The Race Is On:

Read Rep. Jerry Lewis' Press Release

Read Supervisor Bran Mitzelfelt's Press Release

Read Ken Anderson's Press Realase

Read Michael Orme's Press Release

 

Jerry Lewis Announces Retirement from Congress After 46 Years of Public Service

REDLANDS – Rep. Jerry Lewis announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of this term after 46 years in elected office and 33 years representing San Bernardino and Riverside County in Congress. Lewis is the longest-serving Republican member of Congress from California in history, and the first member from the state to be Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Lewis, who is currently the Chairman Emeritus of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on his retirement plans:

"I will not seek re-election to the Congress in 2012. After months of consultation with loved ones and family, my wife Arlene and I have decided to retire from public life. We are deeply grateful to so many who have provided their support over the years. I have worked hard to justify that support. Thank you all and may God continue to bless America."

Lewis, who began his public service as a member of the San Bernardino Board of Education in 1965, was elected to the State Assembly in 1968. While serving in the Legislature, he authored bills creating the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the state's early childcare system, and establishing the California Newsman's Shield Law, among many others.

When Congresswoman Shirley Pettis announced her retirement in 1978, Lewis decided to move to the national scene. He won the Republican nomination for the 35th Congressional District, which at the time included 27,000 square miles covering most of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. He was elected to Congress on Nov. 7, 1978 with 61 percent of the vote.

The population in the two counties has grown tremendously, and the district has become more concentrated. The current Congressional District – now the 41st - takes in the East San Bernardino Valley, the San Bernardino Mountains and a portion of the Mojave Desert, along with part of the San Jacinto Valley and Desert Hot Springs in Riverside County. The California Redistricting Commission further segmented the district this year, leaving Lewis's home in a district that stretches from Redlands to Rancho Cucamonga in the San Bernardino Valley.

Lewis said he is very proud of the record he has established in his years in the state legislature and Congress. A strong supporter of small businesses, Lewis introduced legislation in his first year in Congress to target more federal research dollars to small innovative firms – like those he knew in San Bernardino County. Although it took three years, the bill became law in 1982. It was the beginning of a career-long support for small businesses that Lewis has capped in recent years by directing tens of millions of dollars to innovative small defense firms in San Bernardino County.

Through the years, Lewis has been a principal player in a number of issues of importance to the nation and California. He was the original sponsor of legislation that created the U.S. Double-Eagle Coin, which has successfully competed with the South African Kruggerand. In 1986, he wrote the original law that established the Lower Colorado River water allocation, which has brought drinking water to much of Southern California. Throughout the 1980s, he worked with former California Congressman Vic Fazio to provide funding to refurbish the Library of Congress and the U.S. Capitol.

In his early career, Lewis rose through the ranks of the Republican House leadership. He eventually was elected as Republican Conference Chairman, the No. 3 position on a team that included former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. He led a successful campaign to recruit women and minority candidates, and was the lead House floor manager helping pass President George H.W. Bush's 1991 deficit-reduction legislation, which ultimately eliminated the federal deficit a few years later.

The Appropriations Committee has been Lewis's principal legislative home throughout his career. He capped that service when he became Chairman of the committee in 2005. During his term as chairman, the committee eliminated 53 wasteful or non-performing federal programs and voted to eliminate funding for 95 more unnecessary programs. The committee reduced spending on nearly all domestic programs below levels requested by the president.

Lewis set the tone for fiscal restraint when Republicans first became the majority party in the House in 1994. He was named chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies. Within months, Lewis cut nearly $8 billion in wasteful spending and programs. At the same time, he established a watchdog program that has cleaned up major fraud rings in federal housing programs. He ensured that funding would continue for the Space Station and Space Shuttle programs, and worked to make the Federal Emergency Management Agency one of the most efficient programs in government.

He put aside party differences and became a personal friend and ally to directors in all three programs. He created the "House the Congress Built" program and joined with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo to personally work on numerous Habitat for Humanity houses. Through his close relationship with FEMA Director James Lee Witt, Lewis brought billions of dollars to California for renovation of freeway bridges and to make many medical centers earthquake resistant. He convinced NASA Director Dan Goldin to donate a radio telescope set to be retired at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Network in the High Desert to the Center for Education Excellence in Apple Valley. The Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope program has allowed thousands of school children around the world to work on actual space research with NASA scientists.

From 1999-2005, Congressman Lewis was chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Within a year, he reversed a decade-long decline in spending on our nation's defense, and guided legislation that provided a pay increase and other benefits for our military personnel. He was a primary supporter of visionary weapons systems like the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle and the Army's more agile modern force. He was also a congressional leader in supporting the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. And he has been one of the sharpest watchdogs insisting that the Pentagon perform adequate testing before rushing into expensive weapons systems like the F-22 fighter.

Throughout his years in Congress, Lewis has made a priority of looking out for the interests of the Inland Empire. He secured funding for improvements that have modernized Ontario International Airport. He sponsored legislation that required the Air Force to transfer George Air Force Base in Victorville and Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino to local agencies at minimal cost – and has secured nearly $150 million for improvements at the two former bases.

Beyond the refurbishing of the bases – which has brought thousands of new jobs to the area, Lewis is proud of his work with local officials on a number of high-profile projects, including:

• The creation and advancement of Loma Linda University Medical Center's Proton Beam treatment center. Lewis convinced the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee to provide startup funds for the project in 1988 after federal health officials refused to back it. The creation of that first center has led to the installation of many others across the nation, and successfully treated thousands of Americans for prostate and breast cancer. Lewis has helped secure nearly $150 million in federal funds for health care programs, as well as for innovative research on the effects of radiation on astronauts.
• A pilot program that became a national model for public housing reform is showing dramatic success in Highland, Redlands, San Bernardino and the county. Using a special $15 million fund created by Congressman Lewis, the local agencies have refurbished and are helping low-income families take ownership of hundreds of abandoned houses that had been repossessed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to giving many people their first chance at owning a home, the program has the potential to revitalize neighborhoods that were in decline because of the abandoned homes.
• The dedication of the Seven Oaks Dam in 1999 completed a decades-long effort on a flood control project that protects millions of people's lives and saves billions in potential flood damage to homes and businesses along the Santa Ana River. Working closely with the late Congressman George Brown, Lewis fought to ensure that the dam would receive first priority in the billion-dollar flood control project that stretches through four counties. The completion of this dam not only protects thousands of San Bernardino County homeowners from future floods, but has eliminated the annual cost of flood insurance for most of them.
• The elimination of more than a million dead trees to reduce fire danger in and around the San Bernardino National Forest. Responding to the terrible devastation caused to the forest by drought and bark beetles, Congressman Lewis placed special riders in a series of appropriations bills that sent nearly $100 million to the Forest Service, state and county to reduce the problem. He worked with Sen. Dianne Feinstein to secure $500 million more to eliminate fire dangers throughout Southern California. As a result of the work with San Bernardino County and forest service officials, fire danger has been dramatically reduced in the past few years.
• Many other projects that have improved the quality of life for local residents. Lewis has brought federal funding to support local officials in refurbishing and reopening public swimming pools in San Bernardino and Barstow. The cooperation has led to the strengthening and modernization of the historic Santa Fe Depot and San Bernardino County Courthouse. It helped California State University, San Bernardino create a Water Resources Institute and University of Redlands create a geo-sciences program. Major road improvements have reduced terrible traffic problems along Interstate 15 in the High Desert and around Ontario International Airport.

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Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt To Run For Congress

VICTORVILLE, Calif. - Board of Supervisors Vice-Chairman Brad Mitzelfelt (R-San Bernardino County) today announced his intention to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the newly formed 8th District of California.

Supervisor Mitzelfelt said that upon learning of the planned retirement of U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), he will be forming a Congressional Campaign Committee immediately.

"Congressman Lewis has been a great representative for California, and I would be honored to continue to fight for the principles that have guided his distinguished service," Mr. Mitzelfelt said.

"The out-of-control growth in the size and scope of the federal government while at the same time it drastically cuts military spending and refuses to secure our borders is putting our nation on a dangerous path," he added. "I will use the experience I've gained in local government, the private sector and as a Marine to help protect our security, rebuild the economy and help turn this country around."

As Supervisor, Mr. Mitzelfelt fought to save one million jobs by leading the fight for the California Jobs Initiative. He has also helped create renowned worker-training programs.

The Supervisor pushed successfully to expedite expansion of county jails, which proved timely as the state is now sending thousands of additional felons to counties. His steadfast support for public safety recently earned endorsements for re-election to the Board of Supervisors by San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos and Sheriff Rod Hoops.

To fight government corruption, Brad Mitzelfelt has supported numerous reforms, including the "Sunshine Ordinance" that makes it easier for the public to obtain county documents and prevent officials from destroying public records. And he co-sponsored a new proposed local law to limit the amount of money that can be contributed to or received by candidates for county offices.

Supervisor Mitzelfelt promised to fight for a more secure border and noted that he created an award-winning program to identify and help deport illegal immigrants in the county's jails.

A veteran of 10 years of active and reserve military service, Brad served as a U.S. Marine in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. A married father of a young son, he is a lifelong Republican and a native Californian.

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Local Businessman and Field Rep for Sharon Runner & Brad Mitzelflet Running for 1st Dist. Supervisor

PHELAN, CA - January 12, 2012 - Local High Desert Businessman, volunteer and field representative for two elected officials, Ken Anderson announced his run for election to the 1st District County Supervisor seat currently held by Brad Mitzelfelt. Mr. Mitzelfelt announced his candidacy for the new 8th Congressional District seat earlier today.

“It has been an honor to serve constituents of Supervisor Mitzelfelt and State Senator Sharon Runner as representatives for them in our High Desert communities. I hope that those efforts, as well as having served as an elected Director for the Phelan Piñon Hills CSD and County Planning Commissioner, have earned voters’ trust and support.” Anderson said.

“I have worked hard to provide a high level of personal service, openness, fiscal conservatism and economic and educational opportunities.” Ken believes that the combination of being elected to local office himself, as well as representing others elected to higher office, has given him unmatched experience and skills set to bring to bear on the Supervisor’s job.

As the owner and manager of his own Anderson’s True Value Hardware stores over the past quarter-century, a life-long District resident, husband, father, neighbor, LDS Church leader, member of the Phelan Community Plan and Municipal Advisory Committees, two-time President of the Chamber of Commerce (and still a Director), along with the local appointed, elected and County and State experience representing other elected officials; not only does Ken Anderson have broad and unique experience, but you can be assured he shares your values and will know and respond to your concerns.

Anderson’s record of community involvement is long and varied. Friends and supporters point to Ken’s sincerity and availability as two of his strongest traits. Addressing those folks today, he promised the First District would be his first priority. For more information, please visit www.kenandersonforsupervisor.com.

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Long-time Victor Valley resident, small business owner and Congressional field representative Michael Orme announced his intent to run for San Bernardino County First District Supervisor in the November 2012 election.

Orme made the announcement after learning that current First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, whom he worked for before joining U.S. Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon’s staff (R-Santa Clarita), will be running for the newly drawn Eighth Congressional district.

“Michael has extensive experience working at every level of government and has been very successful in navigating the proverbial government red tape, enabling him to get things done for community members,” said Apple Valley Town Council Member Curt Emick. “His understanding of what it takes to run his own successful small consulting business provides him a good balance between government and business. He’s exactly the person we need running our large district,” added McNamara Group owner Carolyn McNamara.

The knowledge that Orme gained while working for the County in the First District office combined with the experience he garnered at the federal level combine to make him the ideal choice to lead this County in the right direction and help the First District recover from the economic recession.
“I believe I have the experience and right tools for this job,” said Orme. If elected, I will focus on getting our area’s economic engine moving again and put our residents back to work,” Orme added.

Already Orme has gained the support of area leaders including nine-term U.S. Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron, Apple Valley Town Council Member Curt Emick, Victor Valley College Board of Trustee Lorie Denson, Barstow Council Member Tim Silva and Tim Saenz, and others.

“He’s already worked side by side with most leaders in this area and they’ve seen his dedication and expediency in solving our problems first hand,” said Barstow Mayor Pro Tem Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, “there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the most qualified person for this important job.”

Call Al Morrissette at 760-713-6033

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