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Steve Bennett (California politician)

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Steve Bennett
Member of the California Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 7, 2020
Preceded byMonique Limón
Constituency37th district (2020–2022)
38th district (2022–present)
Member of the Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors from the 1st district
In office
January 2001 – December 7, 2020
Preceded bySusan Lacey
Succeeded byMatt LaVere
Member of the Ventura, California city council
In office
1993–1997
Personal details
Born (1950-12-31) December 31, 1950 (age 73)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLeslie Ogden
Children4
EducationBrown University
Butler University (MA)
Signature

Stephen Bennett (born December 31, 1950) is an American activist, educator, and politician serving as a member of the California State Assembly from the 38th district as a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his tenure in the state legislature, he was active in local politics in Ventura, California, and Ventura County, California, with him serving on the city council and board of supervisors.[1][2]

Bennett was born in Indiana, and educated at Brown University and Butler University. He worked as an educator at Calabasas High School and Nordhoff High School before moving to Ventura. He became active in local politics in Ventura by working with the Voters for Alternate Sites and serving as a leader of the Alliance for Ventura's Future.

He was elected to the Ventura city council in 1993, after an unsuccessful write-in candidacy in 1991, and served until 1997. Following his tenure in the city council he served on the county board of supervisors. During his tenure on the board of supervisors he served as chair and he ran a campaign for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, but withdrew. Bennett was elected to the state house in the 2020 election.[3]

Early life and education

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Steve Bennett was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 31, 1950. He graduated from Brown University with an honours degree in economics in 1972, and graduated from Butler University with a master's degree in education in 1976. He worked as a high school teacher who taught economics and American history for twenty years at Calabasas High School and Nordhoff High School. He married Leslie Ogden, with whom he had four children, and moved to Ventura, California.[4][5][6][7] Bennett later led the counseling department and worked as assistant principal at Nordhoff High School after leaving the city council.[8][9] He admires Harry S. Truman and William Jennings Bryan as his political heroes.[10]

Career

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Activism

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In the 1990s Bennett served as the spokesman for the Voters for Alternate Sites organization which opposed the construction of a new campus by the California State University near the Robert Taylor Ranch. He also worked as one of the leaders of the Alliance for Ventura's Future which aided in the election of three candidates to the Ventura city council.[11] He later served as president of the Alliance for Ventura's Future.[12]

Ventura City Council

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Bennett ran for one of three seats on the Ventura city council as a write-in candidate in 1991, and placed fifth out of eighteen candidates.[5][13][14][15] During the campaign he had been endorsed by Patagonia, Inc. and the Ventura Sierra Club.[16][17] Bennett won election to the Ventura city council after placing second in the 1993 election and during the campaign he spent $21,487.[5][18][19] He served on the city council until 1997, when he announced that he would not seek reelection due to a campaign promise to only serve one term.[4][20]

Bennett nominated Gary Tuttle, a member of the city council, to serve as mayor in 1995, and initially supported him, but after Jack Tingstrom won the position of mayor by a vote of five to two a second vote was requested by Bennett and Tuttle so that they could unanimously support Tingstrom.[21] During the 1996 presidential election Bennett seconded a motion to allow Republican vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp to use Ventura's city hall for a rally in the name of "bipartisanship".[22]

Ventura County Board of Supervisors

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Susan Lacey, a member of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, retired from her position.[5] Bennett announced that he would seek election to the seat on April 7, 1999.[23] Bennett won the initial election against Jim Monahan and Rosa Lee Measures and then defeated Monahan in the runoff election.[24][25] He announced on June 9, 2003, that he would seek reelection and won reelection in the 2004 election against Jeffrey Ketelsen.[26][27] He won reelection without opposition in 2008.[28] Bennett defeated Bob Roper, Christy Weir, and Neal Andrews in the initial election in 2012, and defeated Roper in the runoff election.[29][30] He defeated Dave Grau in the 2016 election.[31] Bennett was unable to seek reelection as supervisor for a sixth term due to term limits that were implemented in 2008. Matt LaVere, the mayor of Ventura, was elected to succeed Bennett.[5]

During his tenure he served as chair of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors multiple times and Kelly Long succeeded him as chair after his last term as chair.[32][33]

Bennett announced on November 16, 2011, that he would seek election to the United States House of Representatives from California's 26th congressional district, but he announced at the California Democratic Party's state convention that he was withdrawing from the election.[34][35][36] Julia Brownley won the seat in the 2012 election.[37]

California State Assembly

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Bennett ran for a seat in the California State Assembly from the California's 37th State Assembly district. He placed second in the primary behind Republican Charles W. Cole and ahead of Democratic candidates Cathy Murillo, Jonathan Abboud, Jason Dominguez, Elsa Granados, and Stephen Blum. He defeated Cole in the general election.[38][39]

During Bennett's tenure in the state house he served on the Budget, Education, Elections, Privacy and Consumer Protection, Rules, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife committees.[40]

Bennett is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.[41]

Political positions

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In 1994, the Ventura city council voted, with Bennett voting in favor, in favor of a resolution opposing Proposition 187, which would not allow illegal immigrants to have access to healthcare or education.[42] In 1995, the city council voted four to three, with Bennett voting in favor, in favor of having the Ventura city attorney file a brief in support of the city council of Santa Barbara, California's appeal of a federal court ruling. The ruling declared that an eight-foot bubble ordinance outside family planning clinics was unconstitutional.[43] In 1997, the city council voted three to three, with Bennett voting against, on legislation that would have implemented term limits on people serving on Ventura's fourteen boards, commissions, and committees.[44]

Campaign finance

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Bennett, who had refused to accept donations above $100 during his city council campaign, proposed legislation to limit campaign contributions to $100, but the city council voted four to two against it.[45] He requested that the campaign contribution limit be placed onto the ballot as a proposition by the city council and the placement was approved by a vote of five to two. The League of Women Voters, Common Cause, Sierra Club, and Voters Coalition of Ventura aided Bennett in the writing of the proposition. The proposition limited campaign donations to $100, but allowed it to be $200 if the candidate agreed to limit their spending to $20,000.[46] Bennett's Measure H was passed by voters in the election.[47][48]

The city council voted five to two, with Bennett against, in favor of repealing legislation that prevented organized groups from donating money to candidates.[49] Bennett announced on August 25, 1997, that he would push for a ballot initiative to the 1998 ballot to prohibit organized groups from donating to candidates.[50] However, he later stated that a proposition was unnecessary after the city council voted to require PACs to report all contributions above $25.[51]

During his campaign for a seat on the board of supervisors in the 2000 election he limited individual campaign donations to his campaign to $500.[52]

Ventura County had legislation passed in 1991, which limited campaign contributions to $750 during primaries and $250 during general elections and was changed following the passage of a state law in 1996, but when the state law was found unconstitutional the county's law was invalidated too. Bennett proposed legislation while serving on the board of supervisors to create an eleven-member ethics panel, with all members of the board of supervisors, the district attorney, sheriff, assessor, auditor-controller, treasurer-tax collector, and county clerk-recorder serving on the panel, to enforce the legislation. Individual donors would be limited to donating $500 per candidate and campaign spending would be limited to $75,000.[53][54]

In 2003, he and Supervisor Kathy Long proposed legislation that would limit campaign spending for supervisors to $150,000 and limit spending for countywide officials to $500,000. Their legislation also limited donations to $600 who accepted campaign spending limits while the limit would be $300 for those who did not.[55] The legislation was approved by the board of supervisors by a vote of four to one.[56]

Economics

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Bennett stated that "no way would I support cutting the police budget" during discussion on the city budget and he stated that he was comfortable cutting $100,000 from other areas of the budget.[57] In 2001, Bennett gave support to and voted for increasing the minimum wage to $8 per hour with medical benefits or $10 per hour without medical benefits.[58][59] Bennett called for the board of supervisors to pass a resolution in support of prohibiting new federal leasing for offshore oil and gas drilling.[60]

Electoral history

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1991 Ventura, California city council election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Greg Carson 11,019 21.24%
Nonpartisan Jack Tingstrom 8,345 16,09%
Nonpartisan Tom Buford 8,070 15.56%
Nonpartisan Don Villeneuve 6,193 11.94%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett (write-in) 5,315 10.25%
Nonpartisan Jamie Steward-Bentley 2,617 5.04%
Nonpartisan S. R. Wyatt 1,986 3.83%
Nonpartisan Donald R. Boyd 1,288 2.48%
Nonpartisan Bob Van Der Valk 1,207 2.33%
Nonpartisan Andrew M. Hicks 1,147 2.21%
Nonpartisan Keith Burns 1,018 1.96%
Nonpartisan Marcum Patrick 825 1.59%
Nonpartisan Kenneth Vernie Jordan 625 1.20%
Nonpartisan John T. Sudak 565 1.09%
Nonpartisan Carroll Dean Williams 557 1.07%
Nonpartisan Alan Berk 449 0.87%
Nonpartisan Louis J. Cunningham 368 0.71%
Nonpartisan Brian Lee Rencher 282 0.54%
Total votes 51,876 100.00%
1993 Ventura, California city council election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Rose L. Measures 14,359 15.86%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett 12,220 13.50%
Nonpartisan James L. Monahan 10,370 11.45%
Nonpartisan Gary Robert Tuttle 9,842 10.87%
Nonpartisan Clark Owens 7,555 8.34%
Nonpartisan Kenneth Michael Schmitz 7,345 8.11%
Nonpartisan Nancy Cloutier 7,240 8.00%
Nonpartisan Todd J. Collart 6,408 7.08%
Nonpartisan Virginia K. Weber 5,493 6.07%
Nonpartisan Dick Massa 4,157 4.59%
Nonpartisan Charles E. Kistner Jr. 2,290 2.53%
Nonpartisan Carroll Dean Williams 1,660 1.83%
Nonpartisan Neil Demeres-Grey 1,026 1.13%
Nonpartisan Brian Lee Rencher 510 0.56%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 65 0.07%
Total votes 90,540 100.00%
2000 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett 17,580 44.19%
Nonpartisan Jim Monahan 12,555 31.56%
Nonpartisan Rosa Lee Measures 9,479 23.83%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 165 0.41%
Total votes 39,779 100.00%
2000 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election runoff[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett 36,115 62.62%
Nonpartisan Jim Monahan 21,323 36.97%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 234 0.41%
Total votes 57,672 100.00%
2004 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election runoff[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett (incumbent) 25,621 75.95%
Nonpartisan Jeffrey Ketelsen 7,706 22.84%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 405 1.20%
Total votes 33,732 100.00%
2008 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election runoff[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett (incumbent) 20,593 96.91%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 657 3.09%
Total votes 21,250 100.00%
2012 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett (incumbent) 13,000 44.25%
Nonpartisan Bob Roper 8,177 27.83%
Nonpartisan Christy Weir 4,472 15.22%
Nonpartisan Neal Andrews 3,728 12.69%
Total votes 29,377 100.00%
2012 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election runoff[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett (incumbent) 33,559 67.22%
Nonpartisan Bob Roper 29,756 32.78%
Total votes 63,315 100.00%
2016 Ventura County, California Board of Supervisors 1st district election runoff[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Steve Bennett (incumbent) 26,633 58.87%
Nonpartisan Dave Grau 18,604 41.13%
Total votes 45,237 100.00%
2020 California State Assembly 37th district primary[38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Charles W. Cole 41,945 27.54%
Democratic Steve Bennett 37,516 24.63%
Democratic Cathy Murillo 29,498 19.37%
Democratic Jonathan Abboud 12,039 7.91%
Democratic Jason Dominguez 11,177 7.34%
Democratic Elsa Granados 10,840 7.12%
Democratic Stephen Blum 9,278 6.09%
Total votes 152,293 100.00%
2020 California State Assembly 37th district election[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Steve Bennett 166,015 67.57%
Republican Charles W. Cole 79,661 32.43%
Total votes 245,676 100.00%


References

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  1. ^ "2 Supervisors to Target Public Safety Funding". Los Angeles Times. November 15, 2000. p. 272. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Matt LaVere Appointed Supervisor for the 1st District of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors" (PDF). Ventura County. December 7, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 5, 2021.
  3. ^ "Steve Bennett sworn in to serve Assembly District 37". Steve Bennett. December 7, 2020. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Biography". California State Assembly. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Bennett leaves county board with trail of wins, to head to Sacramento". Ventura County Star. December 6, 2020. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Steve Bennett". Cal Matters. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022.
  7. ^ "District 1 Supervisorial Candidates". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 2000. p. 414. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "After-School Jobs May Be Hurting Grades, Experts Warn". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 1998. p. 188. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Debate Emerges Over 3 Elected County Posts". Los Angeles Times. February 27, 2000. p. 397. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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  11. ^ "Group's Poll Shows Opposition to Taylor Ranch Campus". Los Angeles Times. March 31, 1990. p. 475. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Group Urges City to Preserve Greenbelts". Los Angeles Times. February 1, 1991. p. 470. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Ghost of a Chance". Los Angeles Times. September 22, 1991. p. 787. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Bennett: Advocate of Slow Growth Joins Council Race". Los Angeles Times. September 18, 1991. p. 245. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b "1991 Ventura, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. November 5, 1991. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 4, 2021.
  16. ^ "Sierra Club Chapter Endorses Bennett". Los Angeles Times. October 7, 1991. p. 306. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Patagonia Endorses Villeneuve, Bennett". Los Angeles Times. October 11, 1991. p. 464. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b "1993 Ventura, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. November 2, 1993. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "Campaign: $222,000 Spent in Race". Los Angeles Times. February 1, 1994. p. 263. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Taking a Break". Los Angeles Times. August 1, 1997. p. 217. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Council: Jack Tingstrom Wins Ventura Mayor's Contest". Los Angeles Times. December 5, 1995. p. 228. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Kemp Will Hold Rally in Front of Ventura City Hall". Los Angeles Times. October 30, 1996. p. 185. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Ex-Ventura Councilman to Run for Supervisor". Los Angeles Times. April 8, 1999. p. 315. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b "2000 Ventura County, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. March 7, 2000. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2012.
  25. ^ a b "2000 Ventura County, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. March 7, 2000. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 4, 2021.
  26. ^ "Bennett to Run for a 2nd Term". Los Angeles Times. June 10, 2003. p. 96. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ a b "2004 Ventura County, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. March 2, 2004. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2012.
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  30. ^ a b "2012 Ventura County, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. November 6, 2012. p. 161. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 5, 2021.
  31. ^ a b "2016 Ventura County, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. June 7, 2016. p. 252. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 5, 2021.
  32. ^ "Huber takes issue with platform and Bennett moves up to chairman". Ventura County Star. January 8, 2019. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021.
  33. ^ "Kelly Long named chairwoman of Board of Supervisors". Ventura County Star. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021.
  34. ^ "Democrat will run for Congress". Los Angeles Times. November 17, 2011. p. 15. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "L.A. race is state's most notable". The Fresno Bee. March 9, 2012. p. A8. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "California: Steve Bennett Drops Congressional Bid". Roll Call. February 14, 2012. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021.
  37. ^ "2012 election results" (PDF). United States House of Representatives. November 6, 2012. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 30, 2021.
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  39. ^ a b "2020 California election results" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. November 3, 2020. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 28, 2021.
  40. ^ "Committees". California State Assembly. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021.
  41. ^ "Legislative Progressive Caucus". assembly.ca.gov. California State Assembly. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  42. ^ "Council Takes Stand Against Prop. 187". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1994. p. 259. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Ventura Backs Safeguards at Family Planning Clinics". Los Angeles Times. June 7, 1995. p. 230. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "Ventura Council Sticks With Status Quo, Won't Restrict City Panelists". Los Angeles Times. March 19, 1997. p. 190. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Ventura Rejects Cap on Campaign Donations". Los Angeles Times. December 7, 1994. p. 237. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Campaign Limit Issue to Appear on Ballot". Los Angeles Times. January 24, 1995. p. 141. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "Measure H". Los Angeles Times. October 15, 1995. p. 300. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ "1995 Ventura County, California election results" (PDF). Ventura County Recorder. November 7, 1995. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2021.
  49. ^ "Ventura Agrees to End Ban on Organizations Donating to Candidates". Los Angeles Times. June 25, 1997. p. 159. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ "Bennett Launches New Campaign-Reform Initiative". Los Angeles Times. June 25, 1997. p. 193. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "Finance Reform Law May Be Expanded". Los Angeles Times. October 29, 1997. p. 301. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ "Candidate for Supervisor Calls for $500 Cap on Each Contribution". Los Angeles Times. January 14, 2000. p. 339. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "Reform: County Eyes Funding Limits". Los Angeles Times. September 11, 2001. p. 216. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. ^ "Tough Limits Proposed for Office Seekers". Los Angeles Times. September 11, 2001. p. 209. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ "2 Supervisors Propose New Campaign Rules". Los Angeles Times. February 20, 2003. p. 154. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "Supervisors OK Limits on Campaigns". Los Angeles Times. March 5, 2003. p. 106. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ "Ventura Lifts Hiring Freeze to Replace Police Officers". Los Angeles Times. November 21, 1994. p. 224. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ^ "Supervisors Set to Back Living Wage Ordinance". Los Angeles Times. April 15, 2001. p. 303. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ^ "Wages: Supervisors Approve Ordinance". Los Angeles Times. May 9, 2001. p. 277. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ "Supervisors May Formally Back Offshore". Los Angeles Times. February 6, 2001. p. 219. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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