Two candidates gain endorsements
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

The race to represent the 4th District on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors is gaining momentum as the November elections approach. The two candidates say they know what voters want and they believe their positions will get them a seat on the county's governing panel.

Peter Foy and Jim Dantona beat longtime incumbent Judy Mikels in the June primaries and will now face each other in the upcoming race.

Each candidate has also been busy gathering endorsements.

After a disappointing loss at the polls, Mikels recently announced her endorsement of Foy and is encouraging her supporters to do the same.

"We put differences away," said Foy, adding that the retiring supervisor has been very helpful and gracious toward him. The conservative candidate and Mikels have had several meetings to discuss county government matters, and Foy said they think alike on many subjects.

"Part of my goal is to know as much as possible-there's a big learning curve," Foy said. "I want to hit the ground running and be ready to help the people and have an understanding of the issues."

Keith Jajko, who was spokesperson for Mikels' campaign, said the incumbent feels strongly that Foy is the best candidate for the job. Foy's business experience will help him run the county and he's a strong supporter of public safety, which is a top issue for voters in the district, Jajko said.

Foy also has the support of other officials who serve at the state level, as well as Simi Valley Mayor Paul Miller and Moorpark Councilmember Janice Parvin.

Dantona, who's been actively campaigning for more than a year, said that several fire and law enforcement groups have endorsed him. "I'm thrilled with where we're at."

But Dantona said endorsements aren't his primary concern-he'd rather spend his time communicating with voters to find out what they want and let them know where he stands.

"What's important to the voters is that they tell me what the issues are and how I can help them," he said.

While Foy makes an issue of illegal immigration, Dantona said, he hasn't done anything about it. Dantona said he, too, is against illegal immigration but has taken action, having helped to put through a bill in the early 1990s to stop undocumented immigrants from getting a driver's license.

Dantona, who is portrayed as the liberal candidate in this race, also said he's trying to get some reimbursement from the federal government for costs incurred in services to illegal immigrants.

In regard to development, Dantona said, he believes in smart growth. He looks forward to creating an ordinance that will make hillside development in unincorporated areas more difficult.

"I also want to be the supervisor who gets involved with local cities," he said.

According to Dantona, Foy's turned down suggestions for face-to-face debates because he doesn't understand how government runs.

But the conservative candidate is not troubled by his opponent's claims.

"I'm here to win," said Foy, adding he's surrounding himself with good people who understand what the county does and what's important to the residents of Simi Valley, Moorpark and surrounding areas.

Foy wants to put aside political matters to address the issues. He believes in term limits for county supervisors. He knows the county can't eliminate its truck traffic problems, he said, but officials can make sure that commercial vehicles are safe.

Foy won more votes than Dantona in the June primaries.