Even though the primary to replace State Assembly Member Audra Strickland doesn't happen until June 2010 Jeff Gorell so far has been able to clear the field by raising money, getting endorsements, and putting a campaign team in place.
He has been sending out email for months. For the most current email click on continue reading.
In his recent email he is touting the endorsement of State Assembly Member Audra Strickland, who has opened a fundraising account to run for Secretary of State, an other Republican leaders.
(Side note: Audra Strickland's Chief of Staff has a trial set for later this month related to charges he pushed people outside a fundraiser for Senator Tony Strickland.)
He also is promising to run a transparent race without tricks to hide the sources of money funding his campaign. In the beginning this is easy for politicians but as a campaign raises more and more money it becomes increasingly challenging to hold true to a commitment to be transparent. I will be following Jeff Gorell's campaign to hold him to ideals.
Jeff Gorell, will you accept direct contributions from tobacco companies?
I know that you will be given donations from people that accept money from tobacco companies, like Hannah-Beth Jackson did in her state senate campaign, but it should be easy to announce you will not solicit or accept direct contributions from tobacco companies or their lobbyists.
Let me know and I will post your response.
I was invited to speak to Jeff Gorell's graduate level advocacy class at California Lutheran University (CLU) in Thousand Oaks and I know Jeff is a talented candidate with a background ( prosecutor, military member, business owner) that will make him a formidable opponent even if Democrats recruit a great candidate.
The best chance Democrats have is to tag him as a lobbyist and repeat it over and over. But with his service as a member of the military and as a former prosecutor the battle might be over message repetition.
With the close results in the last campaign for the 37th assembly seat, even though Democrats didn't put serious money in until very late, plus redistricting coming up this very well could be a true contest.
But that's if Democrats find a strong candidate.
Now, a barely related question: How come Republicans seem to always use Assemblyman and Assemblywoman but Democrats use the easier to use Assembly Member?
Seems like firemen are now firefighters and policemen are now police officers. Why is the Republican caucus behind the times?
Click here for Jeff Gorell's website.
Click here for past entries on the campaign to replace Assemblymember Strickland.
Here is his campaign's email:
Republican Legislative Leaders Unite to Support Jeff's CampaignRepublican Legislative leaders will be gathering to host a reception for Jeff Gorell in Sacramento on February 10th at the headquarters of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association to showcase early and strong support for Jeff's Assembly campaign.
Hosting the event are Republican Assembly Leader Michael Villines, pictured right, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, and Republican Caucus Chair Cameron Smyth. Other key GOP lawmakers will be on hand.
Assemblywoman Audra Strickland Endorses Jeff Gorell to Succeed Her in State Legislature
Last month, the campaign for Jeff Gorell announced that he has been endorsed by incumbent Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Moorpark). The 37th Assembly District lawmaker is precluded from running for re-election due to Proposition 140, California's term limits law, and she has made public her early and strong support for Jeff Gorell to succeed her in office.
"It's an honor to have the support of Assemblywoman Strickland," said Jeff Gorell, a former Ventura County Deputy DA and local attorney. "As our next Assemblyman, I will work to reform California's government and build upon her efforts to hold the line on government spending and new taxes. Like Audra, I will be a strong ally of public safety on all fronts, and will fight against the proposed Camarillo prison hospital. "For a full, current list of all of Jeff's endorsements, click here.
here.
Jeff's Commitment to Transparency Shows Diversity of Early Donors
Jeff's finance committee will be proactive in the effort to share with the community, in a timely manner, all of the contributions to, and expenditures by, his campaign. Jeff is committed as a candidate and as a legislator to practice proactive openness and transparency in these matters.Jeff's finance committee helped him raise a more than $33,000 in the final weeks of 2008 following last November's election. His campaign finance reports, required to be filed by February 2, 2009, will show that he received donations from a wide variety of members of the community and statewide organizations. These early donations to Jeff's campaign, for which he is very thankful, came from more than 60 individual local supporters. He also received financial support from the Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, the CA Manufacturers and Technology Association, the Ventura County Lincoln Club, and other community and business organizations.
To track contributions to Jeff Gorell's campaign committee, click here.
Jeff needs your help to raise the money required to clear the field and win this election. Please consider a donation of any amount to the campaign today. Click here now!
The results weren't that close in the last election. They were just better than usual because of the Obama wave and all the generic anti-Strickland mailers sent out on behalf of Hannah Beth Jackson.
Jeff should get Ferial Masry to campaign for him in 2010. After all, she said many times in public that she wouldn't have minded losing to him in 2004, if he had won the GOP primary against Audra, because she said he was a good guy and a moderate. She just didn't like getting her ass whipped by Audra Strickland.
They were close for a long time incumbent that raised a fair amount of money running against a low name ID Democrat that hasn't held elective office running for state assembly in a Republican dominated district.
I do agree the presidential campaign and the mailers attacking Tony Strickland helped her, but the turnout for Proposition 8 didn't help her.
All of our factors should be included.
Do you have a link to what Ferial Masry said in regards to Jeff Gorell? That is really interesting.
So what do the Democrats have to throw at the seat? Ferial Masry for a fourth time? No chance. Any up and coming Dems? Anybody that draws interest?
How about Marta Jorgensen? This is probably about the best the Dems can do.
Wrong district. Also, when Democrats control the federal government, much of the state government, the county government, and even the county board of education it isn't accurate.
Yeah, pretty soon, after the so-called "economic stimulus" bill passes, they'll control the money flow too. Whatever happened to checks and balances?
Kim Jung Il, er Obama, will have free reign now, is that what you're so proud of?
Jeff Gorell cut a deal with the Stricklands that he would not run against Audra in this past primary and in return they would endorse him. Problem with Gorell or any republican like Gorell who claims to be a moderate is that the GOP in California is controlled by the ultra right wing christian coalition extremists and wack jobs. If elected Gorell will be nothing but a little hand puppet because if he does not speak the ultra right wing party line they will not support him. It is time to never again vote for any republican given the damage they have done to the economy and to our great state and country.
Let's see...so Democrats control the federal government, the state government, the county government and the county board of education yet it's republicans who have done all the damage? Right.
I guess doubling the size of state government in a single decade just isn't enough. Perhaps I can simply direct deposit my entire check to the general fund?
Seriously? Marta Jorgensen is the best we can do? Then go ahead and put Gorell in office. No offense to Marta, but no way she can put up the fight necessary to beat Jeff.
The problem is that even though Gorell has lined up the folks, is the right wing going to sit idly by and let a pro-choice Republican get a pass?
It has already been stated but the candidate you keep mentioning is not in the same district.
That's even worse, that we can't even name a strong Dem in the East County to even challenge Jeff Gorell. Got to be some, or at least one, guess they are going to have to step up themselves to be noticed.
Fuzzy Math the reason dems are now in charge is because when republicans were in charge they destroyed the economy and stole all the money, dems were recently elected to fix it! DUH!!!!