Jackson announces run for State Senate

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

On a windy afternoon at Shoreline Park, former State Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson gathered with friends and supporters to announce her bid for a State Senate seat next year.
Officially tossing her hat in the ring for the District 19 race, Jackson emphasized her experience and record in the State Legislature on environmental, education and healthcare issues.

"You don't make promises you can't keep," she said. "When I made promises, I fought hard to keep them."
If elected, one issue she will fight for is universal healthcare for California residents.
"It's something everyone deserves," she declared. "That's a promise I'm making."
Jackson also pointed out her record on the environment, citing the initial funding she secured to start the process to bring several Carpinteria communities into the city's sewer system. She mentioned $90 million she brought in to a water bond designed to clean up coastal waters.
"It is time for us to stop abusing the ocean," Jackson said. "It is time for us to stop drilling for oil off our coast. We've given enough."
She also called for an increased focus on public education, describing her youth in a community that viewed education as paramount.
"We must make sure public education remains the cornerstone of our democracy," Jackson said.
The former Assemblymember will face Democrat Jim Dantona, a Simi Valley political consultant who announced his candidacy in late August for the Democratic nomination in the district that encompasses south Santa Barbara County and a majority of Ventura County. Jackson said she has no concerns about winning the nomination.
"I have confidence because I clearly have the experience and the skills necessary," she said.
Current Sen. Tom McClintock, a Republican from Thousand Oaks, will complete his second term in 2008 and will not be able to run again unless a ballot measure in February allows him to seek a third term.
Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum and Councilmembers Helene Schneider and Das Williams spoke in favor of Jackson's announcement, calling her a tenacious, responsive proponent of the toughest issues.
"The only person that I have ever worked for that has never disappointed me ... is Hannah-Beth Jackson," Williams said. "She is not only principled and strong on the issues, but she is very productive."
Jackson represented portions of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties for six years as a representative of the 35th Assembly District, beginning in 1998. Of the 60-odd bills she authored that were signed into law, many focused on education, public safety, the environment, and consumer and women's rights.
She already has a wealth of endorsements from local figures, including County Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Janet Wolf, former Santa Barbara Mayor Harriet Miller and Congresswoman Lois Capps. As her campaign kicks off, she said her focus will be touching base with old contacts and making new friends throughout the district, which is about twice as large as the Assembly district she previously served.