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11 February 2007 to 7 March 2007
deadline for potential candidates to register out of other parties to run in 3 June 2008 P&F primary
13 November 2007 to 8 December 2007
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P&F 2006 Campaign News Coverage

From the 25 April 2006 Davis Enterprise, original version archived by publisher:

Primary is smooth sailing

By Crystal Ross O’Hara/Enterprise staff writer

Incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, will face three opponents in the November election. All those seeking the 1st Congressional District seat are running unopposed in the June 6 primary. None of the challengers has held public office.

Republican John W. Jones is a retired police officer and a Davis resident. Tim Stock, a West Sacramento attorney, will represent the Peace and Freedom Party, and Pam Elizondo, of Laytonville, is a Green Party member. She ran against Thompson in the 2004 election.

The 1st Congressional District is oddly shaped, stretching from the Oregon border down the coast to Napa County and taking in most of Yolo County as well. The district includes miles of coastline, forest and agricultural areas.

Thompson

Thompson, 55, was first elected to Congress in 1998 and is a former state senator. Known as a moderate Democrat and a fiscal conservative, Thompson, a Vietnam War veteran, also has earned a reputation for opposing the war in Iraq. He is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Thompson said because Congress is a "seniority-based organization," another term in office means he can become a more powerful voice for both the district and the country. Getting on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the more coveted in Congress, took time, he noted.

"I plan to retire on that committee," Thompson said. "That is one of the most sought-after committees in Congress and it was a long struggle to get on it."

Ways and Means is responsible for taxation, tariffs and other revenue-raising measures as well as entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

A former member of the Armed Services Committee, Thompson was one of the few members of Congress to oppose the war with Iraq before it began. Thompson visited that country several months before the war began, drawing criticism from some, and returned to Iraq last December. Soon after, he introduced legislation calling for the redeployment of American forces in Iraq as soon as the Iraqi constitutional amendment process is complete.

"We really need to send a clear message to the Iraqi people and to the people that are becoming insurgents and that is that we’re not staying, we won’t be a permanent occupier," he said.

Closer to home, Thompson has opposed the Bush administration’s policies relating to the Klamath Basin, particularly move in 2002 diverting water from the Klamath River to farmers in the upper basin. The result, Thompson said, was a massive fish kill and the loss of 80,000 salmon. He also introduced a bill to expand wilderness protection on publicly owned lands in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake and Napa counties.

On fiscal issues, Thompson has been a vocal supporter of efforts to pay down the national debt, which he can quote at any given time and currently stands at more than $8 trillion.

Jones

While Thompson’s challengers agree with him on some issues, they say it’s time for major changes in Washington.

Jones, 58, spent more than 30 years as a police officer, most of that time at UC Davis, where he served as president of the Police Officers’ Association. He said his experience as a police officer and 12 years as a Boy Scoutmaster have given him the ability to work with a variety of people with different viewpoints.

"I’m a Republican, I’m a conservative, but I’m also open-minded," he said.

Jones has a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Santa Barbara, and earned an MBA from UCD. Since retiring four years ago, he has become more active with the local Republican Party. This is his first run for office.

He said his experience with scouting — he is an Eagle Scout — led to a love of the wilderness, which should be protected. However, Jones said there must also be a way for the district’s forests and oceans to provide for its people.

"The forests and the fisheries, there’s a real economic interest there on the North Coast," he said. "I want to see if there’s something that can be done to ameliorate that."

Jones said he is a strong supporter of states’ rights, especially concerning social and local issues. He said as a member of Congress he would bring a reasoned voice to the national and international stage, rather than acting to further divide the country.

He disagrees with Thompson’s views on Iraq.

"I personally very much support President Bush and the Republican agenda," he said.

However, he emphasized that if elected, he would listen to and examine the views of his constituents, representing them above anything else.

"With all the success I’ve had in the past working with people and getting things done I’ve become very excited about doing that again with the federal government," he said.

Stock

Californians will see candidates from the Peace and Freedom Party on their ballots for the first time since 1998. In the 1st Congressional District, that will be Stock, 61, who is also seeking his first elective office.

Stock said while he doesn’t agree with his party on all issues, he does believe the Iraq war is a mistake.

"I’ve been opposed to that war since the beginning," he said. "I don’t think it’s in our national interest to be there in the way we are."

Like most of his party’s members, Stock also believes that there should be universal health care coverage and that the United States should have a liberal policy regarding immigration.

"There’s no question in my mind that there needs to be some type of amnesty or better integration (for immigrants) into the mainstream of our country," he said.

A Midwest native, Stock has been living in California since the mid-1980s. He is an attorney specializing in corporate and environmental law. He teaches law courses at Sacramento City College in Davis and West Sacramento.

As a third party, the Peace and Freedom Party faces an uphill battle in the upcoming election. But Stock said it is important for voters to have a choice beyond Republicans and Democrats, who he sees as not much different from each other.

"I’m trying to bring a voice to an alternative point of view that isn’t currently being expressed," he said.

Elizondo

Elizondo, 62, is a former member of the Peace and Freedom Party. She has been a member of the Green Party for several years.

"I believe we need peace and freedom to solve the problems of the world, but the reason I’m going to remain a Green is because it is a local, national and international party," she said. "This is the only party that offers practical solutions to worldwide problems."

Since getting the Green Party nomination in the 2004 primaries, Elizondo has used the position to spread her message of "Five Simple Rules to Save the Earth and Its Inhabitants."

The first is that taxes should be collected by a one-cent tax on every dollar transaction. Elizondo believes governments should buy what they want through private business. She advocates using the money the government now spends on what she calls ‘nonprofit organizations’ — defense, space research, charity to other countries and sports arenas and other buildings — to fund employment, benefits and to research and restore the Earth. Businesses should be given tax exemptions for money spent in this manner, according to Elizondo.

Elizondo believes hemp and marijuana should be legalized for all its uses — a position she said has sometimes put her at odds with the party. She believes it should be used as a replacement for paper, fossil fuel products and hydro and electric energy and often uses the slogan "Marijuana Farms, Not Arms."

Reach Crystal Ross O’Hara at cohara@davisenterprise.net or at 747-8050.

  

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