In the campaign to win the nomination for CA State Assembly District 37 ( Currently Republican Audra Strickland ) the contest is between Ferial Masry and David Hare. At first I thought Name ID from past elections ( Ferial Masry ran against Audra Strickland in 2004 and 2006) would be enough to carry Ferial Masry to victory but with the recent campaigning by David Hare I am not so sure.
I don't see a serious plan yet by David Hare to defeat Audra Strickland but I look forward to watching his campaign share more about his goals and values.
I think Ferial Masry has been great for American democracy. I do know that her chances of defeating Audra Strickland are very small but I support her because of stories like this and this that show our values to a worldwide audience. She has worked on projects for Karen Hughes and Condi Rice to share the ideals behind the American promise with the world.
I do think it funny that Ferial Masry is attacked by the far right because of her background but the best would be to know the reaction of a religious fundamentalist ( of any creed or denomination) to know a Saudi born Muslim woman not only has equal rights in America but that she is running for a powerful position against a woman!
If she wins the nomination again will Ferial Masry generate another set of media stories about our nation around the world or has the news getting attention worn off of this story? I haven't seen anything to show that her campaign this time would do much better than before against Audra Strickland.
I want to see what David Hare can do to be more compelling then Ferial Masry's biography. Can he make a convincing argument that he can beat Audra Strickland? Does he have a great plan to organize local Democrats? Was David Hare at the recent press conference to protest the governor's budget? Is David Hare running to up his name ID for when this is an open seat or does he really think he can beat an incumbent?
Looking at his website and his press release it is clear that David Hare is specific on important issues including eminent domain abuse and environmental protections. For a new candidate he is running a real professional campaign and getting a great start.
If you click on continue reading there is an extensive press release that shows some of his plans, priorities, and his backers.
In this campaign what is the criteria you will use to make up your mind, or have you already?
37th Assembly District candidate David Hare pictured above with California State Senator Alex Padilla and Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes.
HARE CAMPAIGNS AGGRESSIVELY ON KEY ISSUES
37th Assembly District Candidate David Hare is aggressively campaigning to help protect homeowners from unfair eminent domain, and supporting mobile homeowners to receive fair and equitable treatment on conversions.
First time candidate David Hare has come out of the gate at full tilt in his quest to unseat Republican Audra Strickland. David Hare opened his campaign on an aggressive note by quickly opposing proposition 98, which if passed would allow cities and counties to unfairly and without cause, take homeowners properties without legal justification.
David Hare said "People spend a lifetime building their homes and government doesn't have the right to take it from them simply for a higher tax base."
Proposition 98 is a deceptive measure that a group of wealthy landlords placed on California's June 3, 2008 ballot. These landlords want you to believe the measure is only about ‘eminent domain', but Prop. 98 is full of hidden provisions that would hurt Californians. A broad coalition of groups including AARP, California Chamber of Commerce, League of Women Voters of California, California Police Chiefs Association, Association of California Water Agencies, National Wildlife Federation, and hundreds of other organizations who don't normally agree on the issues - all OPPOSE Prop. 98
Hare has been up and down the State meeting with local elected officials, homeowners, and homeowner associations to get their input on defeating Prop 98.
David Hare said that "Proposition 98 could also stop future water projects, destroy local land-use planning, erode environmental protections and lead to higher taxpayer costs."
In addition, candidate David Hare also strongly supports SB900 authored by Senator Ellen Corbett-D, a bill that protects Senior Citizens and residents on fixed incomes from unfair mobile home conversions by mega-investors, who aren't concerned about the residents of the park, but simply about land speculation.
Hare said "I believe that people living in mobile home parks that have invested their life savings into their home have the same rights as all homeowners. SB900 gives those mobile home owners a fair and reasonable way of controlling their own destiny."
The Hare campaign has created a lot of excitement as the candidate has knocked on hundreds of doors already, talking to voters, and has made numerous appearances at Democratic clubs and other community groups.
"I can't believe the amount of support I'm getting throughout the district. They are inspired by the fact that a Democratic candidate is knocking on their doors, running an aggressive campaign, and taking positions on important issues."
The Hare campaign has been getting numerous endorsements from key Democrats throughout the district, and has been extremely successful in raising money.
"With just a few weeks until the Primary, I will be spending all my time and energy meeting with the voters and letting them know where I stand on key issues. I think most people in the 37AD want a Representative that will fight for their needs."
Looks like Democrats have a real contested primary. Why would David Hare run unless he thought he had a chance in the general election?
Because the stars & planets are lined up in such a way as to support Dem candidates like no other time in the past 58 years??
Oh, give it a rest, GS. Stars & planets don't win elections. Campaigning and hard work do!
Then how do explain Gallegly's & Strickland's success? Certainly not campaigning and hard work! (:You held it out there like a balloon daring to be popped, Mongo :)
Mongo is right: Republican candidates can still have a chance!
One thing is needed to provide that opportunity: if a candidate can successfully show that in the last seven years he or she has not supported the policies of George W. Bush and the Republican dominated legislature that rubber stamped his foolish dictates. Otherwise, the wrath of the voters will fall on the sorry bunch of stooges whose campaigns are bought and paid for by right wing ideologues, theocrats and robber barons that control them and have landed the nation in the sorry situation in which it now finds itself at home and abroad.
Yeah, that's what it will take. "Good luck and remember we're all counting on you!"
All I have to say at this point is I was thrilled to see Hillary win in Pennsylvania. It guarantees that the Democrat Party presidential campaign will continue. The mud will continue to fly, dirt will continue to be dug up about each of them, and if you think you've seen "mean and nasty" from Hillary, folks, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Meanwhile, John McCain continues to look more and more presidential, apeaking knowledgeably about foreign policy issues, traveling abroad and meeting with world leaders, and basking in the calm adulation he's receiving from his fellow Republicans.
I, for one, am going to enjoy the McCain presidency. The Democrats have once again figured out how to lose it. Thanks so much, guys.
Anyone know if Mr. Hare plans to be at the Simi Valley Street Fair?
Post an answer if you know.
It looks like the street fair is going to have many candidates this year. If you have access to the list please email it to me. I won't use your name.
Let’s look at the numbers from the Secretary of State’s website.
2004 Registration
Republican: 45.09%
Democrat: 34.26%
DTS: 16.10%
Green: .78%
In 2004, Ferial Masry took 41.1% of the vote, which means if you assume she took every single Democratic vote, she took 6.84% more than her base, which means she pulled in some from DTS and other parties.
In 2004, Audra Strickland took 55.1% of the vote, which means if you assume she took every single Republican vote, she took 10.01% more than her base, which means she pulled in even more than Ferial from the DTS & other parties.
Also running in 2004 was Adrienne Prince, a Green candidate, who took 3.02% of the vote, which means she took 3.02% more than her base, even though she had basically pulled out of the race months earlier and thrown her support behind Ferial.
Now let’s move on to 2006.
2006 Registration
Republican: 44.05% (down over 1% from 2004)
Democrat: 34.68% (up just over ½% from 2006)
DTS: 17.39% (up over 1% from 2004)
In 2006, Ferial Masry took 42.6% of the vote, which means she took 7.92% more than her base, just about 1% more than she did in 2004.
In 2006, Audra Strickland took 57.4% of the vote, which means she took 13.35% more than her base, up over 3% more from 2004.
There was no Green or other 3rd party candidate running in 2006. So one would assume that the 3% that voted for the Green in 2004 would have gone over to Ferial, and even without the increase in Democratic registration, and decline in Republican registration, she should have pulled at least 44-45% of the vote. So if you factor in that there was no 3rd party candidate in the 2006 race, Ferial actually did a little worse than she did in 2004.
The facts don’t support a reason to believe that Ferial will fare any better in another rematch with Audra.
Does David Hare have any Republican backers we would know or anything to point to in an effort to show he can reach out to moderates?
David Hare works with all the local agricultural people, who tend to be Republican, so I'd say that he has significant inroads to getting Republican backers and moderates.
It is 2008, Brian, and there are many things that argues for a change.
Polling indicates that voters - including local ones - are looking for new choices in candidates and new directions in problem solving. The same old candidates and slogans (all parties) from 2004 and 2006 have no one excited - except maybe the candidates themselves and their inner circles.
Since VCRCC is a club with a "members only" sign on the door that insures all alternatives will be kept out, it will be up to the Dems and Hare to provide that alternative - if he works at it harder than his competition before the primary. If that is done effectively and continues until election day, Hare - as the alternative to the status quo - could win.
Does anyone know if there are any scheduled debates between the two candidates?
There is a Democratic candidates forum sponsored by the Democratic Club of Camarillo on Thursday, May 1, that will feature the 37AD candidates David Hare and Ferial Masry, 24CD candidates Jill Martinez and Mary Pallant, and Supervisorial District 3 candidates Socorro Lopez Hanson and Kathy Long.
Sign in starts at 6:30pm, the program starts promptly at 7pm. Free and open to the public.
Orchid Building, UFCW Hall
816 Camarillo Springs Road
Camarillo
Contact President Jack Phillips at 805-504-3749 for further information.
I've seen Ferial Masry at a couple of events, but David Hare is an unknown to me. If he is running a real compaign, he will have to get out of the house.
I've seen David Hare at a lot of events and it's become a running joke in the Democratic Party that Ferial doesn't show up most of the time, or if she does, she just talks about her book that has supposedly going to be published every year for the past 3 years.
At the Camarillo debate forum last night I heard that David Hare was great and Ferial as usual was babbling on, no one can understand her half the time, not answering direct questions about issues, and ended up crying at the end of the debate. For someone who has run two campaigns, it sounds like she has learned nothing and continues to be a losing candidate.
If he is really running to win he will be at The Simi Valley Street Fair.