21st Congressional District

THE DISTRICT: Includes Santa Catalina Island, Port Hueneme, Ojai, Fillmore, Camarillo, Somis, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Westlake Village, Agoura, Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Chatsworth, and portions of Northridge, Granada Hills, Oxnard, Sylmar, Newhall, Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Castaic, Lake View Terrace, Sunland and Tujunga. Republicans outnumber Democrats by 52% to 39.2%, making it one of the most Republican districts in the state.

As a relative of a defense worker who lives and works in the 21st Congressional District, I was dismayed to see that my congressman, Elton Gallegly, voted against the bill that provided money to assist laid-off defense workers with job retraining, job search assistance, extended unemployment and other benefits. There are many defense workers in this district who devoted many years of their lives to protecting this country and bringing an end to the Cold War. If this is how he represents the needs of those people, then we need somebody else in that position.

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) was easily winning renomination in the GOP primary election Tuesday, and appeared to be trouncing wealthy Calabasas developer Sang Korman for the second time in as many years. In early returns, Gallegly was leading Korman by a 3-1 margin, despite the Korean-born challenger's unusual use of television ads attacking Gallegly's voting record and Gallegly's disputed role in an internal FBI investigation of four Los Angeles-based agents.

Democrat Richard D. Freiman is counting on a voters' revolt in his race against Rep. Elton Gallegly in the 21st Congressional District. "I have a lot of crossover support," said Freiman, 42, who is running an energetic, but low-budget, campaign. "There's an anti-incumbency feeling out there. This is a year for challengers. People out there are fed up with the status quo."

Because Sang Korman's race for the 21st Congressional District is such a lost cause, there is sometimes a tendency to ignore his many wild and unsubstantiated charges against Rep. Elton Gallegly. Apparently, the more desperate he becomes, the lower Korman is willing to stoop in his attempt to discredit his hard-working and dedicated opponent. During the past few weeks, Korman's attacks have been so vicious and vile that it is difficult to ignore them. While his campaign literature pictures him as the most patriotic American, apparently Korman has yet to learn a fundamental American principal: You don't impugn the character and integrity of an honorable opponent without losing your own credibility in the process.

As a relative of a defense worker who lives and works in the 21st Congressional District, I was dismayed to see that my congressman, Elton Gallegly, voted against the bill that provided money to assist laid-off defense workers with job retraining, job search assistance, extended unemployment and other benefits. There are many defense workers in this district who devoted many years of their lives to protecting this country and bringing an end to the Cold War. If this is how he represents the needs of those people, then we need somebody else in that position.

The June primaries have passed, and thankfully so has the mudslinging! Why don't today's politicians base their campaigns on their own merits and accomplishments rather than the mistakes of their opponents? Give the voters what they want: a straightforward campaign that is free from put-downs and accusations. When will the politicians figure out that criticizing their opponents will not win them an election? Sang Korman learned this lesson too late and it cost him. Korman ran against Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley)

After reading The Times profile of Richard Freiman, a candidate for the 21st Congressional District, I decided to write this letter. Congressman Elton Gallegly was a self-made and successful businessman before entering the political scene, where he started as a city councilman in Simi Valley, which is where my office is located. He was then able to gain experience and knowledge relating to state, county and local government and rise to the position of mayor. After serving six years as mayor, he was overwhelmingly elected to Congress where he has served for two terms.

Republican congressional candidate Sang Korman said Friday he filed a $5-million lawsuit against a conservative supporter of Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), charging the supporter libeled Korman by publicly questioning his campaign finances.

After reading The Times profile of Richard Freiman, a candidate for the 21st Congressional District, I decided to write this letter. Congressman Elton Gallegly was a self-made and successful businessman before entering the political scene, where he started as a city councilman in Simi Valley, which is where my office is located. He was then able to gain experience and knowledge relating to state, county and local government and rise to the position of mayor. After serving six years as mayor, he was overwhelmingly elected to Congress where he has served for two terms.

The June primaries have passed, and thankfully so has the mudslinging! Why don't today's politicians base their campaigns on their own merits and accomplishments rather than the mistakes of their opponents? Give the voters what they want: a straightforward campaign that is free from put-downs and accusations. When will the politicians figure out that criticizing their opponents will not win them an election? Sang Korman learned this lesson too late and it cost him. Korman ran against Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley)

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) was easily winning renomination in the GOP primary election Tuesday, and appeared to be trouncing wealthy Calabasas developer Sang Korman for the second time in as many years. In early returns, Gallegly was leading Korman by a 3-1 margin, despite the Korean-born challenger's unusual use of television ads attacking Gallegly's voting record and Gallegly's disputed role in an internal FBI investigation of four Los Angeles-based agents.

Because Sang Korman's race for the 21st Congressional District is such a lost cause, there is sometimes a tendency to ignore his many wild and unsubstantiated charges against Rep. Elton Gallegly. Apparently, the more desperate he becomes, the lower Korman is willing to stoop in his attempt to discredit his hard-working and dedicated opponent. During the past few weeks, Korman's attacks have been so vicious and vile that it is difficult to ignore them. While his campaign literature pictures him as the most patriotic American, apparently Korman has yet to learn a fundamental American principal: You don't impugn the character and integrity of an honorable opponent without losing your own credibility in the process.

Republican congressional candidate Sang Korman said Friday he filed a $5-million lawsuit against a conservative supporter of Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), charging the supporter libeled Korman by publicly questioning his campaign finances.