Simi Valley : Council Member Switches Parties

Simi Valley City Councilman Bill Davis, who was defeated last November in his bid for a seat on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, officially dropped his Democratic party affiliation Friday to become a registered Republican.

Davis switched political parties during a ceremony in the Simi Valley office of Assemblywoman Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley). Wright, who switched to the Republican Party in 1976, gave Davis a ceramic elephant, symbol of the GOP.

“I’m sure you’ll feel more comfortable being a Republican,” she told him.

Davis said he decided to change parties because, when he examined his voting record over the past few years, 99% of the time he voted Republican. He also said he felt that being a registered Republican would have made a difference when he challenged Vicky Howard last November in the supervisorial race.

Davis, whose City Council term will expire in November, 1992, said he has not made up his mind if he’ll seek reelection.

Davis’ party switch leaves Glen McAdoo the only Democrat remaining on the five-member panel. Mayor Greg Stratton and City Councilwoman Judy Mikels are both Republican, and Councilwoman Sandi Webb is Libertarian.

Of the 45,813 registered voters in Simi Valley, 24,708 are Republican and 15,635 are Democrats, said Kathleen Salater, deputy clerk with the county registrar’s office.