Note: This post is “IN PROCESS” and will be periodically updated! (10/27/22)
VOTER GUIDE QUICK LINKS TO: Federal candidates, State candidates, Proposition 1, Judges, County Supervisors, Local Measures
WARNING! DON’T SKIP OVER THESE “DOWN-BALLOT ISSUES! Blue state or not, the results of these close-to-home races will determine if you feel like you’re living in a democracy or a GOP White Supremacy/Christian Nationalist hellhole. These SUPERVISORS RACES will decided whether or not our county’s leaders will take climate change seriously and make the necessary changes to protect us and the environment..
Supervisor, Ventura County – District 1
District 1: Ventura City of Ventura, Montalvo, Saticoy, Ojai Valley, City of Ojai, Upper Ojai Valley, Victoria Estates, Riverpark, Collection, Rio West, Northwest Oxnard, Windsor North/ River Ridge, North Coast, West Lockwood Valley, Oak View, Miramonte, Meiners Oaks, Casitas Springs, Cabrillo, Rincon and Solimar.
Matt LaVere – the only serious candidate in this race.
Matt shares our values and has done a good job. Re-elect him.
- Age: 44
- City of residence: Ventura
- Occupation: VC Supervisor District 1
- Education: Pepperdine (BA), Pepperdine School of Law
- Funding: https://public.netfile.com/pub2/AllFilingsByCandidate.aspx?id=179182413&candidate=Matthew+LaVere
- Endorsements: https://supervisorlavere.com/endorsements
- Website: https://supervisorlavere.com
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| Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters |  |  | Union of American Physicians and Dentists |
| IBEW Local 952 | Ironworkers Local 433 | Operating Engineers Local 12 | UA Local 484 |
 | Teamsters Local 186 |  |
Philip Fields – No.
- Age:
- City of residence: Ventura
- Occupation: Retired University Teacher
- Education: ?
- Funding: https://public.netfile.com/pub2/AllFilingsByCandidate.aspx?id=208773608&candidate=Philip+Fields
- Endorsements: Can’t find any
- Website: Can’t find one
Jeff Ketelsen – No.
(Ojai Valley News) “Ketelsen has ran for numerous elected offices over many years and has never been elected.”
- Age: 62
- City of residence: Ojai
- Occupation: Theme Park Employee
- Education: CSU Northridge (BA)
- Funding: https://public.netfile.com/pub2/AllFilingsByCandidate.aspx?id=176532740&candidate=Jeff+Ketelsen
- Endorsements: Can’t find any
- Website: Can’t find one
- Background article: https://www.ojaivalleynews.com/archives/ketelsen-bids-as-write-in-candidate/article_eb823f1e-9c6d-53f0-919e-a5272d0d731a.html
Supervisor, Ventura County – District 3
District 3 – Central and Southern portions of the City of Camarillo, Northeast Oxnard, El Rio, Nyeland Acres, City of Santa Paula, City of Fillmore, Piru, and East Lockwood Valley.
Ventura County District 3 Candidate Forum Feb 5, 2024
Watch here on Youtube: https://youtu.be/k5OXqH_qeDM?si=WPEKS8OnC1tCnbMV
Kim Marra Stephenson – Yes!
Kim shares our values, is smart and articulate, and will do a great job.
(VC Star) “Supervisor race is a no-brainer. In a recent District 3 supervisorial debate, campaign contribution limits and the vote to repeal local campaign finance rules by Supervisor Long were discussed.
Dr. Kim Marra Stephenson has funded her campaign by small donations from community members and working families. Kelly Long, in contrast, has received only 16 donations from grassroots donors (donations under $100). Long is backed significantly by $125,000 in independent PAC funds from the oil and gas industry. So, as you go to mark your ballot ask yourself: Do you want to vote for the candidate supported by your neighbors and friends, or the candidate controlled by powerful outsiders wishing to write their own rules at our expense? Now we know why Long voted to remove the local campaign rules last year.
For me, this decision is a no-brainer. Please join me in voting for Dr. Kim Marra Stephenson for District 3 Supervisor. – Doug Emerson, Camarillo
- Endorsement letters
- (VC Star) Letters to the editor: Two endorsements for Stephenson for supervisor
- Website: https://stephenson4supervisor.com/
- Endorsements: https://stephenson4supervisor.com/endorsements/
Sample of endorsements:
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| PERSONAL ENDORSEMENTS | |
| Dolores Huerta, Labor Activist | Oscar Hernandez, Assistant Superintendent, Rio School District |
| Dr. Tom McCoy, Superintendent, Oxnard Union High School District | Ted Lawrence, Principal, Oxnard Union High School District |
| Mark Contreras, Principal, Oxnard Union High School District | Shannon Houston-Scott, Principal, Oxnard Union High School District |
| Maricruz Hernandez, Principal, Oxnard Union High School District | Marianne Ramos, Principal, Oxnard Union High School District |
| Brenda Bravo, Principal, Oxnard Union High School District | Daisy Tatum, Ret. Principal, Oxnard Union High School District |
| Rich Cervantes, District Governor, California Lions | Albert & Glenda Learn, Santa Paula Lions |
| Victor Martinez, President, Camarillo-Somis Pleasant Valley Lions | Mike Nunez, Camarillo-Somis Pleasant Valley Lions |
| Richard Bellman, Camarillo-Somis Pleasant Valley Lions | Dr. Hillary Ling, Camarillo-Somis Pleasant Valley Lions, Retired Camarillo Dentist |
| Bill & Ginger Schulze, Camarillo-Somis Pleasant Valley & Amber’s Light Lions | Mary Jo Cervantes, Amber’s Light Lions |
| Dr. Kalani Jose, Oxnard Noontimers Lions, Chiropractor, Kalani Total Wellness, Oxnard | Grace Tuazon, Officer, Filipino Community of Ventura County, Deputy Director, Filipino American Council of Ventura County |
| Eduardo Miranda, National Latino Peace Officers Association | LaRita Montgomery, 20th Century Onyx Club Inc. |
| Raye Keene, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. | Alasdair Coyne, Keep Sespe Wild |
| Junemarie Justus, Founder, The Acorn Project | Tom Justus, CEO, The Justus Groups |
| Tom Garcia, Owner, Tomas Cafe, Oxnard | Roberto Garcia, Owner, Garcia Mortuaries, Oxnard |
| Denise Carter, Regional Director, Mission Hospice, Comedian | Julio Lopez, Owner, Mi Pueblo Cafe, Loru’s Cafe, & Money Pancho’s, Oxnard & Camarillo |
| Corrine Larson, Owner, Earl Joseph Shoes, Camarillo | Vanessa Frank, Immigration Attorney |
| Barbara Macri-Ortiz, Real Estate & Education Attorney | Xavier Gallegos, Employment Attorney |
| Maria Elena Ramirez, Community Activist | Merrill Berge, Community Activist |
| Lauren De La Torre, Community Activist | Miguel Rodriguez, Community Organizer |
| Amadeo Sumano, Farmworker Advocate & Community Organizer |
Kelly Long, Incumbent – Nope.
Kelly Long has made two serious missteps that puts her at odds with our values.
- One was her vote for the surprise destruction of our county’s Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance. Neither of the new majority members, Jeff Gorell and Janice Parvin, were brave enough to mention this issue in their campaign. They waited until after the election, and with Supervisor Long’s help, completed their coup, despite widespread community opposition.
- Examples of Letters to the Editor regarding the superviors’ grab for cash.
- Ventura County Board of Supervisors’ GOP majority go rogue.
- The other is her consistent support of oil industry interest over those of her constituents. Along with Gorell and Parvin, she voted to weaken modern commonsense improvements based on up-to-date science that had been previously adopted in the county’s 2040 General Plan. Last year, Long was one of three supervisors who voted to allow ABA Energy Corp to re-drill two old oil wells in the Lemonwood neighborhood of Oxnard, which is in the 3rd District. Their original permit was granted in 1957.
- Guest column: The local government takeover by pro-oil supervisors nearly complete
- (VC Star) Ventura County supervisors allow oil operator to re-drill 2 wells near Oxnard neighborhood
- (CalGEM) Find oil wells near you. Click on them to see their current status.
- Website: https://www.kellylongforsupervisor.com/
- Endorsements: https://www.kellylongforsupervisor.com/endorsements
Sample of endorsements:
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| PERSONAL ENDORSEMENTS | |||
| Gary Cushing | Scott Beylik | Tim Cohen | Mike Osborn |
| Frank Visco | Edward Atsinger | Craig Thomas | Russel Cochran |
| Linda Cochran | Tim McGrath | Rosemarie Allision | Michael Rolls |
| Al Lowe | Albert Cohen | Allan Gottlieb | Allen Aune |
| Andrew Prechtl | Arthur Larson | Arthur Sakioka | Aspen AG Helicopters |
| Barton Stern | Beardsley & Sons LLC | Betty Hendricks | Beverlee McGrath |
| Bob Aptaker | Bob Byers | Bob Jones Ranch | Bobbi Dufau |
| Brian Barry | Charlene Scudder | Charles Devlin | Charles Sandlin, Ventura County Planning Commissioner |
| Chris Cuilty | Clearmont, LLC | Craig Underwood | Dara Farry |
| David Fukutomi | David Hilty | David Spady | David Timms |
| Debra Holler | Diana Gleason | Diane Off | Dianne McKay |
| Don Valenzano | Ed Atsinger | Edmund McCarthy | Elaine Cavaletto |
| Elaine Freeman | Ellen Brokaw | Etchandy Farms, LLC | Gary Ball |
| Gene Fisher | George Erb | Gwen Leonard | H.R. (Randy) Churchill |
| Haas Automation, Inc. | Heather Grossman | Link Leavens | James Finch |
| James Naumann | James Nelson | James Power | James Vigdor |
| Jan Marholin | Jane Farkas | Janis Gardner | Jeff Speakes |
| Tri-Cal Inc. | Superior Cooling | Ralph Hagle | Michael Durazo |
Heather Schmidt – not ready.
We haven’t seen her involvement in the community – her website doesn’t show any membership in community organizations. We expect more from a candidate than “I promise to do my best” and unverified claims of being the most qualified. We are a hands-on group over here in Indivisible Ventura, and we expect those who would lead us to have put in the work, making those connections that leads to endorsements.
Website: https://schmidt4district3.com
Supervisor, Ventura County – District 5
District 5: Central and Southern portions of the City of Oxnard, City of Port Hueneme, Oxnard Plain, Oxnard Shores, Mandalay Bay, Silver Strand, Hollywood Beach, Hollywood by the Sea, Channel Islands Harbor, California State University Channel Islands, Naval Base Ventura County, California Air National Guard, Oxnard Airport, Ormond Beach Wetlands, and Channel Islands National Park.
Vianey Lopez – YES!
Website: https://vianeyforoxnard.com
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QUICK LINKS TO: Federal candidates, State candidates, Proposition 1, Judges, County Supervisors, Local Measures
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 