As a 25-year veteran of California political campaigns, I thought I’d already made every boneheaded campaign mistake possible. On Tuesday, Election Day, I found that I was wrong.

As campaign manager for Bruce Thomas, a candidate for 4th District county supervisor, I designed and produced a simple campaign flier that cited Thomas’ experience and qualifications for the supervisor’s job. Among his military, professional and community accomplishments, I decided to use a brief quote from a March 19 Simi Valley Acorn story.

The flier reprinted the Acorn masthead and the quote, “My ideas and track record prove I can create and manage a fiscally strong county.”

The quote was attributed to Bruce Thomas. The quote could not be more straightforward, much like Thomas himself, a career U.S. Marine officer.

My big mistake was that Bruce Thomas never said that in the Acorn or anywhere else. Incumbent Peter Foy said those words in that March 19 Acorn story. In short, I quoted the wrong guy.

Now that’s a screw-up.

At the time, Bruce asked me to double-check the quote. I made the same mistake twice.

Clearly, Peter Foy is owed an apology for being “unquoted,” so to speak, and also for having his own words, in a sense, used against him. Mr. Foy, I sincerely apologize.

The Acorn is owed an apology for the misuse of their good work. The Acorn is a terrific regional paper. To the byline writer and the Acorn editorial staff, I sincerely apologize.

Finally, to all 4th District voters, especially those who voted in the primary election: I sincerely hope that not even one vote was swayed by my careless mistake. I believe deeply in our electoral process and will regard this error as among the most regrettable in a long career. I sincerely apologize to you all.
Marc O’Hara
Simi Valley