California Elections : Two Vital Primary Battles May Test Brown’s Grip on Power in Assembly

SACRAMENTO —  Assembly Speaker Willie Brown’s shaky leadership faces its first test outside the Capitol arena June 7 in two key Democratic primary elections that could help him keep--or lose--his powerful post.

One is in the 66th Assembly District, where Assemblyman Gerald R. Eaves (D-Rialto), a member of the so-called rebel “Gang of Five” engaged in a running power struggle with Brown, is opposed by Joe Baca, a San Bernardino Community College Board trustee.

The other is in the 63rd District, where Norwalk attorney Bob Epple, the candidate reportedly favored by Brown, faces Downey businessman Pete Ohanesian, who is a friend of Assemblyman Charles M. Calderon (D-Alhambra), another of the rebel Democrats.

Epple and Ohanesian are seeking the seat of Assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-Norwalk), who is engaged in a primary election fight with his former campaign manager, Dale F. Hardeman, for the Republican nomination.

Looking for Reform

The Gang of Five insists it wants to institute reforms that would free up legislation the dissidents believe has strong public support but has been bottled up in committees. Brown maintains he does not manipulate committees and if controversial legislation fails to emerge from them, so be it.

The Speaker would like more votes in the Assembly to prevent the gang from further diluting his leadership. The gang, in turn, would like to add to its strength and further weaken Brown’s powers as Speaker.

The Assembly has 44 Democrats and 36 Republicans, and it takes 41 votes to elect a Speaker. The Gang of Five could add its votes to the 36 GOP votes to oust Brown. The gang has teamed up with Republicans to withdraw bills from committees, but they have yet to directly challenge Brown’s speakership.

“If Willie loses a couple of seats, he’s in real trouble,” said one Assembly Democratic incumbent who asked not to be identified. “Anything can happen after that.”

“We want to pick up three seats,” said Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento), chairman of the Democratic campaign committee, thus reducing the pressure on Brown, who insists that he is not in danger.

Roles in Campaign

An indicator of the importance of the primary races to Brown and the Gang of Five will be the extent to which they actively participate in those campaigns, particularly with regard to campaign contributions. That will not be clear until just before the election when candidates file last-minute fund-raising and spending reports.

Meanwhile, Assembly Republicans are hoping to take a bite out of the Democratic majority this fall and another bite in 1990. Their game plan is to achieve a majority and thus become the party to draw new district lines to their advantage in the reapportionment that will follow the 1990 census.

“We want to gain 41 votes prior to the reapportionment process,” said Assemblyman John R. Lewis (R-Orange), Isenberg’s counterpart in the GOP. “And we think that’s do-able.”

Two years ago, the GOP picked up three Assembly seats at the polls and the first rumblings of discontent began in Democratic ranks. Some members began to worry that their jobs were in jeopardy, despite the Speaker’s reputation for raising large amounts of campaign contributions and disbursing them to other Democrats.

Local Flavor

This time, the Speaker agreed to allow Assembly candidates to hire their own political consultants to give races more of a local, grass-roots flavor. A former union official, Dean C. Tipps, political director of the Assembly Democrats’ campaign committee, will serve as statewide coordinator.

There are 15 contested Assembly and Senate primary races on the June 7 ballot where the incumbents face opposition from within their own party or where there is a scramble among several candidates to fill an open seat.

All 80 Assembly seats and the 20 odd-numbered Senate seats will be filled in the elections this year.

On the Senate side, President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) looks secure with a house that has 24 Democrats, 15 Republicans and one independent.

Looking ahead, Roberti called the 1990 elections the equivalent of Armageddon because of the expected battle to decide which party will draw the new district lines that will last until the next century.

This June’s key Senate primary race pits Sen. Daniel E. Boatwright (D-Concord), seeking reelection to a third four-year term, against Contra Costa County Supervisor Sunne McPeak in the 7th District. McPeak achieved statewide attention in 1982 as the primary spokesman for the successful referendum to defeat the Peripheral Canal water development project.

Two Are Retiring

Two GOP incumbents, Sen. H. L. Richardson of Glendora in the 25th District and Jim Ellis of San Diego in the 39th District, are retiring. But their seats are expected to remain in the GOP column, with Assemblymen Bill Leonard (R-Redlands) and Larry Stirling (R-San Diego) running as potential replacements.

In the Assembly, Brown is outwardly optimistic about his future, in part because Assembly Republican Leader Pat Nolan of Glendale has said that he does not want to try to oust Brown at this time.

Nolan says he prefers to wait until the GOP either obtains a majority or is able to build a more solid coalition with Democrats than the one presented by the Gang of Five.

Two top Republican seats cited by Isenberg as fall targets for the Democrats are held by freshman Assemblymen Paul E. Zeltner of Lakewood in the 54th District and by Grisham in the 63rd District.

In the Democratic primary race for the Zeltner seat, former Assemblyman Leon Ralph, now a minister, faces Willard H. Murray Jr., an aide to Rep. Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton).

Another contested Democratic primary is in the 50th District and features Assemblyman Curtis R. Tucker of Inglewood against Inglewood City Councilman Danny Tabor. Sources said this race also could attract money from both Brown forces and supporters of the Gang of Five.

Supervisor’s Son

On the GOP side, Assemblyman Gerald N. Felando of San Pedro is engaged in a tough primary fight with Deane Dana III, the son of Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana, in the 51st District. The younger Dana hopes to be helped by his father’s wide name identification in the district. The elder Dana is running for reelection this year.

In other noteworthy primary races:

- Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach), who is best known in the Legislature for his unsuccessful attempts to strip Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) of his seat, faces a challenge in the 70th District from Evelyn Hart, the mayor pro tem of Newport Beach, and Mike Mang of Laguna Beach, who identifies himself as an environmentalist and historian.

- In the GOP race to succeed Assemblyman Stirling in the 77th District, Carol Bentley, a former aide to the retiring Sen. Ellis, is pitted against Gloria Demers McColl, a San Diego city councilwoman.

- In the 61st Assembly District contest to succeed Assemblyman Leonard are seven candidates, including Paul A. Woodruff of Redlands, a former assistant to Leonard, and John Lewis of Apple Valley, a health care administrator who is the younger brother of Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Highland).

Also targeted by Democrats in the November election are Republicans Richard E. Longshore of Santa Ana in the 72nd District, Tim Leslie of Carmichael in the 5th District, William J. Filante of Greenbrae in the 9th District, and William P. Duplissea of San Carlos in the 20th District.

For Assemblyman Lewis, chairman of the Republican campaign committee, the No. 1 Democratic target in the fall is Assemblyman Steve Clute of Riverside in the 68th District, who won reelection by a narrow 1,645 votes in 1986.