Roy Ashburn - Political Career

Political Career

Ashburn worked for Kern County Supervisor LeRoy Jackson from 1972 to 1977, for Congressman Bill Thomas from 1979 to 1983, as a Kern County Supervisor from 1984 to 1996, as a California State Assemblyman from 1996 to 2002, and as a California State Senator from 2002 to 2010. He attended the College of the Sequoias and in 1983 received his Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration from California State University, Bakersfield. The same year he graduated from college, Ashburn served as president of the Bakersfield Republican Assembly. In 1988, Ashburn chaired the Kern County chapter of the George H. W. Bush presidential campaign.

Two years into his first term in the State Senate, Ashburn was the Republican candidate in California's 20th congressional district in 2004. He was the strongest Republican to run in the 20th in more than a decade. He was a decided underdog against the Democratic nominee, former State Senator Jim Costa. The 20th is a strongly Democratic, Latino-majority district, and the district's previous incumbent, Democrat Cal Dooley, had held the seat without serious difficulty for 14 years. However, the Republicans poured more money into the race than was expected for such a heavily Democratic district. Ashburn claimed Costa would vote to raise taxes; in a play on Costa's name, he aired ads saying "Costa's gonna cost ya!" He also compared Costa to former Governor Gray Davis, calling them the "two taxing twins." In the end, Costa won by 54% to 46%. Ashburn only kept the margin within single digits by winning heavily Republican Kings County. He did, however, run ahead of the typical Republican showing in the district.

Ashburn was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the State of California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. His term ends January 1, 2015.

Ashburn ran for Kern County Supervisor in the June 2012 primary election and came in second place.

Ashburn faced a run-off election November 6, 2012, against retired United States Navy Captain Mick Gleason and did not win. He received 40 percent of the vote compared to Gleason's 59.6 percent of the final vote count. Congressional Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy endorsed Gleason while retired Representative Bill Thomas endorsed Ashburn.