Our Town: Ira and Steve Our Town: Ira and Steve (August 25, 2004)

by Don Kazak

Ira Ruskin is a savvy, accomplished politician. He's served nine years as a City Councilman in Redwood City, including one as mayor.

He also knows how to get things done in the nuts and bolts of government. He worked with Palo Alto officials a few years back to create a new organization of cities that use Hetch Hetchy water, which was controlled by San Francisco. It took getting three bills passed in the Legislature, but it happened.

That, in part, is why Palo Alto Mayor Bern Beecham, a Republican, is supporting Ruskin, a Democrat, in Ruskin's quest to succeed Joe Simitian in the state Assembly.

On paper, the race should be a slam-dunk, since Democrats enjoy a 13-point edge in voter registration in the 21st Assembly district.

In the real world, Ruskin is in the electoral battle of his life, and he knows it. He has the earnest look of a man who tries a little too hard to impress, who seems nervous.

He is facing a political neophyte, someone who has never held electoral office before.

The race should be all but over.

Instead, it is a "statistical dead heat," according to recent polling of registered voters by the Steve Poizner campaign.

Poizner, the Republican, is relaxed and lets things come to him. The fact that he has never held office before doesn't seem to faze him. A Los Gatos resident, he founded a couple of high-tech companies and then cashed out, big-time. He has enormously deep pockets for the race.

Speaking of Ruskin, one leading local Democrat said, "He's not very charismatic. Poizner is focused and connects well with people."

Poizner is the most attractive, moderate Republican candidate running to represent the Palo Alto area since Becky Morgan or Tom Campbell. One Democrat joked that the only thing that would make Poizner a better candidate is if his first name was Stephanie instead of Steve.

Poizner has also been something of a campaigning whirlwind. "I've knocked on 5,000 doors and had 5,000 conversations on people's doorsteps," he said earlier this month. "Their reactions give me hope that I'm getting my message out."

That message, as articulated during a Palo Alto event in early July, is that school districts need to wrest their control away from the state, that the business climate in California is driving companies elsewhere, and that political reform is needed to clean up the mess in Sacramento.

Ruskin's message is that he is experienced and can provide effective leadership.

The two have been making campaign noises about money, each pointing the finger at the other. Poizner refuses to take money from political action groups, corporations or even the Republican Party. He chastises Ruskin for taking money from political action committees.

"He's able to fund his campaign by himself," Ruskin said. "He's super-wealthy. That's his advantage."

Actually, through early August, Poizner used $200,000 of his own money in what was then a $460,000 war chest, compared to Ruskin's $244,000. Poizner said he wants to limit the amount of his own money in the race.

But the spending difference will be huge. Ruskin said he expects to spend about $740,000. Poizner said he will spend "much more" than that. More than a million? "Easily," he said.

That's why Poizner has been on TV every night for the last month with his campaign spots. Expect to see a lot more of him.

The TV ads have given Poizner a big bump. He said he was 18 points behind Ruskin a couple of months ago and now claims he has pulled even.

"Not only do I have to be a great candidate, I have to convince Democrats to vote for me," Poizner said. All Ruskin has to do is hold onto the Democratic Party base, he said.

The race could be affected by the national election. There is a sitting president at the top of the Republican ticket and some small interest in that election, too.

Poizner hasn't endorsed fellow Republican President George W. Bush, though. "I haven't done it yet and I don't plan to," Poizner said. "I'm asking a lot of Democrats to not vote the party line" and make their choices carefully, "and I want to do the same."

Weekly Senior Staff Writer Don Kazak can be e-mailed at dkazak@paweekly.com.

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