Tony Strickland carries GOP hopes in new 26th District

ELECTION 2012



GET OUT THE VOTE— Tony Strickland, the Republican candidate for the 26th Congressional District, campaigns with California Republican Party chair Thomas Del Beccoro in a Thousand Oaks neighborhood on Sat., Oct. 20.

GET OUT THE VOTE— Tony Strickland, the Republican candidate for the 26th Congressional District, campaigns with California Republican Party chair Thomas Del Beccoro in a Thousand Oaks neighborhood on Sat., Oct. 20.

While going door-to-door in a Thousand Oaks precinct last Saturday morning, congressional candidate Tony Strickland came upon a house displaying yard signs endorsing him and fellow Republicans in the 2012 election.

Although the home of Richard Hawley was not on his canvassing list for the day, Strickland decided to knock on the door anyway.

“I know they’re voting for me,” Strickland told his cadre of volunteers, who were campaigning with the state senator on the Oct. 20 outing. “I’m just going to go up and thank them.”

When Hawley answered the door, Strickland dutifully shook his hand. “I already voted for you,” Hawley said, explaining that he had sent his ballot in the mail.

Strickland said he was “honored” to have the man’s vote.

Strickland is running against Democratic state Assemblywoman Julia Brownley for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 6. The race in Ventura County’s 26th Congressional District, regarded by political pundits as a virtual toss-up, has captured national attention since before the June 5 primary.

Prior to redistricting, Ventura County had been a GOP stronghold for 13 terms under U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, who announced earlier this year that he would retire at the end of his current term.

The newly drawn 26th District, which includes Oak Park and most of Ventura County and Westlake Village in Los Angeles County, has no incumbent and shows 31 percent registered Democrats and 25 percent registered Republicans.

The GOP considers the local contest to be one of the top 10 most important races in the nation when it comes to maintaining balance in Congress, said Thomas Del Beccaro, chairman of the California Republican Party.

“That’s why I’m here,” said Del Beccaro, who walked the precincts with Strickland and four of his interns last weekend. “I live up near Walnut Creek (in Northern California), but I came down this weekend to help out here.”

With less than two weeks until the election, Strickland said he feels he’s in a “good position.”

His interns and volunteers have been canvassing throughout the 26th District since March. And on Saturday, he joined about 60 of his supporters to walk neighborhoods in the Conejo Valley and Moorpark.

“I still believe in retail politics,” the state senator said. “There’s a lot of mudslinging going back and forth on the radio and TV. But what wins a campaign is meeting voters eye to eye and asking for their vote. And I’ll match up the hearts of these volunteers with anybody.”

Young supporters

The group of canvassers met at 9 a.m. at SoCal Self Storage in Westlake. In recent months, an upstairs office there has served as headquarters for Todd Zink, who’s running for the 27th state Senate District.

Last weekend’s walks repreyears. sented a combined campaign effort for Strickland, Zink and Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, a Republican who is running for reelection in the 44th Assembly District.

Most of Saturday’s volunteers were under the age of 30, including 20-year-old Savanna Olsen of Ventura and her 17-year-old sister, Margo.

“I believe (Strickland’s) a really strong candidate and I think he represents Ventura County as a whole, no matter which part you live in,” said Olsen, a student at Moorpark College. “He supports the values I would want a congressman to hold in office.”

Despite not being old enough to vote, Olsen’s younger sister said she’s walked the precincts twice in the current campaign.

“I support Tony because one, he cares so much about the county, and two, he’s been with the county for so long now that he knows a lot about it,” Margo said. “He personally talks to a lot of people who have concerns in this election. And he supports education.”

“I think it’s good,” her sister added. “(Canvassing) gets you involved, informed—something that you don’t see a lot of kids doing.”

Andrew Desser, 23, of Ventura was hired in May as one of Strickland’s regional political directors. He was one of the four interns who walked alongside the candidate in Thousand Oaks.

He said he met Strickland when the state senator spoke at one of his political science classes at Loyola Marymount University.

“I like Tony personally, to begin with,” the recent college graduate said. “I really agree with him, and the fact that he’s actually from Ventura County is important.”

Christina Atchley, 21, of Ojai is another young Strickland volunteer.

Atchley said she took a leave of absence from her senior year at Boston University to work on the campaign.

“My BU professors, knowing this is the race it is, told me, ‘You have to take this opportunity,’” Atchley said. “It’s my senior year, but we’re such a family—such a team effort here—that I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. Because it’s Tony we’re helping, because it’s this specific campaign made of these specific people, I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”

Strickland said having so many young supporters is “humbling.”

“It’s inspiring that there are so many people that still care about our community, that are willing to take time out of their day, knowing they could be doing anything—going to Venice Beach or the movies—but instead they’re out here because they care deeply about the future of this county and this community,” he said.


ALL EARS—Raja Harding of North Hollywood, left, talks with Tony Strickland, Republican candidate for the 26th Congressional District, and Todd Zink, Republican candidate for the 27th State Senate District, during a meeting at Zink headquarters in Thousand Oaks on Sat., Oct. 20.

ALL EARS—Raja Harding of North Hollywood, left, talks with Tony Strickland, Republican candidate for the 26th Congressional District, and Todd Zink, Republican candidate for the 27th State Senate District, during a meeting at Zink headquarters in Thousand Oaks on Sat., Oct. 20.

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