There were more reporters than supporters at the informal gathering thrown by the No on Measure P campaign on election night at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria. Supporters and campaign workers checked the latest numbers throughout the night of Nov. 4 on cell phones, tablets, and computers.
“It’s a pretty big spread at this point, but you never call an election until it’s over,” said Jim Thomas of Solvang, a former county sheriff who was concerned about losing public safety funding if the measure passed.
Reporters milled around, waiting to talk to the few supporters on hand about their take on the election’s outcome, which at around 9 p.m. was that No on P was on the winning side and meant the practice of using cyclic steam injection to drill for oil would continue into the county’s future.
On the morning of Nov. 5, No on P votes continued to reign supreme, holding at 62.7 percent of the vote, while yes votes only totaled 37.3 percent. The measure’s supporters were hoping it would prevent such drilling practices as hydraulic fracturing, cyclic steam injection, and acid fracturing in the unincorporated areas of the county, but failed to galvanize the necessary support.
The media presence at the Radisson hinted at the clout Measure P held in this year’s election cycle: It was the star of the political season—outshining the race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Lois Capps and challenger Chris Mitchum for the 24th Congressional District seat, out-advertising any other measure on the county ballot, and possibly even beating out advertising airtime for statewide propositions in the county.
No on P supporters spent a record amount of money on the local ballot measure, pooling more than $7 million into a campaign pot. A group called Californians for Energy Independence—a coalition of businesses, politicians, oil companies, and other people who are pro oil and gas extraction in the state—contributed a good chunk of that money, as did both local and national oil companies.
Katie Davis, who spearheaded the campaign for Measure P and helped get the initiative on the ballot, said the money pumped into opposing the measure made a huge difference in the election’s outcome.
“The real story of this campaign is the lengths the oil industry had to go to defeat a local, grassroots campaign. We had incredible momentum and engagement, and the sense among supporters is that this is far from over,” Davis said in an email to the Sun.
A similar measure passed in San Benito County, which Davis points to as evidence that people are starting to wake up to the dangers of what she calls “extreme techniques.”
“This is just the beginning,” she said.
Jim Byrne, the communications director for the No on P campaign, said in a statement that voters “clearly rejected this measure’s drastic approach to our energy policy, in favor of a balanced approach.” He told the Sun that oil producers in the county have drilled in the county in a safe and environmentally friendly manner for many years—and will continue to do so in the future.
He added that he didn’t think the money spent on campaign efforts made that big of a difference and defended the money the oil companies spent.
“The thing is that this was brought onto the industry, and the industry is going to do everything in its power to stay viable in a county they’ve had a friendly relationship with for years,” Byrne told the Sun. “Quite frankly, I think it came down to voters understanding the facts behind the measure.”
This article appears in Nov 6-13, 2014.