Attorney to Run for Senate, Not Assembly

Dropping his bid for a state Assembly seat, attorney John Birke announced Wednesday that he is entering the race for a state Senate seat that represents much of Ventura County.

The 31-year-old Chatsworth Democrat said he will oppose state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) in her bid for reelection in the 19th District, which includes Camarillo, Oxnard, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. The district also includes Chatsworth, Northridge and Castaic in Los Angeles County.

Birke, a first-time candidate, said that finding more revenues for public education would be among his top priorities if elected.

“I want to shift the position of the state from building more prisons to putting more money back into public education,” Birke said.

Birke is the only other candidate so far to enter the November, 1996, state Senate race.

He said he decided to drop out of the race in the 38th Assembly District because he did not want to challenge his friend Jon Lauritzen, a mathematics teacher at Canoga Park High School, in the Democratic primary in March. The Assembly district also straddles Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including Simi Valley and Fillmore.

“I’ve decided to support Jon” in the Assembly race, Birke said. “I don’t want to cause any division among Valley Democrats.”