NEW ORGANIZATION DRAWS DEMOCRATS IN SIMI VALLEY.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Daily News Staff Writer

Ever since she was old enough to vote, retired television writer Grace Bernstein pulled the lever for the Democrats.

So when she heard this summer that some like-minded political types were starting a new club in the city, she decided to join.

The only problem is, it's in Simi Valley.

``I don't think it's that far out to be a Democrat in Simi Valley,'' said Bernstein, a former League of Women Voters activist who was elected the new club's interim president. ``All parties have a need to be heard.''

They're thought to be few and far between, the Democrats in this Republican stronghold, but they've formed a new club to liberally promote their views - and candidates - for the November election and beyond.

They have high hopes of succeeding where others before them have failed, believing the time is right for a Democratic club to take root in the city, where Republicans make up the City Council majority and out-of-towners often know the area only as the place where where jurors acquitted officers in the first Rodney King beating trial.

``I think the demographics are changing,'' Bernstein said, pointing to the handful of residents who turned out for the first two meetings and paid $15 dues. ``I had no idea there were that many people around who were interested.''

Local leaders of the Grand Old Party wish their opponents well, confident that the tidal wave of conservative voting will continue to usher their candidates into office.

Republicans hold both the state Senate and Assembly seats in the area, as well as the congressional seat that includes the city.

``On this end of the county, there's been very little effect from the Democrats because it's such a Republican area,'' said Bob Larkin, a local Republican activist and president of the California Congress of Republicans of Ventura County. ``I don't think they'll have much effect here.''

Or, as former Simi Valley mayor and longtime Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Oxnard, put it: ``What phone booth are they holding their meeting in?''

Republicans count about 30,000 registered voters in the city to the Democrats' 19,700 for the upcoming November election, according to the county clerk, and consultants say the GOP historically turns out voters in greater numbers than their opponents.

Satisfying start

But that's not stopping the feisty Simi Valley Democratic Club, which plans to hold its third meeting in September to draw up its by-laws and consider campaign work.

``We had only two meetings, and we had a pretty good turnout,'' said Carla Kurachi, a club officer and Simi Valley school board member who is running for re-election for her nonpartisan seat. ``The second meeting we had six new members.''

Longtime Democrats like Kurachi say the party's voice is needed in Simi Valley to offer an alternative to the conservative stronghold that represents the majority view.

Political consultants add that groups on the losing end of the political spectrum often deliver a hefty punch because they work doubly hard to make their voices heard.

``Groups like this can have an influence,'' said longtime Los Angeles Democratic consultant Joe Cerrell. ``They have the potential of making themselves into a vocal minority.''

Still, stalwarts of the county Democrats know what an uphill battle it can be to try to organize activists in an area when victories are few and far between.

They know past groups have come and gone in Simi Valley, usually formed around a race or candidate like the last group, organized in 1992, and encourage the new club in Simi Valley to dig in for the long haul.

``Probably the reason they have not had any success is it's been disheartening to some of the folks out there,'' said Hank Lacayo, chairman of the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee. ``It's Republican territory.''

Still, even Lacayo can't help but point to success stories, like the defeat of longtime conservative Orange County Rep. Bob Dornan to newcomer Loretta Sanchez, a Democrat, a few years ago.

``Some people are saying we don't have a snowball in hell's chance,'' Lacayo said. ``I point to what happened to Dornan in Orange County.''

That's the hope candidates pin to their sleeves as they campaign in this Republican stronghold, trying to edge into a county that once belonged to Democrats.

Once a Democratic stronghold

Voter registration shows that for years in the 1960s and 1970s the county was largely Democratic, with the party easily claiming more than 50 percent of registered voters. But by 1980, the party lost the majority of registered voters, with Republicans taking the lead in 1986 - yet never with more than about 47 percent of registered voters.

In fact, the 23rd Congressional District Gallegly represents, which stretches from Simi Valley to Oxnard and Carpenteria, had more registered Democrats than Republicans during parts of the 1990s, and voted for President Clinton in both the 1992 and 1996 elections, Cerrell said.

That's the kind of information propelling Simi Valley attorney Dan Gonzalez, who is running against Gallegly in November.

``There's a lot of Democrats in Simi Valley which people are not aware of,'' said the candidate who is making his first run for Congress and is supported by the new club.

He said groups like the new Democratic club have better odds for flourishing considering the growing Latino population in the area, which consultants say tends to vote for Democrats.

``I think it has a very strong chance,'' Gonzalez said. ``The demographics are changing in Simi Valley, as they are in the county. . . . The county's going to be a Democratic county sooner or later.''

But Republicans say those numbers simply reflect other factors at work, namely the Ross Perot presidential campaigns of 1992 and 1996. And Gallegly said it simply bodes well for his campaign if Democrats from the district are consistently crossing over to vote for him.

Still, for the new club, they take those numbers as a sign that the town is big enough for the two parties.

They hope to begin planning ways to support the congressional candidate and are considering supporting candidates for local elections.

``I really think that another voice is important out here in Simi,'' Kurachi said. ``I think any time you can get another voice, you have a stronger community.''

And on that point, the two sides agree.

``It's healthy to have two parties, where you have a divergence of opinion,'' Gallegly said. ``I think, of course, it's always healthier when you have a majority Republican.''

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PHOTO (Color) (Ran in Simi Edition only) Grace Bernstein, left, Carla Kurachi, and congressional candidate Dan Gonzalez support Democratic causes.

Gus Ruelas/Daily News