Candidates vying for Katie Hill's seat in Congress assail corruption at Simi forum

Do away with the IRS. Ban assault rifles. Force candidates to fund campaigns without contributions from the insurance industry, Big Pharma and other influencers.

A Thursday night candidate forum for a 25th Congressional District race that has the nation’s attention was missing some of its biggest names and drew a crowd of only about 50 people to the Santa Susana High School Performing Arts Center in Simi Valley.

But the about two-hour event organized by the League of Women Voters of Ventura County was packed with controversial proposals chewed over by a half dozen candidates in the March 3 primary.

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Democrat Cenk Uygur, founder of “The Young Turks” Youtube political news show, took aim at the people not there, specifically California Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a Democrat endorsed by former U.S. Rep Katie Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others. He said Smith accepted campaign money that opens doors to untoward influence, zeroing in on contributions during her Assembly campaigns.

“It is corrupting the other candidates,” he said, also citing former U.S. Rep. Steve Knight’s past financial supporters. “They give it to you to purchase you.”

Two years ago, the 25th District that includes Palmdale, Santa Clarita and Simi Valley grabbed headlines when Hill beat Knight and delivered Democrats a seat held for decades by Republicans. When Hill resigned late last year amid a scandal involving nude photos and allegations of affairs, more than a dozen candidates threw their hats into the ring.

The no-shows Tuesday included Knight, the two-term Republican who was attending another event, according to a forum official. Smith, of Santa Clarita, who represents the 38th Assembly District, was working in Sacramento. Mike Garcia, the former Navy fighter pilot endorsed by the Ventura County and Los Angeles County Republican parties, was attending a fundraiser.

Republican Courtney Lackey canceled because her father in Wisconsin is in hospice care, said moderator David Maron.

Other candidates, including former Donald Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, either didn't respond to messages or couldn't be reached, said Maron.

That left five little-known candidates and Uygur, the talk show host with more than 400,000 Twitter followers. He was endorsed briefly by presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who retracted the action after a wave of criticism triggered by past comments Ugyur made about women.

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Before the forum, Uygur said the statements were made years ago and taken out of context.

Banning political action committee contributions and disrupting outside financial influence emerged as a theme for several of the candidates who said they were financing their own campaign.

"If you want to run for office, put your money where your mouth is and do it on your own," said Anibal Valdez-Ortega, a Democrat and immigration lawyer from the Antelope Valley.

Several candidates endorsed a Medicare for All healthcare system as a way to reform a system some described as brutally dependent on a patient's income.

David Rudnick, a businessman and real estate investor, characterized himself as a Democrat in the style of former President John F. Kennedy. He asserted government shouldn't provide a health care crutch for people, including "lots of men out there who need a job."

The panel of candidates included Simi Valley resident Daniel Mercuri, a veteran and business owner running as a Republican. He attacked partisan divisiveness and proposed unifying the two-party system, also advocating for repealing the 16th Amendment that allows for income taxes.

All four Democrats said they would vote for Trump's conviction if they were senators participating in the ongoing impeachment hearing. The two Republicans focused their frustrations elsewhere.

"I would evict (Adam) Schiff and (Nancy) Pelosi," said Kenneth Jenks, a telecommunications executive and Marine vet from Santa Clarita.

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Democrat Getro Elize is a veteran and patient resource worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and an Antelope Valley resident. He advocates canceling student debt and finding ways to increase wages for teachers.

"Being an educator shouldn't mean you have to take on a vow of poverty," he said.

Garcia and Lackey both submitted opening statements that were read at the forum with Garcia focusing on the need to keep the nation from following California's path. Lackey said her platform focuses on freedom, family and future.

On March 3, primary voters will cast two ballots for the 25th District, one to pick a representative for the upcoming two-year term and another, in a special election, to pick someone to complete Hill's term that expires in January.

In the regular primary, the top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. In the special election, a runoff will be held on May 12 if none of the candidates gains more than 50% of the vote.

Maron said efforts would be made to hold another candidate forum if there is a runoff.

On social media, candidates have hinted at the possibility of other face-to-face events. Papadopoulos asked followers if he should debate Uygur who has issued his own challenge to Papadopoulos, Smith, Garcia and Knight.

"Any time, any place," Uygur tweeted.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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