The Malibu Democratic Party at its 2008 Annual Meeting and Candidate Endorsement Forum endorsed Fran Pavley, Democratic candidate for the 23rd Senate District, on Sunday at the Point Dume Club in Malibu.
Former 41st District Assemblymember Pavley and her Democratic opposition, Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (40th Assembly District), answered a series of questions submitted by audience members on topics such as special education, license plate color-coding, and gay and lesbian rights.
The vote was 26 in favor of Pavley, three in favor of Levine.
Assemblymember Julia Brownley, the only candidate running for the 41st Assembly District, was unable to attend the forum due to entanglements in Sacramento. The club voted in favor of endorsing Brownley in her absence.
The candidates for the 23rd District Senate seat were allowed to introduce themselves before the forum turned to audience questions.
“When I first ran for office, I said, ‘I don’t want to tinker at the margins'” began Levine, who has served in the California State Assembly representing the 40th District since 2002.
Levine said legislation on renewable energy, solar energy and energy efficiency have been some of the major benchmarks from his terms. He also cited work on special education, a 100 percent voting record in favor of gay rights, marriage and healthcare as some of his primary issues.
Pavley, who spent 28 years as a middle school teacher in Agoura Hills before becoming the city’s mayor for four consecutive terms, introduced herself by using a quote from former Congressman and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, “All politics is local.”
Voters want to know “What have you done for me lately?,” Pavley said, and focused her introduction on legislation she worked on that has benefited or impacted Malibu.
This included legislation to save Ahmanson Ranch and what Pavley dubbed a “win-win situation” and “one of the measures she was most proud of,” with the SOKA University site that allowed both the Little League ball fields at Bluffs Park and the university site to remain.
She also mentioned work on the BHP Billiton offshore liquid natural gas project, legislation on special education and children’s healthcare, as well as her focus on global warming.
Audience members were allowed to submit questions in the week preceding the meeting or put them in a drop box at the forum before candidates spoke. Club President Jean T. Goodman introduced the questions.
Questions about ways to abate traffic and transportation problems, and the candidates’ work to support special education allowed both Levine and Pavley to animatedly discuss legislation they had worked on that held personal meaning for them.
Levine reflected on his experience in seeing plastic bags covering the trees on one of his favorite running routes that inspired him to create the state’s first comprehensive plastic bag recycling program.
Pavley talked about her experiences with her son that inspired her to work on special education legislation. “Local school districts are having a problem meeting the needs [of special needs youth]. We need to meet those needs in a sensitive and passionate way,” she said.
The candidates seemed a little taken aback when asked, “Have you ever had or needed to earn a living in a job where you had to work standing up?”
“I’ve stopped trying to figure out the purpose of the question,” Pavley laughed, and noted her experiences as a middle school teacher “where you never sit down,” running recreational programs for children and summer vacations spent working as a waitress at Marie Callender’s in her youth.
“People have always told me I’m a stand-up kind of guy,” Levine joked, and remembered his work as a photographer and camp counselor.
“I think we learned quite a bit about you two from that question,” Goodman commented.
Pavley, who has served for three terms in the California State Assembly, has received an endorsement from State Sen. Sheila Kuehl, whose 23rd District seat is being termed out in 2008.
The 2008 officers of the club were also elected at the Sunday forum. A nominating committee endorsed the re-election of the standing officers, including Jean T. Goodman as president and Leonard Zahn as vice president.
Additional candidates for the June 3 election were allowed to introduce themselves to the club and provide a brief background on the positions they are running for and their respective qualifying experiences.