Voter Guide 2004: Race for state Senate not likely to be a nail-biter Voter Guide 2004: Race for state Senate not likely to be a nail-biter (October 13, 2004)

By Renee Batti
Almanac News Editor

Joe Simitian became the presumptive winner of the state Senate's District 11 seat on March 2. That's when the Democratic assemblyman from Palo Alto won a hard-fought race against former assemblyman Ted Lempert to be his party's choice on the November ballot.

Whoever won that primary race was almost assured the seat now being held by Sen. Byron Sher (D-Palo Alto), who couldn't seek re-election because of term limits.

South Bay businessman Jon Zellhoefer is challenging Mr. Simitian on the Republican ticket, but, as the low-key campaign effort on both sides suggests, his election to the Senate is considered a long shot at best, given the heavily Democratic make-up of the 11th District.

But the feisty newcomer to the political scene has enthusiastically offered his ideas at candidate forums and to the press, and asserts that his lack of political experience is not a disadvantage. Citing the replacement of a career politician with a political novice in the governor's office in last fall's recall election, Mr. Zellhoefer has urged voters to "terminate every career politician at the ballot box" to change "business as usual."

Joe Simitian

Mr. Simitian's advantage in this race is enormous. For four years, he represented voters in the 21st Assembly District, which greatly overlaps the 11th Senate District; the Senate district covers much of the Midpeninsula -- including Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside -- and much of Santa Clara County.

During those four years, he established a strong reputation in the areas of education and the environment, issues that resonate strongly with voters in the district.

His experience also includes terms on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, the Palo Alto City Council, and the Palo Alto School Board.

In Sacramento, Mr. Simitian went to bat for local school districts trying to navigate the complications that arose from the burgeoning numbers of charter schools launched in the area. He also led efforts to increase funding for poorer school districts and to pass school bond measures.

He now is a leader in the campaign to change the state's constitution to allow parcel tax measures that would benefit school districts to pass with a 55 percent majority vote, rather than the currently needed two-thirds vote.

Mr. Simitian's work in behalf of the environment includes laws that curb pollution of ocean waters by cruise ships and a law strengthening California's auto-emission regulations with respect to global warming.

Jon Zellhoefer

Mr. Zellhoefer's background is in electrical contracting and technical management. He worked as a technical consultant for the U.S. government in Russia and Eastern Europe, and for the United Nations in China, he said.

He is concerned, he said, that California has lost its economic base, and to help the business climate, he advocates a "five-year, one-time tax exemption for any company that starts up in California."

The exemption, he said, would "offer companies an incentive to plant their seeds in California," giving the state a needed boost. During those five years, the state can fix its workers' compensation problems so that businesses will want to stay here, he added.

Mr. Zellhoefer says schools must become more competitive, and to push them in that direction, he advocates vouchers -- allowing parents to send their children to private schools using money diverted from public education.

Vouchers, he said, give parents a choice in where their children go to school; allow schools to determine which students they will accept; make teachers accountable for classroom results; and encourage schools to adopt cost-effective teaching methods.

Mr. Zellhoefer strongly opposes Mr. Simitian's efforts to allow parcel tax measures benefiting schools to pass by a 55 percent majority.

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