Ueberroth Heads GOP Senate Race Poll

A new statewide poll of registered Republicans shows that if the 1986 U.S. Senate primary were held today, baseball Commissioner Peter V. Ueberroth would be the first choice--but not by the wide margin that has figured in much of the speculation about a Ueberroth candidacy.

According to sources in several of the Senate campaigns, Ueberroth was the first choice of 15% of 314 Republicans interviewed in late April and early May by the California Poll, directed by Mervin Field of San Francisco.

Close behind was State Sen. Ed Davis of Valencia, former Los Angeles police chief, who was the first choice of 11% of the respondents. Next was Los Angeles radio and television commentator Bruce Herschensohn, who was the first choice of 9% of the respondents.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the survey was that actor Charlton Heston, who has been the subject of much speculation in the Senate race, was the first choice of only 6% of the Republicans, tying Rep. Bobbi Fiedler of Northridge.

Speculation Doubted

Some Republican contributors and consultants have speculated that because of their star quality and name recognition, either Ueberroth or Heston would “clean out the field” if one of them jumped into the Senate race. The poll would appear to cast doubts on such speculation.

Ueberroth has said that he has no plans to leave his job, which he accepted while running the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Heston has said that he does not want to give up his acting career to run for the Senate.

The California Poll, according to Senate campaign sources, approached the latest survey this way: The Republican respondents were asked for their first choice “if the primary election were held today.” Then they were asked for their second choice.

The first choices were Ueberroth 15%, Davis 11%, Herschensohn 9%, former state Controller Houston Flournoy 8%, Republican State Chairman Mike Antonovich 8%, Heston 6%, Fiedler 6%, State Sen. William Campbell of Hacienda Heights 5%, State Assemblyman Robert W. Naylor of Menlo Park 4%, Rep. Dan Lungren of Long Beach 4%, economist Arthur Laffer 3% and Rep. William E. Dannemeyer of Fullerton 1%. Twenty percent of the respondents had no first choice.

Three Factored Out

The California Poll then dropped Ueberroth, Heston and Flournoy, on the theory that these men have indicated that they are not seriously considering the Senate race. Then, for the remaining candidates, the poll factored in how often those candidates were named as second choices. That formula produced the following finish:

Davis 13%, Herschensohn 12%, Antonovich 10%, Fiedler 8%, Campbell 7%, Naylor 6%, Lungren 6%, Laffer 4% and Dannemeyer 3%.