95 percent accurate*

Endorsement wars (con't)

The latest endorsement in the 19th Senate District race was bestowed yesterday on Republican Tony Strickland, this one from the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, which broke a 68-year tradition of not publicly supporting political candidates by formally backing three Republicans.

Two of the Republicans were from the same family -- Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, along with her husband, got the chamber's blessing. As did Rep. Elton Gallegly.

Meanwhile, both candidates have sent mailers touting their law enforcement endorsements. Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson has swept the endorsements of rank-and-file public safety workers across the district, including the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Ventura County Firefighters Association. She also has the backing of Ventura Chief Pat Miller and Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.

Among those in Strickland's camp are Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks, Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, former Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Thomas and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen.

As for local government endorsements, there seems to be a certain sense of unanimity. Strickland has all the city council members in the Republican-dominated cities of Santa Clarita and Lompoc. In the Democratic-dominated areas of the district, Jackson has the entire Ventura Unified School District board, the entire Santa Barbara City Council, five out of seven members of the Ventura City Council.

If you want to see a full list, one is available on Jackson's website. On the Strickland website under "endorsements," however, the message reads: "This page will be updated shortly."

Posted by Timm Herdt at September 24, 2008 12:18 PM