3 Latinas Favored to Win Seats : Politics: Grass-roots networks formed the springboard for candidates in the 49th, 57th and 58th Assembly districts.

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY —  San Gabriel Valley voters, who did not elect a woman to the state Assembly until Sally Tanner won office in 1978--and then went another 14 years without electing another--are on the verge of sending three women to Sacramento at one time, all of them Latinas.

Hilda L. Solis of El Monte, Diane Martinez of Monterey Park and Grace Musquiz Napolitano of Norwalk are favored to win Assembly seats Nov. 3 in heavily Democratic, largely Latino districts.

Even with Tanner and five other assemblywomen either retiring or running for other offices, victories by the three women would put the San Gabriel Valley at the forefront of what is expected to become the largest freshman class of female legislators to break into Sacramento in a single election. Based on projected results, the number of women in the 80-member Assembly could increase from 16 to at least 19 and perhaps as many as 25.

Yet of greater significance could be the three women’s landmark role in the evolution of the region’s Latino politics, said Richard Santillan, professor of ethnic and women’s studies at Cal Poly Pomona.

Latinas have worked for male candidates in Los Angeles County since the 1940s, Santillan said, but not until the last decade or so have they emerged as candidates themselves. They are running for office now partly because they realize that their experience makes them just as qualified as men who have been elected, he said, and partly out of frustration that male politicians have not adequately addressed such problems as sexual harassment, spousal abuse and family issues.

Santillan said Latinas who have developed grass-roots networks through involvement in schools, churches and community issues are using those as a springboard to political office. At the same time, he said, the stereotype of Latinas as passive women is being demolished.

The emergence of women in leadership roles “reflects a growing maturity and sophistication in the Latino community,” he said. “It is a very positive step.”

In addition to Solis, Martinez and Napolitano, a fourth Los Angeles County Latina, Martha Escutia of Huntington Park, is favored to win election to the Assembly on Nov. 3.

Of the four women, Solis and Martinez face the most difficult challenges. Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1 in three of the districts. But in the 57th, where Solis is running, the margin is tighter and voters tend to be more conservative. In the 49th, the problem for Martinez is a Republican candidate with substantial financial resources.

49th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT(Includes Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel and part of East Los Angeles)

Martinez, 39, the daughter of Rep. Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park), grew up in a political family, but it was her concern about education that drew her into politics. Cutbacks in the gifted children’s program at her daughter’s school so angered her that she ran for a seat on the Garvey school board and won in 1987.

An attempt to move up to the state Assembly failed in 1990, but she came back for a second try this year, scoring a surprisingly easy victory over three strong rivals in the Democratic primary by campaigning as a “single mom” running against three lawyers.

Martinez is a friendly, outspoken woman who prides herself on her ability to communicate in plain terms and to apply common-sense solutions to problems. She said her understanding of the economic problems people face these days was enhanced when she was laid off from her telecommunications job last January in a company retrenchment.

“It has been a real tough situation for me financially,” she said, but the job loss has allowed her to devote full time to seeking election.

In her campaign, Martinez is stressing the importance of good education, safe neighborhoods and affordable health care and calls for closing tax loopholes that benefit the rich.

Her Republican opponent is Alhambra school board member Sophie C. Wong, a 55-year-old businesswoman who boasts a long list of community activities and awards.

Wong, who was born in China, came to the United States in 1956 as the oldest in a family of eight children. The family settled in a one-bedroom, one-bath house in Echo Park. Despite impoverished conditions, Wong said, “we were a happy family. We knew we had a great future.”

Wong proudly ticks off the occupations of her brothers and sisters: accountant, dentist, electronics engineer, etc. And she also proudly talks of her own accomplishments: attending community college, working for 18 years as an accounting clerk for an oil company, raising two daughters and saving money with her husband so they could invest in property. The investments led to the establishment of a real estate company in Alhambra and the founding of a savings and loan.

Two years ago, Wong won election to the Alhambra school board. In June, she won the Republican primary over a candidate who made abortion a major issue.

Wong, who opposes abortion except in instances in which rape, incest or danger to the mother’s life is involved, also differs on that issue with Martinez, who favors abortion rights for women.

Wong has promised to donate half of her salary to crime victims or other charitable activities. “I’m not looking for a job, only to provide a public service to the community,” she said.

Since July, Wong has raised more than $40,000 for her campaign, bringing the total collected for the year to more than $81,000. Meanwhile, Martinez has raised nearly $150,000, but she spent most of it on the primary.

Martinez said she is bracing herself for a barrage of last-minute mailers from her opponent. She criticized Wong for targeting special appeals to Asian voters, saying that divides the community. Wong said she has made a special effort to encourage Asians to vote by absentee ballot in order to increase voter turnout, but she denied there was anything divisive in the effort. “We have a very diverse community,” she said. “I want everyone to vote for me.”

The district population is 55% Latino and 28% Asian, according to census data, but only 43% of the registered voters are Latino and only 16% are Asian, according to calculations by the Wong campaign.

Also on the ballot is Kim Goldsworthy, 35, a computer programmer from Rosemead, who is running on the Libertarian ticket.

Goldsworthy said the two major political parties have allowed government to assume far too many functions and have failed to protect civil liberties. His platform calls for a drastic reduction in taxes on sales and income and for the privatization of many government functions.

57th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT(Includes Azusa, Baldwin Park, El Monte, Hacienda Heights, Irwindale, La Puente and part of South El Monte)

Political observers have labeled the 57th a safe Democratic seat, but Solis has election worries nonetheless.

Solis, a member of the Rio Hondo College board, and her Republican opponent, Gary Woods, a member of the Citrus College board, say the district is more conservative than the registration figures of 56% Democratic and 33% Republican would suggest.

Woods said Gov. Pete Wilson narrowly won the district two years ago. Solis pointed out that Senatorial candidates Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer ran behind more conservative males in the Democratic primary and that Gloria Molina trailed in the district when she won election as county supervisor.

Still, the Democratic registration advantage is substantial and Solis has raised $171,649 in campaign funds while Woods has collected $2,388.

Solis, 35, grew up in La Puente, earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and obtained a master’s degree in public administration from USC. She is director of a program that provides counseling and tutoring to at-risk students. She has served on the Rio Hondo College board since 1985.

Solis won a three-way race in the Democratic primary by raising small amounts of money from hundreds of donors and picking up key endorsements from teacher unions, environmental groups and Supervisor Molina. Assemblywoman Tanner, who backed another candidate in the primary and currently represents most of this area, has offered her support.

Woods, 48, grew up in Pasadena and worked as a high school teacher before joining the faculty at Pasadena City College in 1976, where he continues to teach law and accounting. He also has a law practice and has served on the Citrus College board for 10 years. He lives in Azusa.

In his campaign, Woods is stressing his experience in working with young people and his commitment to programs to divert youngsters from gangs and drugs.

Bruce Dovner, 40, a college math instructor from Whittier, is running as the Libertarian nominee. Dovner said he is unemployed after being laid off by Cal State Los Angeles in a budget cutback, but he supports the cutbacks as a necessary spending reduction. “We believe that government that governs least, governs best,” Dovner said. “If I’m going to call for cutbacks, it’s only fair that I share in them.”

58th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT(Extends from Montebello to Norwalk and enters the San Gabriel Valley to take in part of South El Monte).

After two terms on the Norwalk City Council and a tough primary campaign that she financed by mortgaging her house, Napolitano seems well on her way to representing this district in Sacramento.

She has a higher political profile than her two opponents, and she also has a well-organized campaign, supported by state Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) and his political allies.

Napolitano said her No. 1 priority is increased funding to education, and she supports programs that provide job skills to youth. She also supports abortion rights for women and is a longtime advocate of term limits.

Her competitors for the seat are Republican Ken Gow and Libertarian John McCready.

Gow’s campaign literature is peppered with references to the Bible and ominous references to Big Brother and the Communist Party. The 75-year-old retired aerospace research engineer said his special interest lies in preserving Judeo-Christian values.

He said he would strengthen families by improving the school curriculum. He is opposed to tax increases, abortion and recent legislation that calls for equal rights for homosexuals.

McCready, 27, teaches government and economics at the California Youth Authority. He said he is tired of seeing government “grow, grow, grow.” He would vote for an immediate reduction in the sales tax and elimination of many laws, such as those requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets and motorists to wear seat belts.

Times Staff Writer Tina Griego contributed to this article.