Steve Blanton

Steve Blanton enters race for the Assembly's 24th District

By Jeff Kearns

Less than a week after San Jose City Council member Pat Dando announced she wouldn't be running for Jim Cunneen's 24th district assembly seat, a second West Valley Republican says he's throwing his hat in the ring.

Los Gatos Town Council member Steve Blanton announced his candidacy last week, days after Monte Sereno councilwoman Suzanne Jackson said she was running. Saratoga Democrat Rebecca Kohn has also declared herself a candidate for the 24th district.

Blanton says he wishes "almost the absolute best" for Jackson, who supported him in his successful council bids in 1990, 1994 and 1998, as well as in his 1997 bid for District 1 county supervisor, which he lost to Don Gage. Blanton also supported Jackson's campaigns for the Monte Sereno council.

Blanton, 39, has watched the town grow since he moved here as a child in 1965. He gave up a nine-year career as a community college teacher last year to become the government affairs director for the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (formerly the Peninsula/West Valley Association of Realtors).

He's also made another change earlier this year: he shaved the mustache he'd had since high school.

Blanton says he thinks he would "fit well with the tradition of the district." Subtext: He's hoping to succeed in an area that has a history of electing moderate Republicans.

One thing is certain: Whoever wants endorsements from the Republican side first has to win the favor of the Lincoln Club of Northern California, a group of Republican business executives that back candidates with endorsements and money.

Jim Cunneen says he asked the club to put together a screening committee, and that he's not endorsing anyone until the committee finishes screening the candidates. Blanton says he won't be ready to talk specifics about his campaign until after the Labor Day weekend, but did say that he wants to focus on public safety, parks and libraries.

Blanton pledged to serve not more than two terms on the Los Gatos council when he first ran in 1990. When he ran for a third term in 1998, he said he was doing it to keep serving constituents who asked him to stay in office.

Blanton lives with his wife, Sophia, who works for the county GAIN program, a school-to-work program for welfare mothers, and their 4-year-old son, Justin.

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