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Clark Vandeventer Sees Opportunity in Challenge to Capps
Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, has served six terms in Congress in what appears to be an increasingly safe district for her. She’s typically not on the political radar when it comes to vulnerable incumbents but then 2010 isn’t shaping up to be a typical election year. In fact, some political analysts say that if a little-known Republican can win the Senate seat held for decades by the Kennedy family’s Democratic dynasty in Massachusetts, well, anything can happen.
Goleta resident Clark Vandeventer is counting on just such a scenario as he announces his candidacy for Congress on Monday afternoon. He is the third Republican to enter the June 8 primary race for the chance to challenge Capps, who was elected in 1998 to fill the seat held by her late husband, Rep. Walter Capps, who died in office.
Vandeventer, who turns 30 this week, graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University and moved to Santa Barbara for a job at the Reagan Ranch Center, where he worked for eight years. For the last two years, he’s been working as chief executive officer for World Changers Inc., a strategic planning consulting firm for nonprofit organizations, and formed The Vandeventer Group.
He’s long been interested in public policy and has considered joining the race for months. He meant to make a decision by the end of last year, but only just decided a few weeks ago. His wife, Monica, and several others have long been telling him to go for it.
“A switch went off and I wanted it,” he told Noozhawk.
Although he will officially announce his candidacy Monday, he has already hit the campaign trail running.
He’s hired The Prosper Group, the telephone and online campaign firm whose most famous client is new Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass. Vandeventer is hoping for the same success Brown had in winning a historically Democratic legislative seat.
The 23rd Congressional District encompasses a 200-mile-long strip of coastline in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and is one of the narrowest in the country. Democrats maintain a comfortable edge in voter registration.
Vandeventer blames safe districts as one of the causes of gridlock in Washington, since lawmakers “don’t have to be nimble.”
He also calls President Barack Obama “too liberal” to get consensus and hopes to be a representative focused on creating jobs rather than more gridlock.
“We’ve gotten wildly off track,” he said.
He believes Capps — and other members of government — have become disconnected from their constituents, and vows to be a different type of politician.
Candidate accessibility is a big issue for him, and he has the Foursquare social-networking app on his phone, “checking in” at various times during the day to tell his Facebook followers what he’s up to.
Vandeventer, who, if elected, would be one of the youngest lawmakers in the House of Representatives, wants Congress to implement more technology, such as Citrix Online’s GoToMeeting, to allow representatives to work more from their districts and be more connected with their communities.
“You shouldn’t always have to be on the House floor to vote,” he said.
People tell him he doesn’t look like Washington, D.C., which he takes as a compliment.
“Wouldn’t you like someone in Washington to look more like Santa Barbara?” he asked.
Fiscal responsibility and job creation are big priorities for him, and developing a more business-friendly environment through lowering corporate taxes and pursuing oil and gas reserves is the key, he said.
Capps is “part of this vicious cycle that is sucking the life out of our economy and country,” he said in a statement announcing his candidacy last week.
Vandeventer sees the health-care debate as a turning point for Capps from which she hasn’t recovered, as she was criticized by some of her constituents for not being more vocal about the issue last summer and fall.
Several town-hall meetings and forums were held locally, including one sponsored and moderated by Vandeventer, and Capps held informational sessions throughout the district.
The father of two young children said he wouldn’t run if he didn’t think he had a chance of winning, and believes the public has become frustrated enough to look to someone else.
“If there’s ever a chance,” he said, “this is it.”
Capps, 72, has represented the Central Coast for 12 years and was re-elected in 2008 with 68 percent of the vote after winning two previous two-year terms with more than 60 percent of ballots cast. She sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on health and the House Science and Technology Committee’s subcommittee on energy and environment.
As of Dec. 31, Capps has raised $424,695, spent about $318,000 and has $462,000 in cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission. Capps and her campaign office could not be reached for comment for this story.
Vandeventer expects to raise $1.5 million to be competitive. Republicans John Davidson of Thousand Oaks and David Stockdale of Santa Maria have also filed intent-to-run papers. They both own and operate insurance companies.
Stockdale has raised $9,302 so far and spent $615. The FEC doesn’t have records for Davidson’s fundraising.
Vandeventer will announce his candidacy at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Paseo Nuevo.
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
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» on 03.01.10 @ 11:07 AM
I am so glad to learn that Clark is running against Taxin Capsin! You have my full support, Clark. Caps has been in office too long and it’s obvious she’s lost sight of representing the people on the Central Coast. We are ready for new leadership, and it couldn’t come in a better form than a bright, motivated and energetic candidate like Vandeventer.
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» on 03.01.10 @ 12:50 PM
Do other people get spoof emails from Lois Capps? I keep getting these spoof e-mails from Capps.
I’ve contacted her office many times through email but never get a reply back. The first came a year ago when she proudly announced a “Responsible Budget” that included a $1.6 trillion deficit.
The next was when she said she and the democrats were making college affordable and the very next day the UC system raised their tuition by 40%.
I just received one that says she and the democrats have helped me with credit card abuse. I have sent another e-mail (doubt I will get a reply) that since passing this great bill my rates have more than doubled and I now have to pay a yearly fee.
If these are truly from Capps, she is either completely ignorant or just plain lying. If someone is making her appear so uninformed and out of touch, she should contact the proper legal authorities. If not, she should be removed from office.
Since I do not get any explanation of these preposterous claims from our representative, I do not know which.
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» on 03.01.10 @ 01:06 PM
Finally! A breath of fresh air. Mr.Vandeventer seems like he would be a refreshing change in an all too stale Congress. Lets get Capps out and give someone new a chance to turn our situation around,someone who seems like they can get some new ideas pushed into Congress. I am tired of living with the same old “standard”. It’s time for someone new that will actually REPRESENT us and not just kick back comfortably in a 12 year old seat. It should be an interesting race and I look forward to hearing Mr.Vandeventer’s plans and ideas.
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» on 03.01.10 @ 02:46 PM
It’s been written that, “It’s a sure sign that the sun is setting, when small men
cast great shadows.”
The idea that a gentleman with no record of civic involvement or political
leadership of any demonstrable kind imagines that he could unseat an honest,
hard-working, quality Representative like Lois Capps is truly weird.
But in a time when people like Reid, Pelosi, McConnell, Boehner pass for leaders in
Congress, perhaps nothing is too weird to imagine.
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» on 03.01.10 @ 05:43 PM
Whoa, reality check.
“The idea that a gentleman with no record of civic involvement or political leadership of any demonstrable kind imagines that he could unseat an honest,hard-working, quality Representative like Lois Capps is truly weird.”
How is; being a nurse, taking over for your dead husband (who also had no previous political leadership experience), a demonstration of political leadership much less civic involvement?
And you are really stretching putting the words honest and quality in the same sentance with Capps.
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» on 03.01.10 @ 11:54 PM
Vote the no business experience Taxin Cappsin out—Liberal tax and spend fool—She is pro illegal alien, high taxes and big Gov—weak of defense also…Union Puppet..
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