Decision ’94 / SPECIAL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA’S ELECTIONS : Statewide Races : Ballot Offers Four Alternatives to Voting Democratic, Republican

D emocrat and Republican aren’t the only choices for voters. Four other parties have qualified by election rules to list candidates on California’s ballots. Here are the parties and what they stand for:

American Independent

The American Independent Party is committed to the principle that government’s powers must be carefully divided and limited to safeguard individuals’ rights. Members believe in traditional moral values and seek to preserve the right to keep and bear arms set forth in the 2nd Amendment.

* Issues: American Independent Party members support strong action to stop illegal immigration. They seek to cut taxes, regulations and government waste. They support ending foreign aid and seek a trade policy that puts Americans first.

* Membership: About 237,000 Californians are registered with the American Independent Party--or 1.65% of all voters.

* Candidates: Jerome McCready, a Castroville businessman, for governor; Paul Meeuwenberg, a Los Angeles marketing consultant, for U.S. Senate; Dorothy Robbins of Redding for secretary of state; Robert Lewis, a Los Angeles repairman, for lieutenant governor; Nathan Johnson of San Diego for controller; George M. McCoy, an Anza trade school instructor, for treasurer; A. Jacques, a retired criminologist, for insurance commissioner.

Green

California’s newest political party, the Green Party, was founded on 10 key values: protecting the environment, democracy, fairness, nonviolence, making government more local, equality, respect for diversity, responsibility, community-based economics and future focus.

* Issues: Green Party members believe that all life is interconnected and dependent upon the world’s natural systems. They seek social justice based on honoring diversity, self-determination and self-definition of all people.

* Membership: About 85,000 Californians are registered with the Green Party--or 0.59% of all voters. The California Green Party is part of a global network of Green parties in 73 countries.

* Candidates: Barbara Blong, a San Francisco educator, for U.S. Senate; Margaret Garcia, a Whittier writer/editor, for secretary of state; Daniel Moses of Half Moon Bay for lieutenant governor.

Libertarian

The Libertarian Party stands for personal freedom, property rights and strict limits on government power. Government’s main responsibility, Libertarians believe, should be protecting citizens and their property from criminals and trespassers.

* Issues: Libertarians question all government spending and borrowing and oppose all taxes and public debt, such as bond propositions. Free market solutions, they believe, are better than government intervention.

* Membership: About 68,000 Californians are registered with the Libertarian Party--or 0.47% of all voters.

* Candidates: Richard Rider, a San Diego stockbroker, for governor; Richard Boddie, a Huntington Beach motivational speaker, for U.S. Senate; Peggy Christensen, a Granada technical consultant, for secretary of state; Bob New, a Glendale businessman, for lieutenant governor; Cullene Marie Lang for controller; Richard Burns, a Woodland Hills attorney, for attorney general; Jon Petersen, a San Jose financial systems developer, for treasurer; Ted Brown, a Pasadena claims adjuster, for insurance commissioner.

Peace and Freedom

The Peace and Freedom Party stands for democracy, ecology, feminism and socialism. It seeks to move society from greed and profit to cooperation, equality and sharing. It seeks social ownership and democratic management of industry and natural resources.

* Issues: Peace and Freedom Party members believe in housing and jobs for all, a shorter workweek and an $8-an-hour minimum wage. They support the legalization of marijuana and seek to abolish the death penalty.

* Membership: About 66,000 Californians are registered with the Peace and Freedom Party--or 0.46% of all voters.

* Candidates: Gloria La Riva, a San Francisco printer, for governor; Elizabeth Barron, a San Jose teacher, for U.S. Senate; Israel Feuer, a Los Angeles political organizer/educator, for secretary of state; J. Luis Gomez, Los Angeles accountant/educator, for lieutenant governor; Elizabeth Nakano, a retired social worker from Los Angeles, for controller; Robert J. Evans, an Oakland lawyer, for attorney general; Jan B. Tucker, a Los Angeles private investigator, for treasurer; Tom Condit, a Berkeley clerical worker, for insurance commissioner.