Finger-Pointing Takes Over as Assembly Race Nears End

Perhaps it was inevitable that a political campaign that began with one candidate being accused of dancing on the grave of the late incumbent would not end on the high road.

So it comes as no great surprise that, as the special 76th Assembly District race to elect a successor to the late Bill Bradley (R-Escondido) enters its final days, the campaign appears destined to end on a lower note than the one on which it started.

In recent weeks, the campaign has been dominated by accusations that one candidate misrepresented his background, legal charges that another received illegal contributions, and by pained laments throughout the eight-candidate field that positions on volatile issues such as abortion and gun control are being taken out of context. Not to mention campaign espionage at a Little League game in Poway.

Amid all the finger-pointing, front-runner Dick Lyles also has begun wondering aloud about the previously unthinkable notion of winning the race outright in the primary by achieving a statistically--as well as politically--difficult 50%-plus victory on Aug. 8.

Crowded Field

Although the crowded field still makes the majority vote needed to avoid an Oct. 3 runoff appear daunting, Lyles, who has been viewed as the candidate to beat from the outset of the race, says he no longer regards that possibility as “something that should be dismissed out of hand.”

“Having started out thinking that it was going to be a very difficult thing to do, I now see that as a reasonable goal,” said Lyles, a Poway businessman and longtime Republican activist. “With the momentum we have now, I think the chances of topping 50% are excellent. It’s definitely within striking distance.”

Although Lyles’ opponents dismiss such predictions as hyperbolic rhetoric, his campaign undeniably received a significant boost as a result of two key endorsements within the past week: one from former opponent Glenn Richardson and the other from the California Republican Assembly.

Richardson, a former television commentator, was the only Riverside County candidate in the campaign, which covers a sprawling district stretching from northeastern San Diego County to the South Bay to the desert communities of Riverside County. His withdrawal--though his name will remain on the ballot--not only reduces the potential splintering of the vote, but also puts Lyles in a position to attract much of the support that Richardson was expected to draw in Riverside County, which includes nearly 30% of the district’s approximately 240,000 voters.

The California Republican Assembly endorsement, combined with backing from Assembly Minority Leader Ross Johnson, also “sends a clear signal” to GOP voters in the heavily Republican district, Lyles argues. The conservative group is expected to make a sizable donation to his

campaign, and Johnson sent out a fund-raising letter this week to traditional Republican donors on Lyles’ behalf.

Another “clear signal”--potentially the pivotal one in the campaign--stems from the abortion issue, an always politically sensitive topic made even more so by the U. S. Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding the legality of abortions but permitting states to restrict their availability.

Both statewide and nationally, the 76th District race has begun attracting attention as the first major test of the political ramifications of the court’s decision. Next week, a story on the election is scheduled to air on NBC-TV’s “Today” show.

In a race marked by few philosophical differences, the abortion question illuminates a major split among Lyles and his two major competitors--Poway City Councilwoman Linda Brannon, who has drawn support from some moderate Assembly Republicans, and Bonita nurse Tricia Hunter. Like Lyles, both are Republicans who have assembled large grass-roots organizations--a crucial factor in an election in which the turnout is expected to be only about 20%--and plan to spend at least $150,000 each. As of July 22, Lyles had spent $124,756, contrasted with $81,009 for Hunter and Brannon’s $74,004.

Fret About Division

Of the three, Hunter is the only one who is pro-choice on the abortion issue. Hoping to capitalize on the split, pro-choice and anti-abortion groups have begun pouring dollars and volunteers into the campaign. Although Hunter is receiving support that typically goes to Democrats, Lyles and Brannon supporters fret that the anti-abortion resources will be divided, not only between themselves, but also among three other GOP candidates--among them, San Diego Police Lt. Bill Hoover, who is backed by members of the “Operation Rescue” anti-abortion group.

With that as a backdrop, one of the few things that the candidates and activists on both sides of the abortion issue agree on is that next month’s primary is certain to be interpreted as a harbinger of the role that the court’s ruling may play in next year’s state and national elections.

Two other Republicans from Escondido--Hoover and state Senate legislative aide Dennis Koolhaas--also have mounted strong campaigns. Koolhaas has drawn endorsements from several groups, including farm and mobile-home organizations, as well as from Bradley’s widow, who says that he “brings to the race the attributes which most resemble” those of her late husband. Nevertheless, his hopes, like those of Hoover, appear to hinge largely on the possibility of a widely split vote--a scenario that links their chances to three long shots in the race.

Facing Long Odds

The district’s 54%-33% Republican registration edge alone diminishes the chances of the two Democratic candidates--Jeannine Correia of Poway, an instructor of the retarded, and mental health worker Stephen Thorne of Escondido. Retired Spring Valley appliance-store owner Ray Foster, a Republican, acknowledges that he faces similarly long odds in his low-budget campaign. (Another candidate--Republican Lori Holt Pfeiler--also is on the ballot, but she dropped out of the race and endorsed Hunter this month.)

Although a victory by Foster, Correia or Thorne would be an upset of major proportions--though Correia offers an improbable scenario that includes a badly divided GOP vote and high Democratic turnout--each has the potential to significantly affect the outcome by siphoning off critical votes from the front-runners.

“When this is over, people are going to be doing all kinds of calculations based on who took how many votes away from which other candidates,” Hunter aide Allan Giesen said. “There’s going to be a lot of ‘What ifs?’ going around.”

Lyles’ enthusiasm over his endorsements was partly offset by recent charges and countercharges--most of which involved his campaign and kept his handlers busy trying to put out political brush fires.

Misrepresentation Charged

Still on the defensive over lingering criticism that he began planning his campaign while Bradley was dying of cancer, Lyles also has been accused of misrepresenting his educational and military background in a campaign mailer.

In a brochure titled “Dick Lyles: Opportunity for Excellence,” Lyles states that he received a Ph.D. in business administration and combat ribbons while serving in the Navy in Vietnam. A Chula Vista man who checked Lyles’ resume, however, claimed that Lyles’ doctorate came from a “mail-order” college and that he received only a routine military service medal.

Disputing those allegations, Lyles acknowledges that his doctorate came from a non-accredited school, but cites the fact that his doctoral research was published as evidence of “the quality of the program.” In regard to the questions over his military background, Lyles says he received half a dozen service decorations and saw frequent combat duty in Vietnam.

In keeping with the recent tenor of the campaign, Lyles also dismisses the resume-puffing charges as sniping that backfired from Brannon’s campaign, noting that the man who questioned his resume periodically works for Brannon consultant Herb Williams.

Filed Lawsuit

Hunter’s campaign, meanwhile, is equally convinced that Lyles’ strategists orchestrated charges that Hunter has benefited from illegal donations from the California Nurses Assn. Pointing out that the nursing group has spent nearly $60,000 on Hunter’s behalf, people with links to Lyles’ campaign filed a lawsuit and a complaint with the state Fair Political Practices Commission, alleging that the contributions violate a $5,000 state limit.

Calling the allegations “a dirty, disgusting smear,” Hunter describes the contributions as a legal so-called independent expenditure made by the nursing group without consultation with her campaign. On Wednesday, a San Diego County Superior Court judge sided with Hunter, refusing to issue a temporary restraining order that could have limited or prevented donations by the nurses committee.

“This was a strictly political case intended solely to generate headlines to discredit Tricia Hunter,” the nurses’ association vice president, Pamela Minarik, said afterward.

Little League Escapade

Then there was the celebrated Little League political espionage escapade--which, if nothing else, serves as a humorous reminder of the level to which political discourse in the race has occasionally descended.

Proving that second base isn’t the only thing that can be stolen at the ballpark, a Brannon backer purports to have overheard Lyles bragging at a game last week: “Wait until you see my next (mailer). It will knock Brannon out of the campaign.”

Feeling compelled to issue a press release detailing the incident, the irritated Brannon volunteer pronounced herself “appalled” over Lyles’ prospective “hit” piece.

Which only goes to show that, when politics and baseball mix, dirt and hits can be found in places other than the field.