Activism at County, State, and National Levels

Jane Tolmach worked throughout her life at the county, state, and national levels, holding positions anywhere from a trustee in Oxnard Union High School District to a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. Collectively, she served a total of 52 years at the county level, 12 years at the state level, and 7 years at the national level, proving not only her passion for politics but also her genuine commitment to the people she served.

Governor Pat Brown and Jane Tolmach.

She began her political career simplistically by hosting coffee fundraisers for political candidates Estes Kefauver and Adlai Stevenson and continued to organize rallies for Governor “Pat” Brown and John F. Kennedy. After supporting others for a few years, she began to feel inspired to run for positions herself and hence over sixty years of political activism began. Her efforts would eventually lead to her election as the first female mayor of the City of Oxnard and would contribute to the vast movement of encouraging more women towards politics during a time when women were considered to be no more than housewives.

Positions held at the county, state, and national levels:

County Level:

  • Oxnard Planning Commission (Member): 1957-1962
  • Finance Committee, Ventura County Grand Jury (Chairman): 1958
  • Democratic Committee, Ventura County, CA (Chairman): 1959-1962
  • Board of Directors, Camarillo State Hospital (Chairman): 1959-1968
  • Oxnard Union High School District (Trustee):1965-1972
  • Oxnard City Council (Member):1970-1978
  • Mayor of the City of Oxnard: 1973
  • Board of Assessment Appeals, Ventura County (Member): 1992-2002
  • Transportation Commissioner: 2005-2009
  • Campaign Finance Ethics Commission (Member): 2005-2009

State Level:

  • Women’s Southern California Democratic Committee: 1966-1970
  • Southern California Association Governments (Executive Member): 1975-1976
  • State Assembly, 36th District, Ventura, CA (Nominee): 1976
  • State Reclamation Board (Member): 1981-1982
  • Board of Governors, California Community College (Member): 1982-1987

National Level:

  • Democratic National Conventions (Alternate): 1956, 1964
  • Democratic National Conventions (Delegate): 1960, 1968, 1976, 1988, 1992
Activism at County, State, and National Levels