Rivals stake claim in 27th State Senate race

David Pollock only candidate from Ventura County



David Pollock

David Pollock

An elected official with experience in city and school affairs, David Pollock of Moorpark promises to be an even-handed representative if elected to the state’s 27th Senate District in November.

Incumbent Sen. Fran Pavley is being termed out of office. The primary election is Tues., June 7.

Pollock, a 55-year-old Democrat, is the only contender from Ventura County, which comprises 33 percent of the registered voters in a district that includes Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley and western portions of Los Angeles County.

Pollock is a Moorpark City Council member and a former school board trustee with Moorpark Unified School District.

“I’ve been dealing with local government for 20 years and spent four years in Sacramento as an officer of the California School Boards Association, and I know that it’s important to have a good working relationship between the state and local agencies,” he said.

He puts a campaign focus on education, healthcare and the environment.

“Our priorities are not in order; we need to focus more on education and not on incarceration. We also need to focus more on healthcare, particularly mental health,” said Pollock, a member of the governing board for Simi Valley Hospital. He said people with behavioral issues need better access to preventive treatment.

California has done a commendable job of reducing carbon emissions under Pavley’s leadership, said Pollock, who serves on the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board. But he said the state still needs to lead the way on environmental stewardship for methane emissions. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas.

In 2012, Pollock started a business development consulting firm representing small- and medium-size companies. One of his largest clients specializes in putting solar panels in schools and other government institutions.

“That’s a big part of the answer. The sun’s there for the taking,” the candidate said.

On the campaign trail for more than a year, Pollock said he was disappointed he didn’t have Pavley’s endorsement but that he does have the support of many other notable local leaders.

In the crowded primary—six people are running, including five Democrats—everyone brings something different to the table and presents voters with real choices.

“I think that is healthy, and I think this race is wide open,” said Pollock, who served on the Moorpark school board for 14 years and was elected to the Moorpark City Council in 2009.

A supporter of the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources initiative, Pollock said it’s important to strike a balance between protecting open space and agricultural lands and promoting sustainable development within cities.

“Instead of allowing development to sprawl, we have to plan for denser developments in cities, which in turn promotes more active lifestyles because people are more likely to walk or bike to work and amenities,” he said.

Pollock is the father of two grown children. He and Diana Campos married in 2010.

Long before his career in public office, Pollock was known for his role as Rudi Stein in the 1976 film “ The Bad News Bears.” As a child actor, he appeared in commercials, television shows and movies.

A licensed commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, Pollock earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Money talks

As of early April, Pollock had raised more than $170,000 in campaign funding. He hopes to collect at least $300,000 by the end of May.

He supports a Ventura County transportation tax on the ballot. The county is the only one in Southern California that doesn’t have a half-cent sales tax to improve roads and public transit.

Regarding the mandatory $15 minimum wage, which the state will phase in through 2022, Pollock said people who are employed full time should be able to at least earn a living wage.

“It’s not right for a business to pay a substandard wage for somebody and have them need government assistance. We shouldn’t have people working full time living in poverty; that’s not right,” he said.


 

 

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