David Cruz Thayne Officially Ends his Campaign for the United State House of Representatives
I first want to thank all my supporters, our tremendous volunteers, and, most importantly, my family for coming with me on this journey—without their support none of this would have been possible. I’m proud of the campaign we ran and although the results were not what we had hoped for, I consider this the beginning rather than the end. Even our last three presidents lost when they ran for Congress. But for now, I look forward to focusing my attention back on my family and our community. I want to congratulate Julia Brownley on her second-place finish yesterday and wish her and her campaign team the best of luck this fall to help bring back a Democratic majority to Congress.
Sincerely,
David Cruz Thayne
LATEST NEWS: A New Round of Local Endorsements
David Cruz Thayne, a candidate for the Ventura County-based 26th Congressional district, released another round of local endorsements today including several members of the Oxnard Committee on homelessness and other prominent citizens in the district.
“David Cruz Thayne has new ideas, a refreshingly sincere approach to politics, and is committed to solving problems not creating them,” said Commissioner Francine Castanon of Oxnard’s Committee on Homelessness. “He lives in the real world, and I know when issues come across his desk as our next Congressman, it will be working class families like mine that he is thinking about.” Castanon, a Gulf War Veteran and former Teamster, was appointed to the city’s homelessness commission this past year.
“I am proud to support a man like David Cruz Thayne,” said Carlos Gonzales Sr., Student Body President of Oxnard College. “In such tough economic times for students and young people, we need a representative who understands what working class people are going through; who’s lived it, not just talks about it. I encourage all Ventura County students to support David Cruz Thayne for Congress.”
“David is a go-getter who will bring a fresh face and great new ideas to Congress. He knows that we all have a stake in this community — if the schools start to fail our children, we all lose — and he is deeply invested in this district,” said Jamie Alcroft, Westlake Village’s Citizen of the Year in 2009. Alcroft worked as the Executive Director for the Las Virgenes Educational Foundation and raised $102,000 to fund an endowment for the Arts and programs in the Las Virgenes Unified School District.
“I enthusiastically endorse David Cruz Thayne for Congress,” said Commissioner Peggy Rivera. “As a commissioner on homelessness, I have personally witnessed the failings of our safety net and what isn’t working in this country. I know David has an intimate understanding of these difficulties as well and will be a tremendous representative for this county and the country.”
“I fully support David Cruz Thayne for Congress in Ventura County. I am glad someone from our community, rather a career politician out of the district, is running to represent us in Washington,” said Manny Marquez. “As the former Chief Stuart for the Teamsters Joint Council, I know the needs of our working class and David is the right candidate to continue that fight.”
“David Cruz Thayne understands the needs of our veterans and unlike other politicians, he doesn’t just talk about it. David comes to our Veteran Centers and listens to the struggles of those who have served our country,” said former Sergeant Josf Hall of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “All Ventura County veterans will know they have an advocate in Congress when they vote for David Cruz Thayne.”
“I am humbled to have so many endorsements from people in our community,” said Thayne. “This campaign has always been about a grassroots movement, not endorsements from Washington, DC. With the help of such citizens, we are going to win this election and bring a new voice to Ventura County.”
David Cruz Thayne Discusses His Run for Office With Radio Talkshow Host Bill Frank
David Cruz Thayne Discusses the Issues
David Cruz Thayne Discusses his Congressional Campaign
Julia Brownley: Imported From Santa Monica–Or Still Living There?
Last week, Santa Monica-based Assemblymember Julia Brownley announced she was running for Congress in the 26th District. She is term limited out of the Assembly after three terms, and the state Senate seat for which she could run is occupied by her friend (and Brownley’s predecessor in the Assembly seat) Sen. Fran Pavley, who is running for re-election. So, why not run for what’s left—the U.S. Congress?
Why not? Well, for one reason, Brownley is a long-time resident of Santa Monica, and has never lived for a single day in either Ventura County or the 26th District. In fact, she lives in this nearly $1 million condo, which she bought in 2008, on 3rd Street in Santa Monica—just three blocks from the upscale Third Street Promenade and three blocks from the ocean, in one of the most high-priced neighborhoods in Santa Monica. In terms of driving distance, Brownley’s official residence is anywhere from 26-30 miles from the eastern-most part of the 26th District, depending on which way you elect to go.
- Assemblymember Julia Brownley’s Santa Monica condominium, purchased in 2008, is worth nearly $1 million and is over 25 miles away from the 26th congressional district.
Although Brownley does represent Westlake Village, Oak Park, Port Hueneme and part of Oxnard in her Assembly district, that portion comprises only 16 percent of the 26th Congressional District, and she chose to not open a single district office in Ventura County, only one in Santa Monica (at 2800 28th Street). Given her low profile and disinterest in the Ventura County part of her 41st Assembly District over the past six years, it’s highly unlikely her name ID in the 26th District surpasses single digits or low double digits.
Before being elected to the Assembly in 2006, Brownley served for 12 years on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District—a great district to be sure, but no part of which encompasses any of Ventura County or the 26th Congressional District.
If there’s still doubt that Brownley is a total creature of Santa Monica, her new congressional campaign website actually lists a Santa Monica address when you subscribe to be on her email list for updates (see screen shot below)!
Assemblymember Brownley’s congressional campaign headquarters, as identified on her own website, is also in Santa Monica, over 25 miles outside the district.
It’s true that federal law does not require a candidate for Congress or even a member of Congress to live in the district in which they are running. But are Democrats in the 26th District so panicked for an establishment candidate for Congress in this marginally Democratic swing seat that they have to import someone from Santa Monica to run for a seat entirely contained within Ventura County, except for the LA County portion of Westlake Village?
When she announced for Congress, Brownley said she would be “moving” to a rental apartment in Oak Park. Really? Democrats should consider carefully the recent spate of elected officials who claimed they lived one place when in fact they lived somewhere else.
In 2007, for example, LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke was caught on videotape by the LA Times driving from her opulent home in Brentwood (outside of her supervisorial district) and dropping by the nondescript condo in her district where she claimed to live in the mornings, only to pick up her mail—and be driven to the county building by her county-paid driver, who met her there. Do we really think the Republicans aren’t smart enough to stake out Brownley to see how much time she actually spends in a rental unit in Oak Park, versus her condo in chic Santa Monica?
Democrats, let’s think this one through carefully. In the 2008 Ventura County-based state Senate race, right-wing Tony Strickland beat former Assemblymember Hannah Beth Jackson in a race that Democrats should have won given the millions that were poured into the campaign on her behalf. How did he do it? Partly by painting Jackson as a creature of Santa Barbara, where she has long lived, and which her voting record in the Assembly reflected, and making her out to be out of touch with Ventura County.
Strickland, the GOP’s endorsed candidate for Congress and its most likely run-off candidate, already has the playbook on a race like this one. Do we really want to watch a replay of that movie by serving up a Santa Monica Democrat to him and the national Republican attack machine?
David Cruz Thayne interviews on the Dr. Annie Show
Click play to listen to David’s full interview with Dr. Annie Thiel:
David Cruz Thayne on the Dr. Annie Show.
