn, Dominguez has been dogged by negative issues during the campaign.

Flynn has questioned Dominguez’s stewardship of El Concilio, saying there have been times when the nonprofit agency has run in the red and failed to meet payroll.

Dominguez also stumbled recently when it was revealed he had not received a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State, despite statements that he earned one from the university in 1984. Dominguez learned he had not completed the necessary paperwork to complete his degree, but traveled to San Jose recently to do so.

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He also has generated his share of detractors during his four years on the Oxnard school board, especially regarding the controversial issue of where to build new schools.

“I’ve been very disappointed with him on the school board,” former Oxnard Mayor Jane Tolmach said. “He has just not responded to the needs. He is a nice, pleasant person, but he hasn’t worked hard enough on the issues.”

Dominguez said he is proud of his work at El Concilio and on the school board.

While it’s true that El Concilio has had some cash-flow problems, he said that is the nature of nonprofit organizations and that the agency is now in sound fiscal shape. And he said the Oxnard school district maintains healthy reserves, having never incurred the type of financial problems that have plagued county government recently.

But Dominguez says the election really isn’t about any of those things. It’s about whether people are satisfied with the direction the county is headed, he says.

“I believe now is the time for change, now is the time to bring accountability to the county government system,” he said. “I think the message should be, ‘Thank you, Mr. Flynn, for your service, but it’s time for new leadership.’ ”

Fraser First Ran Against Flynn in 1992

Arlene Fraser couldn’t agree more. She just hopes voters will see her candidacy as the best alternative to Flynn.

She says she has solid experience in county government, having worked for the county recorder’s office and the county Public Works Agency from 1979 to 1984 and served on the grand jury in 1993.

Fraser first ran for the board in 1992 simply because she believed Flynn shouldn’t run unopposed.

But she has since sharpened her focus, having grown discontent with the way county government operates and eager to make things better.

With her background as a county employee and her continued involvement with the business community and the schools, Fraser said she would bring a well-rounded perspective to county government that would benefit all aspects of the community.

“I think there’s room for improvement,” Fraser said. “I feel that with my background and determination to look at things from a financial and organization-management standpoint, I can bring some new ideas and new ways of doing things.”

Her supporters say it’s a shame more people don’t know how involved Fraser is in community activities or how hard she is willing to work.

Electing Fraser would give the Oxnard area a representative who is still in touch with the ordinary people in the community, 44-year Oxnard resident Louis Hanks said.

“Once she takes something on, she won’t let go until it’s finished,” Hanks said. “I think she impresses everybody she meets. She just needs to get around more.”

Fraser said she has been trying to do exactly that.

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She said she has stepped up her campaigning this year, going door-to-door and meeting with voters wherever she can find them. She is now involved in her most serious fund-raising effort.

She also has worked hard to fill the gaps in her knowledge of county government, honing her stance on key county issues.

Fraser advocates going to a three-year budget to give county officials a better handle on spending and long-range needs. She also favors moving from an elected auditor-controller to an appointed position to ensure more fiscal oversight by the Board of Supervisors.

She said she would also work to preserve farmland, revitalize Channel Islands Harbor and ensure the county’s airports remain open and strong.

Fraser knows she is facing an uphill battle. But overcoming adversity is something she said she learned as the oldest child of a Kauai pineapple farmer who lost his business when a cannery closed, and as a 10-year college student who worked as a maid to support her education.

“I feel that I have the character to stand up and be heard, to make a difference,” she said. “I believe it’s possible [to win], otherwise I wouldn’t have put my name on the ballot.”

5th District Supervisor

The district has 50,000 registered voters in Oxnard, El Rio, Nyeland Acres and the beach communities of Silver Strand, Hollywood Beach and Hollywood-by-the-Sea.

Francisco Dominguez

Age: 38

Residence: Oxnard

Occupation: Executive director of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, a Latino advocacy organization

Education: Completed classes for a bachelor’s degree in political science, San Jose State University

Background: Trustee with the Oxnard Elementary School District since 1996. Worked with the Mexican-American Community Service Agency from 1984-86, then as a staff member for Assemblyman John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose) from 1986-89. Served four years on the Franklin McKinley School District in San Jose. Returned to Oxnard in 1989, working for the National Assn. of Latino Elected Officials and the Job Training Policy Council before becoming El Concilio’s executive director.

Issues: He wants to stabilize the county budget, turn the chief administrative post into that of a more powerful county executive, and convert some elected positions within county government, such as auditor-controller, to appointed posts. He said he would work to build a more cohesive relationship with other board members and push an economic development platform that includes revitalization of Channel Islands Harbor.

Personal: Married 13 years to Theresa Dominguez. Two children, ages 10 and 6.

John K. Flynn

Age: 67

Residence: Oxnard

Occupation: Full-time member of the Board of Supervisors

Education: Bachelor’s degree in social sciences from UC Santa Barbara; master’s degree in American history from Cal State Northridge

Background: A former junior high school history teacher, Flynn was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1972. After narrowly losing reelection in 1976, he recaptured his seat in 1980 and has held it ever since. Flynn has served on a number of organizations, including the board of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura, a Latino advocacy group, and the committee to shield local military bases from closure.

Issues: Although he intends this to be his last term in office, Flynn said there are plenty of projects he wants to complete, including development of a revitalization plan for Channel Islands Harbor. He said he also wants to restore fiscal health to the county budget, preserve farmland, resolve pollution problems at area beaches and lure high-tech industries to boost economic development and improve job opportunities.

Personal: Married 41 years to Diane Flynn. Six adult children.

Arlene Fraser

Age: 53

Residence: Silver Strand Beach

Occupation: Executive director, Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce

Education: Bachelor’s degree in special education from San Jose State University

Background: After moving to Ventura County in 1979, Fraser worked for the county as a microfilm technician for the recorder’s office and as an engineering technician for the Public Works Agency. She served on the Ventura County Grand Jury in 1993, and has been a volunteer and fund-raiser. She ran unsuccessfully for county supervisor in 1992 and 1996.

Issues: Fraser advocates using a three-year budget to give county officials more control over spending and long-range needs. She favors moving from an elected auditor-controller to an appointed position to ensure better fiscal oversight. Fraser says she would work to turn the chief administrative post into that of a county executive, revitalize Channel Islands Harbor and ensure the county’s airports remain open and strong.

Personal: Married since 1984 to Thomas Fraser. One child from a previous marriage.