GOP Angry Over Aid to Democrat : Politics: Republican leaders send a letter rebuking 15 party members for raising funds for Jack O’Connell.

Ventura County Republican Party leaders have blasted some of the area’s most prominent GOP members--including the county district attorney and the mayor of Ventura--for breaking party ranks to help Democratic Assemblyman Jack O’Connell with his reelection campaign.

Republican Central Committee Chairman Richard Ferrier and Lincoln Club President Bob Larkin on Wednesday said they were astonished and appalled that Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, former Ventura Councilwoman Nan Drake, Ventura Mayor Gregory L. Carson and 12 other Republicans helped collect $4,000 for the veteran Democrat at a fund-raising dinner last month.

“The money they raised will go to register Democrats and to get out the Democratic vote,� said Larkin, who sent a sharply worded letter to each of the Republicans, criticizing their action. “When you support a Democrat, you are hurting all the Republicans. Elton Gallegly, John Seymour, President Bush, all of them.�

But the Republicans said they supported O’Connell, who is seeking reelection in November to his sixth term, because he has provided a long history of strong leadership for the county. Bradbury called Larkin “small-minded� and scoffed at his letter of criticism.

“I ignored it,� Bradbury said. “I’ve never supported people because of their party but because I believed they could do the best job for the public. Letters from small-minded people have never bothered me in the past and won’t in the future.�

Carson added: “I serve as a nonpartisan mayor and Jack has been a great advocate for this city. My job is to represent the city of Ventura, not necessarily the Republican Party.�

O’Connell, who is running against Santa Barbara Republican Alan O. (Lanny) Ebenstein, has long enjoyed widespread bipartisan support and won with nearly 70% of the vote in the 1990 election.

“I’m pleased that I have so much support from my Republican friends,� said O’Connell, an Oxnard native who now lives in Carpinteria. “I think it means I’m representing the district in a responsible, bipartisan manner.�

But Ebenstein, a member of the Santa Barbara Board of Education, is hopeful that he can score an upset against O’Connell by wooing the support of Republicans in the recently redrawn 35th Assembly District.

Before the political lines were redrawn, the district included the heavily Democratic sections of Oxnard. Republicans made up about 36.5% of the registered voters and Democrats about 47.9%.

But the newly configured district dropped Oxnard and picked up Ventura, Ojai and some heavily Republican parts of Santa Barbara County--increasing the proportion of registered Republicans to 41.6% and decreasing the proportion of Democrats to 44.1%.

“This is a winnable district for a Republican,� central committee Chairman Ferrier said. “I think everyone ought to pull together and get behind (Ebenstein).�

So far, Ebenstein is struggling to raise money for his campaign. While O’Connell has amassed more than $200,000, Ebenstein said he has about $1,000 in the bank.

“I think that Republicans ought to at least meet with the Republican candidate before they are going to participate in a Democratic fund-raiser,� Ebenstein said. “I think that if they learn about me and my candidacy, they would switch their position.�

Former Councilwoman Drake, a longtime area Republican, said she does not see herself as a traitor for supporting O’Connell.

“I still have party loyalty but I also understand the practicality of supporting a good legislator,� Drake said.

Bank of A. Levy President Marshall C. Milligan, a Republican who also has rallied behind the assemblyman, added: “I don’t always agree with Jack on political philosophies, but I think he has done an effective job for our area. Personally, I don’t mind admitting that I’ve never been a party-line voter.�