ELECTIONS LEGISLATURE : Incumbency Proves to Be No Obstacle in Most Races : Results: Veterans survive name-calling, embarrassments and reapportionment. The 55th Assembly District in Carson is the only exception, where two lawmakers lose to a newcomer.

SOUTHEAST AREA —  Discard for now the notion that being an incumbent is bad news in state Senate and Assembly races in the Southeast area.

In Tuesday’s primary election, incumbents showed that almost no amount of embarrassment, attack or reapportionment could offset name recognition, experience and politics as usual.

Opponents called Democrat Teresa Hughes a carpetbagger after she recently moved from Los Angeles to Inglewood to run for the Senate in the 25th District. The 16-year Assembly member had seen her old district carved up when state officials redrew district boundaries earlier this year. Hughes won the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat by a comfortable margin.

Critics labeled Sen. Robert G. Beverly of the 27th District as the prototypal incumbent at a time when anti-incumbent fervor is high. Fervor for the veteran Republican proved higher.

Willard H. Murray Jr. had to overcome a California Journal rating as the Assembly’s least effective and least intelligent member. The two-term Paramount Democrat predicted that his opponents would have even more to overcome in the 52nd Assembly District. The election proved him right.

Southeast incumbents lost only in the 55th Assembly District. Two Assembly veterans were paired against each other--and both lost to challenger Jaunita M. McDonald, a first-term Carson councilwoman. Defeated incumbents Richard E. Floyd and Dave Elder had decided to run against each other in the Democratic primary after reapportionment carved up their original Assembly districts.

A look at individual Senate and Assembly races in the Southeast area:

25th SENATE DISTRICT

( Lynwood, Paramount, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena and part of Compton. )

Assemblywoman Hughes parlayed 16 years of legislative experience and support from key Democratic lawmakers to win her party’s nomination for the Senate seat. She easily defeated Paul H. Richards, a Lynwood councilman who emphasized his grass-roots community ties.

In a victory speech to jubilant supporters as they broke out bottles of champagne, Hughes said that solving the district’s problems of crime, poverty and unemployment won’t be easy. “I have 800,000 people to try to help,” she said.

Richards remained upbeat through much of the election night, but was clearly disappointed by the loss. Richards said he will support Hughes in November, however.

In her campaign, Hughes stressed her knowledge of how Sacramento works, accusing Richards of a “narrow vision” of the duties of a state senator. For his part, Richards labeled Hughes a carpetbagger because she moved from Los Angeles to Inglewood to run.

On election night, Hughes also attributed her victory, in part, to meeting voters in churches. “The Lord was on my side. Any time you go to six churches in one Sunday, something good has to come out of it.”

A Hughes victory in the general election is all but assured in this heavily Democratic district. She will face Republican Cliff McClain and Peace and Freedom candidate Hattie Marie Benn.

27th SENATE DISTRICT

(Downey, Bellflower, Cerritos, Artesia, Lakewood, Long Beach, San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes.)

Veteran incumbent Beverly survived a strong showing from Long Beach businessman John Ward to win the Republican primary.

On the Democratic side, Brian Finander, a small-business consultant and Jewish community leader, easily won his party’s nod. Finander is making his first bid for public office.

Beverly’s moderate political views have long won him support from labor and some Democrats as well as Republicans. “I was a winner because I’ve done a responsible job in office,” said Beverly, who has served in the Legislature 32 years. Reapportionment shifted Beverly’s old South Bay district toward the Long Beach/Southeast area. Spending more than $200,000, Beverly blanketed the district with numerous mailers. Ward, who spent about $25,000, said it was the Beverly paper blitz that defeated him. “Had he shown up for many speaking engagements, maybe the people would have seen the difference,” Ward said.

Beverly acknowledged that he did not do much personal campaigning. “I was stuck in Sacramento serving the (present) district,” he said.

Finander said he will enter the general election an underdog against Beverly, but added that he will attempt to capitalize on anti-incumbent sentiments of voters. “There is a lot of frustration and anger at the mess that has been created. Beverly, who was the incumbent, will be held accountable by the public.”

Peace and Freedom candidate Patrick McCoy also will be on the November ballot.

50th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Maywood, South Gate and Vernon.)

Martha Escutia, a Huntington Park attorney who helped create this new district, will be the Democratic candidate in this heavily Latino area after finishing comfortably ahead of three other challengers.

On election night, Escutia, 35, praised her opponents for waging a clean campaign. “I think the voters really were able to choose between us on the merits of our experience,” she shouted over a blaring seven-piece mariachi band.

Escutia was one of the Latino activists who proposed the new boundaries for the district in order to get more Latino representation in government. Escutia and second-place finisher Pat Acosta each won key endorsements from leading Latinos. Escutia’s grass-roots supporters blanketed the district in the final days of the campaign, going door-to-door to reach voters.

“One of her aides came to my house and sat down and told me all about her and her education,” said Commerce resident Martha Lopez, 42, as she left a Huntington Park polling place late Tuesday afternoon. “After I heard about her, she seemed to be more like us.”

In the general election, Escutia is expected to win handily over Republican Gladys O. Miller, who was unopposed in the primary.

52nd ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Lynwood, Paramount, Gardena, much of Compton; parts of South Los Angeles, South Gate, Long Beach.)

Incumbent Murray successfully battled vigorous challengers, influential enemies, new district boundaries and bad publicity to win a third term.

The 61-year-old political veteran said he never expected anything less. “People are not easily fooled,” Murray said Tuesday night while awaiting election returns. “I feel confident. I’ve done a good job.”

Murray finished well ahead of Compton Councilwoman Patricia A. Moore and Lynwood Councilwoman Evelyn Wells in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. He faces no competition in the general election.

He was opposed by officials of the Compton Unified School District and retiring Rep. Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton). School officials lined up against Murray after he proposed a state takeover of the school system as a remedy for low student test scores. Onetime ally Dymally fell out with Murray over control of a local political tabloid.

Murray won despite being rated as the least effective and least intelligent Assembly member in an unscientific California Journal survey. Murray dismissed his low rating in the survey of Sacramento press corps, lobbyists, legislators and staff members. Only 14% of those polled bothered to return the surveys, he noted.

Moore, who finished second, said Dymally’s decision to support Wells was a key factor in the outcome because it split the anti-Murray vote. “On my own, without money, I beat Dymally’s candidate. But Willard, his worst enemy, walks back into office,” Moore said.

54th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Long Beach coast, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Rancho Palos Verdes.)

Reapportionment did no obvious harm to incumbent Republican Gerald Felando. The veteran assemblyman cruised to victory over gun show promoter Don L. Bullock. Although Felando’s district slid south, it retained conservative, working-class voters who appear content to return him to office.

In the fall, Felando will be the heavy favorite to win an eighth term against two candidates who had no primary opponents. They are longtime teacher and Democratic activist Betty Karnette and American Independent Party candidate Joseph G. Fields, who describes himself as a “full-time activist.”

55th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Compton, Carson, Wilmington, Willowbrook; parts of Long Beach, Dominguez, Los Angeles.)

Democrat McDonald finished well in front of veteran assemblymen Floyd and Elder, two incumbents who decided to run against each other after reapportionment carved up their former districts.

The Republicans fielded no candidates in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, and McDonald is expected to sail to victory over Libertarian Shannon Anderson of Long Beach in the fall.

McDonald was the only woman in the race, and the only African-American in a district where about 40% of registered voters are black. McDonald also was well-known in the district’s heart, Carson, where she is a first-term City Council member.

McDonald sounded an anti-incumbent theme, and unlike in other Southeast districts, the message might have taken hold. Between them, Floyd and Elder have 26 years of Assembly experience.

“They used the same old rhetoric the voters had heard before,” McDonald said. “And that, I think, is why voters came over to me.” She pledged to promote opportunities for minorities and women.

56th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey.)

Rookie candidate Phillip D. Hawkins outdistanced former Cerritos councilman Daniel K. Wong to capture the Republican primary. He will go on to face two-term Democratic incumbent Bob Epple, who easily bested Frederick R. Baisley.

Hawkins said his work as a real estate broker and contractor offset Wong’s high profile in Cerritos, where Wong was a councilman for 14 years and a community volunteer with a flair for puns and lounge singing. “He was very popular in one city,” Hawkins said. “I’ve done business throughout all the cities in the district. I think that made the difference.”

Also on the fall ballot will be Libertarian Richard Gard, who was unopposed in his primary.

58th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, Montebello, western edge of Whittier, part of South El Monte.)

Norwalk Councilwoman Grace M. Napolitano cruised to victory in the Democratic primary with about 42% of the vote. She outdistanced--and outspent--a field of five Latino candidates vying for a redrawn Assembly district that is 62% Latino.

At a jubilant party in her Norwalk campaign headquarters, hundreds of well-wishers sang “Amazing Grace” as Napolitano, 55, stood to declare victory. “We’ll be on a high for the rest of the year,” she said. “I intend to keep my promises to you. I have no interest in my heart except for the people.”

Napolitano has pledged to improve the local economy, promote improved education and fight crime. Her themes were also common to the campaign of first-time candidate Armando Duron, a 37-year-old Latino activist and Montebello attorney.

Duron, who finished second with 31% of the vote, said Napolitano was tied to special interests after she accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from various political action committees.

The race was in part a battle of dueling endorsements. Napolitano got the support of state Sen. Charles Calderon (D-Whittier), Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) and Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles). Duron was endorsed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina.

In the fall, Napolitano will be the heavy favorite against Republican Ken Gow and Libertarian John P. McCready. Neither was opposed in their primaries.

60th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

(La Habra Heights, La Mirada, eastern Whittier, several San Gabriel Valley cities.)

Incumbent Paul Horcher overcame a spirited Republican primary challenge from longtime rival Phyllis Papen, a Diamond Bar councilwoman. Horcher comfortably outpolled his opponent in a race that featured bitter name-calling, mudslinging advertising and a slander lawsuit.

Horcher, 40, said he was glad to get the primary behind him in his bid for a second term. “I think it is time for her to be magnanimous,” Horcher said of his opponent. “I hope she’ll endorse me.”

Papen, a 47-year-old real estate agent, was anything but conciliatory Tuesday night. “He needs a dictionary to find out what the word, ‘ethics’ means,” Papen said. “I’m not a sore loser, but I’m angry.”

During the campaign, Horcher had accused Papen of ethical violations in voting to negotiate a Diamond Bar trash contract with a company that employed her “live-in boyfriend” as a consultant. Papen has filed a slander suit over the allegation. For her part, Papen accused Horcher of kowtowing to special interests and deceiving voters by claiming to oppose tax increases while voting for a state budget last year that required tax hikes.

In the fall, Horcher will face Democrat Stan Caress, a political science professor from West Covina, and American Independent candidate Robert Lewis.

Contributing to this story were Times Staff Writers Howard Blume, Gerald Faris, Jill Gottesman, Greg Krikorian and Mike Ward, and community correspondents Emily Adams, Mary Becker, Phil Garcia, Suzan Schill and Julia A. Wilson.