Dantona drops out of state Senate race

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

In a bid to avoid what he termed a divisive primary, Simi Valley political consultant Jim Dantona announced today he is dropping out of the race for the 19th District seat, leaving Hannah-Beth Jackson as the sole Democrat up for nomination.
After crunching the poll numbers, Dantona said he determined that running a campaign effective enough to earn the Democratic nomination would eat up his campaign coffers, leaving him ineffective against Tony Strickland, the lone Republican in the running for the state Senate seat.

“This is going to be a tough race and it would have been an uphill battle, even for me,” Dantona said. “I know I could beat Tony, but the problem was would either of us make it through this primary healthy enough to beat Tony handily.”
After meeting with his consultants and making phone calls to his major supporters last week, he made the decision to pull his hat from the ring.
“I’ve always been a team player; I’ve played sports all my life,” Dantona said. “I never ran for the seat to have a huge primary battle.”
The 19th District, which includes the northwest corner of Los Angeles County, a portion of Ventura County, and most of Santa Barbara County, is considered to be one of a few Senate seats up for grabs this election cycle.
Although generally a Republican-leaning region, the district makeup has narrowed in recent years, leaving a four percent gap between registered Democrats and Republicans.
“As a result of the failed policies of the extremist right wing, both on the state and federal level, they are really rejecting those kinds of policies and attitudes,” Jackson said.
With Dantona stepping out of the way, Jackson said she feels confident about moving forward with her campaign.
“It really gives me an opportunity now to focus on the real opponent, Tony Strickland,” she said. “I think this is going to be a great opportunity to compare and contrast our records and our vision for the future of the state.”
Jackson will likely face the largest challenge in Ventura County, where registered Republicans hold nearly a ten-point advantage over Democrats — 43.1 percent to 34.5 percent. Santa Barbara County favors the progressive Jackson, with 41 percent of voters registered Democrat and 33.2 percent Republican.
“I would not have gotten in this race if I did not feel confident I could get this seat,” Jackson said. “…Because of my track record, because of the things I have accomplished, I believe I have developed the respect of the community.”
Asked about Proposition 93, an initiative on the Feb. 5 primary ballot that would adjust term limits to allow current state Sen. Tom McClintock to run again, Jackson said she is confident it will fail at the polls.
“I honestly don’t think the initiative will pass,” she said. “I think the public will reject it and this will be an open seat.”
Allan Hoffenblum, owner of a political consulting firm and publisher of the California Target Book, which offers state election campaign analysis, said the Democrats are gunning for the 19th District seat in an attempt to garner a two-thirds, veto-proof majority in the State Senate.
“That’s the only game in town,” Hoffenblum said. “…The 19th District has a Republican bias, but it is not safe. With Hannah-Beth in there, it’s a real good Democrat year. They could pull it in.”
As far as his future, Dantona said he has received offers from several presidential campaigns and will make a decision during the next week as to which bandwagon he plans to join. His political livelihood, he said, is far from over.
“My excitement and fire in the tummy is still there.”