Frank X. Moraga
Highlights of local races in the 805
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
When the Fox News anchor said something to the effects that we only have about a 1,000 days until the next Iowa caucus, I was pretty sure his co-anchor was ready to take him out, saying she (and the rest of America) needed some breathing space.
Campaign season version 2012 is finally over and I hope we can all take a break, cut out the partisan rhetoric and start finding some ways to work together to solve the nation’s pressing problems.
The growing Latino vote played a pivotal role in President Barack Obama’s victory in such swing states as Colorado and Nevada, and is playing a key role in the still too close to call Florida vote. It will continue to play an important role for years to come in a growing number of states, with political parties taking a big risk if fail to listen to this growing electorate.
Both victor President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney said it was time for sober reflection, time to put partisan politics aside and time to work together to tackle such issues as the national debt, reworking our tax system, protecting and improving medicare.
With a Congress that remains basically the same as the last two years, a Republican-dominated House and a Democratic-controlled Senate, it will take some serious work to avoid the gridlock of the last two years.
Here’s wishing for the best and bracing for the challenges. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the challengers for putting up the good fight. While politics can be messy, it is also an exciting and important part of American life and we owe a great debt to all those who of every party who have stepped up to the plate, taken the public stage and endured all the counter attacks to get their views across.
And thank you voters, from the inhabitants of the East Coast who are still recovering from the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy and still managed to cast their ballots, to everyone across the nation who voted no matter the physical and sometimes political challenges.
Job well done.
Checking on on local races
While the final election results are not in, many races in the 805 region have been decided, while others await the final tally.
Democrat Julia Brownley leads Republican Tony Strickland in the newly-created 26th Congressional District, which includes most of Ventura County.
As of about 2 a.m., the Ventura County Clerk and Recorder/Registrar of Voters reported in its unofficial results that Brownley clung to a narrow 51 percent lead compared to Strickland’s 48 percent margin.
Meanwhile, Democrat Lois Capps appears to be headed for an easy 62 percent to 37 percent victory in the 24th Congressional District over challenger Republican Abel Maldonado.
Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson was leading 56 percent vs. 43 percent over Republican Mike Stoker in the race for State Senate District 19; while Republican Todd Zink was leading Democrat Fran Pavley by a similar 56 percent vs. 43 percent margin in State Senate District 27.
In Assembly District 37, Democrat Das Williams was leading by a nearly 56 percent margin over Republican challenger Rob Walter, who had 44 percent of the vote.
In some of the city races, Tim Flynn leads his closest challenger, Carmen Ramirez by a 36 percent to 32 percent margin in the race for mayor of the city of Oxnard.
Meanwhile, Bryan MacDonald leads all challengers with nearly 20 percent of the vote for one of two seats on the Oxnard City Council, with Dick Jaquez currently holding the second position with 8.59 percent of the vote.
Incumbent Daniel Martinez holds 39 percent of the vote lead over his nearest challenger, Lawrence Stein, who has 34 percent of the vote in the race for the Oxnard City Clerk.
Sylvia Muñoz Schnopp is leading with 35 percent of the vote for one of two seats on the Port Hueneme City Council, with Douglass Breeze holding the second position with 32 percent of the vote.
The race of the Oxnard Harbor District’s two seats appears very close, with Manuel Lopez leading with 34 percent of the vote, Jess Ramirez with 32.55 percent of the vote and Arlene Fraser with 32.49 percent of the vote.
Regarding the state initiatives, Prop. 30, the education funding measure for K-12, community colleges and state universities, is leading by a 52 to 47 percent margin; with the competing Prop. 38 measure that would only fund K-12 education, losing by a 73 percent to 27 percent margin.
Prop. 32, which prohibits unions from using payroll-deducted funds for political purposes, is losing 56 percent vs. 44 percent.
Prop. 37, which supported genetically engineered food labeling, is losing by a 53 percent o 47 percent margin.
Click here for the latest elections results. Also, visit the top of the webpage for the Ventura County Star to check on local and statewide election results.
— Frank X. Moraga is editor/publisher of Amigos805. He has served as business editor, director of diversity and general manager of a bilingual publication at the Ventura County Star, and as a reporter in the community editions of the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Daily News.