COUNTYWIDE : Democrat to Enter Lagomarsino Race

Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ventura), who had decided to run for reelection in a district north of Ventura County, has picked up his first Democratic opponent.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa announced her candidacy Monday in the 22nd Congressional District that encompasses most of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

“I am running for one simple reason,” Ochoa said. “The professional politicians and multimillionaire congressmen in Washington, D.C., have lost touch with the needs and desires of the American people.”

The issues in her campaign, she said, will focus on domestic programs such as improving public education, creating jobs and protecting the environment. She also supports abortion rights for women.

Ochoa, a chemist and lawyer, is the first Democrat to enter the race. She was elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in 1988.

Lagomarsino, an opponent of abortion, also faces a challenger in the June 2 Republican primary.

Republican Michael Huffington of Montecito began broadcasting television ads this week that portray him as a well-educated businessman and former U.S. arms control negotiator who supports abortion rights.

Lagomarsino will continue to represent constituents in the old 19th Congressional District, which covers western Ventura County, until the end of the year.