Contest to Replace Jackson Is a Tossup

With two weeks to go before election day, candidates vying to represent a key stretch of coastal California are hitting the street in a battle for every vote.

While out talking to voters, Democrat Pedro Nava and Republican Bob Pohl are essentially making the same pitch: Each believes he is best qualified to confront issues facing the 35th Assembly District, which straddles Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The Santa Barbara residents are competing for an open seat in a district considered by some strategists to be up for grabs.

Nava met with students this week at UC Santa Barbara, talking up his environmental credentials.

“I have eight years of statewide experience on coastal matters,” said Nava, 56, a former prosecutor and current member of the California Coastal Commission. “I led the fight to prohibit offshore drilling, and I led the fight to preserve access to our beaches. No other candidate in this race can say that.”

The same day, Pohl was going door-to-door in Oxnard, targeting Democrats and undecided voters. Touting his educational experience, he was working to overcome the Democrats’ 12-percentage-point advantage in registered voters in the district.

“I’ve been a schoolteacher and a principal, and I’ve done a lot of work with under-performing schools,” the 55-year-old educational consultant said at one stop. “I want to give all people in California a fair chance, and I hope I can earn your support.”

Considered one of the most competitive statewide contests, the Assembly race has drawn significant attention from both parties.

The district’s boundaries were redrawn in 2001, boosting Democratic registration. It now includes the Ventura County cities of Oxnard and Ventura and roughly half of Santa Barbara County.

But with Democratic Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson leaving office because of term limits and two strong candidates competing for the job, the seat is by no means considered safe for a Democrat.

Strategists point out that registered Democrats turn out much less frequently than Republicans. And they note that the district voted heavily Republican in last year’s recall election, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) together garnering 61% of the vote.

Nava and Pohl bring strong resumes and support to the contest. Each has amassed more than $400,000 in contributions and they both expect to raise more as the parties step up support as the election nears.

While the district will probably back Sen. John F. Kerry for president, some give Pohl a good chance if he can persuade enough people to stray from the Democratic party ticket.

“That is going to be one of the true battleground races in the state,” said Allan Hoffenblum, a GOP consultant who publishes the California Target Book, which tracks political races.

Added Democratic consultant Darry Sragow, “It is a district that we look at as one we should win but that we can’t take for granted.”

In some ways, Nava feels as if he has been preparing for this contest all of his life.

Born in Monterey, Mexico, he came to this country as an infant, settling with his family in an industrial pocket of the Inland Empire.

The son of a laborer, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal State San Bernardino and a law degree from UC Davis before becoming a prosecutor in Fresno County.

He moved to Santa Barbara in 1985 to join the district attorney’s office and went into private practice two years later.

Nava has performed a range of public and community service work. He served on the board of a rape crisis center in Fresno and was president of the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

He was appointed to the California Coastal Commission in 1997, earning a reputation as one of the toughest enforcers of coastal-protection laws.

“What I learned from my parents is that if you were given the opportunity, and you had the skills and talents, you had an obligation to help,” Nava said. “I think the voters should take a look at who has stood up and spoken out about the issues.”

Nava’s supporters say the candidate’s record has helped him win endorsements from many groups, including nurses, teachers and firefighters.

“Pedro has a very substantial record of accomplishment,” Jackson said. “He’s a well-rounded candidate, he’s bright, he’s hard-working, and I think he will do an excellent job representing the values of the 35th District.”

Even with a voter-registration edge heavily favoring a Democrat, Nava said he is not resting easy.

“I think this district has traditionally been seen as having many independent voters,” he said. “As a candidate, you don’t take any vote for granted. You’ve got to go out, meet people and present your case. I’m going to battle this all the way to Nov. 2.”

Pohl considers this race unfinished business. He was the GOP candidate for the seat two years ago, when he was forced to drop out after being diagnosed with cancer. Now cancer-free, he’s walking precincts several days a week in his uphill battle to represent people in the coastal, left-leaning district.

“One of the byproducts of going through what I went through is that you really learn to cherish every day and make careful decisions about how you use your time,” Pohl said. “I think this is a very worthy occupation. You truly have an opportunity to make a long-term impact.”

A California native, Pohl earned a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame University, a master’s from USC and a doctorate in education from Boston University.

After college, he taught at an all-black school in rural Mississippi and in East Los Angeles. He became a school principal at age 27 in San Francisco.

He moved to Santa Barbara a decade ago, becoming a consultant for under-performing schools. He served on the school board from 1996 to 2000.

Supporters say Pohl would bring a breadth of experience to Sacramento and a unique ability to work across party lines.

“California needs independent people of experience, not party people, not ideologues, but people of real judgment,” said former Assemblyman and Santa Barbara County Supervisor-elect Brooks Firestone. “Bob has real independence and substance and would be good for California.”

In fact, to bridge the voter-registration gap, Pohl said he has been stressing views that separate him from other GOP candidates, including his support for abortion rights.

“I think what’s most important to people in this district is whether the person they elect can really deliver,” he said. “I’m taking my message right to the street, and I intend to win it there.”