The candidates for the 41st Assembly District include current
politicians, a private citizen and a community activist.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
For the first time since 2000, the 41st State Assembly District, which includes Malibu, has a competitive race for an open seat. With term limits ending Fran Pavley’s reign in November, five Democratic candidates have entered the race to be her replacement. The candidates include current politicians, a private citizen and a community activist.
Although Election Day for the seat is in November 2006, the true winner will be decided on June 6 in the primary election. Due to the demographics of the 41st District, it is unlikely a Republican would win in November. Pavley was re-elected with 62.5 percent of the vote in 2004 despite an almost nonexistent campaign.
The financial statements listed on the California secretary of state’s Web site show that it will take a great deal of money to win this race. Already two candidates have raised more than $200,000 through June 30. And the amount of money the candidates will raise and spend will most likely skyrocket. In 2000, Pavley spent more than $760,000 to win a closely contested Democratic primary race.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education Vice President Julia Brownley has chosen to seek the assembly seat after serving on the Board of Education since 1994. Brownley has gotten a great deal of support from education activists and Santa Monica politicians. Brownley said she was encouraged to run by State Sen. Sheila Kuehl and has received her endorsement. Brownley has raised $96,000.
Barry Groveman has put $100,000 of his own money into his campaign as a loan to put him at the front of the pack in fundraising, with a total of $270,000. Groveman is the mayor of Calabasas and has served on the City Council since 2003. He is an attorney who worked for the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office on environmental crime. As a private attorney, Groveman has represented the Los Angeles Unified School District, several cities and businesses. The sheriffs of Ventura and Los Angeles counties have endorsed Groveman.
Liberal activist Kelly Hayes-Raitt has gained local fame for her several humanitarian trips to Iraq. She has had many speaking engagements the past few years to discuss her travels and promote her antiwar agenda. Hayes-Raitt is the executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air and served as former California Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy’s environmental representative. She is also active in several other state environmental and health issues and has received the endorsement of several activists, including Malibu resident actor Martin Sheen.
Hayes-Raitt has raised $96,000. She has volunteered with the state to set her expenditure limit for the race at $446,000.
CSU Channel Islands professor Jonathan Levey is new to the political scene but this has not harmed him with the fundraising. He has raised $233,000 mostly through lawyers and law firms, despite being one of only two candidates not to begin raising money until this year. Levey used to work for the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olsen and was an employee at Catellus Development Corp. before it was acquired recently by ProLogis. Levey teaches business law at CSU Channel Islands. Like Hayes-Raitt, he has agreed to limit his expenditures to $446,000.
Pasadena Sen. Jack Scott has endorsed Levey’s campaign, as have Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees member Georgia L. Mercer and former Congressman Mel Levine.
Louise Rishoff is the closest of all the competitors to the current assembly member. She serves as Pavley’s staff director. Rishoff was on the Agoura Hills City Council from 1988 to 2003, serving for the last three years while working for Pavley. Rishoff could not be reached for this article, so it is not certain if Pavley has endorsed her campaign.
Rishoff has raised $52,000 and has also agreed to the spending limit. She began raising money this year.