Supervisor candidate, a former prosecutor, wants limited government

CANDIDATE PROFILE: VENTURA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS



Ed Abele

Ed Abele

A proud first-generation American, Ed Abele hopes to empower the members of his community to achieve success.

Earlier this month, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board director announced he will run for the District 4 seat on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in 2022.

“It seemed like I was the fighter that this community needs,” Abele told the Acorn. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the people. We’re all in this together fighting for the American dream.”

Since the pandemic, Abele said he has seen the government impose unfair and unnecessary restrictions on the public, which hurts the economically disadvantaged most of all. He wants to restore autonomy to the county’s residents.

“My guiding principle is that government belongs to the people,” he said. “We need to have a chance to live again—that’s what motivates me to run.”

He believes residents are responsible enough to look out for one another without being told what to do. The 60-year-old husband and stepfather said he witnessed that firsthand when the community rallied to help his wife, Jill, find a kidney donor in 2020.

“This is a community where the people can take care of themselves,” said Abele, who has lived in Simi for nearly 50 years. “We’re here to keep each other safe.”

Abele said his priority as supervisor would be public safety, which he believes is the key to a thriving community.

“I am the public safety candidate,” he said. “Everyone can use the term ‘public safety,’ but I’ve worked it. I’ve lived it.”

Abele spent over three decades as a criminal prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. While fighting for victims and for justice, he was able to work closely with police, which he said helped him understand the challenges they face.

He also served as a director of the Simi Valley Police Foundation and helped establish Simi Valley’s Safe Harbor, which provides services for child abuse and sexual assault survivors.

Abele also hopes to improve the job market.

“When we talk about the American Dream, it all starts with the local businesses,” he said. “That’s the opportunity for people to move up in the world.”

Government restrictions, he said, have been debilitating to small business owners during the pandemic.

Finally, Abele said he aspires to advocate for freedom and opportunity—values that his late parents helped him appreciate.

“ They worked hard and thrived and made things great for me and for my two brothers, and I’ve always admired that,” Abele said.

Unfortunately, the challenges his parents faced when they immigrated from Latvia are much greater now. That’s why he’s not afraid to take a stand, he said.

“The career politician approach, which (the other candidates) bring to the table, is not the approach that we need right now,” he said. “I’m here to fight for the people.”

To date, three other individuals have also expressed interest in representing District 4 on the county board of supervisors: longtime Moorpark Mayor Janice Parvin, Ventura County Community College District trustee Bernardo Perez and Simi Valley resident Dean Kunicki.

Parvin, 67, previously served on Moorpark’s planning commission, the city’s parks and recreation commission, the Ventura Council of Governments, and the League of California Cities.

Perez, 72, served 12 years on the Moorpark City Council, including one term as mayor.

Kunicki, 77, owns a business and development consulting firm. He is vice-chair of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, past chair and board member for the Ventura County Board of Education, and was a member of the Simi Valley Planning Commission from 1992 to 2000.

This article was edited Jan. 24, 2022 at 5 p.m. to reflect that Abele is a director with the Simi Valley Police Foundation.