The endorsements are starting to pour in for local political campaigns, including the California Senate.
On April 10, former state Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) sent out a press release endorsing Oxnard Harbor District Commissioner Jason Hodge for the 19th Senate District, over fellow Democrat and Assemblywoman Hannah Beth Jackson. Mike Stoker, a Republican and former Santa Barbara County supervisor, is also running for the seat.
“I’ve known Jason for the last 10 years and have worked with him when he was advocating legislation to keep the community safe, keep criminals off the streets, and protect our children,” Nava said.
In the press release, Nava called Hodge a “True Public Servant, not a career politician” who is honest and opposes offshore oil drilling.
“We are tired of partisan gridlock. Now more than ever, we need people who build bridges and bring people together,” Nava said, adding, “[Hodge is] the only candidate who has not worked on behalf of an oil company to open up our coast to new drilling. The two other candidates both support new drilling, one was even paid to promote it.”
Stoker has gone on record saying he will “look at offshore oil drilling with an open mind.”
On her campaign website, Jackson said, “I’ve always opposed and authored some of the toughest legislation protecting California’s coastline from drilling and its effects. It’s concerning that unstable oil costs are used by the industry to frighten the public into believing that we need more domestic offshore oil drilling, when in fact we can significantly decrease dependence on foreign oil through conservation and alternatives.”
Hodge is a full-time firefighter with the Ventura County Fire Department.
If elected, he plans to focus on environmental stewardship, economic opportunities, local job creation, and safety, according to his campaign website.
This article appears in Apr 12-19, 2012.
