THOUSAND OAKS — Though his two runs for Congress ended in defeat, Republican Rich Sybert did not come away from those bitter battles empty-handed: He might have lost handily in Democrat-dense Los Angeles County, but he was a hit with voters in GOP bedrock Ventura County.
Seeking to capitalize on that support, Sybert recently moved from Calabasas to Thousand Oaks and declared his plans to run for a local Assembly seat--creating quite a stir among home-grown Republicans.
Some GOP leaders have eagerly welcomed Sybert to Ventura County, saying another smart, well-connected Republican candidate is a terrific addition to their community.
Other Republicans, including some of Sybert's former Ventura County backers, have turned critical of him.
Citizens for Fair Representation, an Oak Park group that supported Sybert in his race against Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) last year, has gone on the offensive, ripping the Harvard-trained lawyer and toy company executive for what it considers shameless carpetbagging.
"When he moved from Pasadena to Calabasas to run for Congress, we gave him the benefit of the doubt," said group President Joel Shafer. "But now--the second time he's moved--it removed all doubts. I personally feel stabbed in the back, because I worked for him."
Even Sybert's former campaign manager, John Theiss, is criticizing his onetime boss, charging that he is putting his ego above the public good. Theiss has asked former Sybert supporters in a letter to rally behind rival GOP Assembly candidate Tony Strickland.
His reason: If Sybert wins next year's Republican primary, he will be regarded as a "desperate," whatever-it-takes politician, hurting the GOP's hopes of hanging onto the 37th Assembly District seat now held by Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard).
Unless the federal courts throw out voter-approved term limit laws, the three-term Takasugi will be forced out of the district, which includes Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard and Port Hueneme.
"I feel very strongly that we should elect those who are from our area," said Theiss, now an aide to state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley). "Moving into an area to fulfill your own political ambitions--I just don't think our founding fathers would have approved of that. That's not democracy the way it's supposed to work."
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Sybert is aware that some will denounce him for his nomadic political history, but he plans to ignore it.
