Photos: Tony Strickland Sworn Into the California State Senate
Former California Assemblyman Tony Strickland sworn into the California State Senate, Monday, December 1, 2008. Photo By Mallory Misare.
Photo By Mallory Misare
Tony Strickland and Kevin Korenthal
Tony Strickland and Isaak. Photo by Mallory Misare
Team Strickland: Stephanie Breed, Mallory Misare, Mitch Miller, Sean Paroski (photos), Keith Paterson, Scott Wilk
The spasm of spending in this fall’s $10 million 19th Senate District campaign purchased many things: an avalanche of mail, a brigade of consultants, a squadron of pollsters and enough television advertising to launch a new brand of shampoo.
But, in the end, the decisive difference may have been something as inexpensive as shoe leather.
Republican Tony Strickland was sworn in this week as the district’s new senator, the prize for winning what was not only the most expensive campaign in California this fall but also the state’s closest election.
Strickland appeared skinny, almost gaunt. He had the look of someone who had survived a physical ordeal that had brought him nearly to the point of exhaustion. “I did a lot of walking,” he explained.
I asked Strickland whether he had knocked on every door in the Santa Clarita neighborhoods that are part of his district. After a thoughtful pause, he answered: “I believe I did.”
Having observed the Tony Strickland campaign for months, Flap can vouch that Tony Strickland took nothing for granted, worked very hard, and walked the precincts. Strickland knew he had to turn out his GOP base in order to beat Jackson in a very tough Democrat, Barack Obama turn-out year.
The goal was to turn out all of the Republican voteres in the district (which has a slight GOP registration edge) and a few more. The few more were located in a slight sliver of the district located in Santa Clarita.
Going into the 2008 campaign, Strickland knew that he would be in for a tough race, and he knew that in order to win, he needed to capitalize on the Republicans’ Santa Clarita advantage.
The Los Angeles County portion of the district included only 7 percent of the district’s 525,000 voters. But those 38,000 voters could be critical. Not only were they decidedly Republican (44.5 percent to 33.5 percent), but the area was also separated from the rest of the district. It was not part of either the Ventura or Santa Barbara media markets, and could therefore be worked in isolation.
Early in the campaign, Strickland secured the endorsements of every member of the Santa Clarita City Council, and he campaigned in the district alongside his friend Cameron Smyth, the city’s former mayor who now represents the area in the Assembly.
That focus on Santa Clarita provided Strickland with his narrow margin of victory. Not only did he win the LA County portion of the district, he outperformed the 11-point GOP voter-registration edge there, winning by 15.6 percentage points.
Diligent basic, campaign work and an excellent strategy led to a close victory.
Congrats to Team Strickland and political consultant Joe Justin for the win.
Now, the governing part…….
Technorati Tags: Tony Strickland, Hannah-Beth Jackson
2 Comments
Brad S
With the possible exception of Markey/Musgrave in my state of CO, that $10 MILLION figure has to be more than just about every US Congress race. And I’m certain quite a few US SENATE races spent less than $10 million.
Those Republicans in CA sure know how to fight to keep having more than 1/3 of the state Senate and Assembly, don’t they? Too bad in doing so, they neglect such things as, you know, building the Party.
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