Candidates run for Ventura County elections
During the Midterm elections in June, citizens will decide who represents them in various offices. The offices that will affect Newbury Park are the Board of Ventura County Supervisors and the Sheriff’s department. The election for the next sheriff is heating up with debates and campaigns between the incumbent, Bill Ayub, and another candidate, Jim Fryhoff. On the other hand, three people are running to be the next supervisor for Ventura County, Tim McCarthy, Claudia Bill-de la Peña, and Jeff Gorell.
Sheriff Elections
In the past few years, crime has become an increasingly prevalent issue in Newbury Park. The sheriff elections will impact how crimes are dealt with, the main two candidates being incumbent Bill Ayub and Jim Fryhoff.
The sheriff’s job is to maintain the law and the constitution of the United States of America. They are responsible for maintaining the county jail and patrolling unincorporated areas of the county. In Ventura County, there are 10 incorporated cities, five of which have their own police department and the other five work with the sheriff to provide police services. Oxnard, Ventura, Simi Valley, Port Hueneme and Santa Paula have their own police department while Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo, Fillmore and Ojai do not. The person holding the title of sheriff is largely responsible for how safe a community is.
Ayub, who did not respond to a request for comment in April, currently holds the position of sheriff and is up for reelection this year. He was elected in 2018, and has been in law enforcement since 1985. In an effort to keep Ventura County safe, Ayub is dedicated to keeping the community crime free. “I’ve got zero tolerance for drug dealers, smash and grab thieves and gang members. We run various youth programs and keep officers in our schools to keep students and teachers safe,” Ayub says on his website.
The other candidate running for Sheriff, Jim Fryhoff, is a 31 year police veteran. One of Fryhoff’s big focuses is on school safety. “On the heels of a lot of school shootings that we were seeing happen across the nation… we need to do something better than what we’re doing now,” Fryhoff said. Due to this concern, Fryhoff created a Threat Assessment Program, which allows students to report potential threats to the police or administrators so a shooting can be stopped before it begins. “All the schools were taught to create a threat assessment team, which is a school counselor, a school administrator, and then…somebody in law enforcement so that if a student, volunteer, or a parent called and said, ‘Hey, this student is posing a threat,’ then we can look into it before tragedy strikes..I’ve been teaching that to the county since 2008,” Fryhoff says.
Fryhoff also has a predominant focus on keeping the community safe by spending more of his time on the needs of the citizens than of criminals. “There are people out there that are evil doers that we need to take to jail. But there are way more people doing the right thing than not. We need to work with those people to try and find those who are causing harm and hold them accountable so that we can all be safe,” Fryhoff said.
Sheriffs Elections end on June 7, and anyone over the age of 18 is able to vote for the candidate of their choice using a mail-in ballot that was sent out in early May.
Supervisor Elections
District Two is made up of Thousand Oaks and areas of Camarillo. A highly contested seat on the board of Ventura County Supervisors for District Two is now open, and three candidates are running to fill it.
Deputy Commander Jeff Gorell, former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles is a candidate for the board of County Supervisor. Gorell has many campaign objectives he hopes to fulfill. “As Supervisor, I would work to create a supportive environment for our small businesses to recover and local workers to prosper while ensuring our schools and businesses always remain open,” Gorell wrote on his website.
“All [of my] experience has given me an opportunity to exhibit some leadership in very significant ways. Leadership in a combat zone, leadership as a lawmaker and legislator and leadership as an attorney and a prosecutor,” Gorell said.
Tim McCarthy, a local security business owner, is another candidate running for the board. McCarthy developed ideas he hopes to implement if elected. .“The more I researched, listened to speakers, read assembly bills and new laws, and talked to other people, I realized that our government leaders were failing us. Now that I am aware of how the government is trying take over all aspects of our life, I have had enough and decided to put my education, experience, love for America and people, and tenacity into action… to run for the Ventura Board of Supervisors,” McCarthy wrote on his website.
“The US Constitution dictates how people live, not the government. People can make their own decisions related to health and risks. Government should be small, allowing citizens to make their own futures without interference,” McCarthy said.
Claudia Bill-de la Peña, a city council member for Thousand Oaks, is running for a seat on the board of county supervisors after 20 years on the Thousand Oaks City Council, during which Bill-de la Peña has served as mayor four times. If elected to the board, Bill-de la Peña hopes to follow through with many goals. “We must face the challenges of homelessness, mental health services, climate change and increased fire risk… My fearless stewardship on the Council will no doubt benefit the Board of Supervisors. I pledge to continue with my commitment to fairness, independence and honesty,” Bill-de la Peña wrote on her website.
“I’m a consensus builder…I am pragmatic and I just fight for the people. I have always fought for the people, the taxpayers, the small businesses, that is what I will continue to do,” Bill-de la Peña said.
June 7, the day of the midterms, is the time to make an informed decision. Voters can locate a nearby ballot and cast their vote for the election.
