Old Neighbors Square Off in 40th District : Badham Seems Cocky, Secure; Sumner Dons ‘Dragon Slayer’ Mantle

They once lived in the same neighborhood in Newport Beach. Off and on over the years, they attended the same social events, supped with some of the same friends, even played bridge together.

And years ago, when Bruce W. Sumner, then a Republican, left his Assembly seat to pursue a law practice, his neighbor, Robert E. Badham, was elected to fill his place.

So there is history here--bonds that party differences can’t untie-- between Robert E. Badham, 57, now a five-term Republican congressman from Newport Beach, and Sumner, 61, a retired judge and former assemblyman who, after switching parties, has been a Democrat for 15 years, the last two as chairman of Orange County’s Democratic Party.

Now they have something else in common: officially, they became antagonists this week in the same political race.

On Thursday, Sumner was certified the Democratic nominee for the 40th District, the formal winner in a long-shot--some had said unwinnable--write-in campaign against Art Hoffmann, a follower of extremist Democrat Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.

But as hard as the write-in campaign was, with a $53,000 get-out-the-vote campaign, a three-week recount and a legal challenge by Hoffmann at the end, Sumner said his race against Badham might be far more difficult.

For Sumner is taking on a Republican congressman who hasn’t lost an election in 24 years and who represents what is considered one of the safest GOP districts in the nation.

In registration alone, it is overwhelmingly Republican: 57.6% to the Democrats’ 31.3%. Furthermore, Republican strategists note, even the Democrats are conservative, frequently voting for the Republican ticket.

Still, Sumner and his advisers say that, fresh from his unexpected victory over Hoffmann, Sumner now has assumed the mantle of a “dragon slayer” and might be able to win the congressional seat.

They point out that in the Republican primary, 33-year-old management consultant Nathan Rosenberg received 34% of the vote against Badham. “Voter loyalty is not that strong” in the 40th District, said Keith Glaser, 31, who has lived in the area since December and is Sumner’s campaign coordinator. “Something’s happening there if 30% of those hard-core Republicans are disenchanted with Badham.”

Glaser also said that there is an “X-factor,” a tendency of voters, which polls can’t always track, to switch to a new, more attractive, activist candidate. After his battle against Hoffmann, Sumner has shown himself to be such a candidate, Glaser said.

Badham and some Republican strategists in Orange County label as hogwash any claims that Badham is vulnerable. For one thing, they say, Badham’s Republicans are loyal Republicans.

“I’ve seen two years of polling data for this race,” said Greg Haskin, executive director of the Republican Party of Orange County. “And if Ronald Reagan were a Democrat and he was running against Bob Badham in that race, I don’t think even he could beat him. Voters are so local and so dedicated to electing a Republican.”

Badham said he wanted to be considerate of his former neighbor and to take “the high road” in the race.

“We’ve gotten along pretty much every way but politically,” Badham said. “Bruce has always conducted himself like a gentleman. I hope we would have a lively campaign based on the issues.”

‘Beat Everybody’

Still, as he thought more about the race and Sumner’s claims of beating him, Badham laughed. “I’ve beat everybody I’ve faced. Forever,” he said. “I hate to be cynical and philosophical in my old age. They’ve all tried. And I’ve run on my record, a long record, an increasingly long record.”

Two years ago, for instance, a feisty Democrat and peace activist, Carol Ann Bradford, put together a strong challenge. But helped by the conservative tide that reelected Reagan, Badham got 64% of the vote to her 34%.

Again in the Republican primary this June, Rosenberg, a brash young candidate, defied much of Orange County’s Republican establishment to run against Badham. Rosenberg attacked Badham non-stop for his missed House votes, allegedly improper campaign spending and round-the-world trips. But Badham beat him, too, getting 65% of the vote to Rosenberg’s 34%.

Cheered by Rosenberg’s showing, Sumner and his advisers claim that their timing is right. Other key factors for their optimism, they say, are Sumner’s high name identification after his battle with Hoffmann and his 30 years of civic activity in the area. In that time, he has been a Democratic Party chairman, a Superior Court judge and, from 1956 to 1964, a Republican assemblyman from Laguna Beach.

The latter experience still gives Sumner “eyes into the Republican community,” Glaser said, even though in 1971, after a bitter loss in a Senate primary race against John Birch Society member John G. Schmitz, he switched parties.

For Sumner now, Glaser said, the traditional rules for winning the 40th District no longer apply. If Sumner can persuade from 25 to 35% of the 40th District’s Republicans, virtually all of the district’s Democrats, and virtually all other voters to vote for him, Sumner and his aides say he can win.

Precisely how he will get Republicans voters to switch is not yet clear, Sumner said. Aides predict the campaign could cost up to $400,000. Campaign treasurer Audrey Redfearn said she doesn’t yet know what the budget will be, but the campaign will use mailers, volunteers (from a list of 500 people from the primary), a voter registration drive, and frequent appearances by Sumner in the district.

Message Important

Glaser claimed that Sumner’s message, that he will be a responsive, hard-working congressman, should be more important than his party affiliation.

Sumner will take that message on Monday to Washington on a two-day trip to promote his candidacy to national Democratic leaders and political action committees. Whether the trip will result in financial help for Sumner is not clear, but first impressions are positive. Paul Kirk, the Democratic Party’s national chairman, said: “The disparity of resources between what the Republicans and the Democrats have (in the 40th District) is obvious, but with the continued effort on (Sumner’s) part and the show of strength, that race could tighten.”

Also impressed with Sumner’s potential is the Democratic National Congressional Committee, which this year expects to spend $3 million around the country on key races.

“We’re excited that he won against all odds” over the LaRouche candidate, said committee spokesman Mark Johnson. But he cautioned, “We’re going to wait and see what he does” before the committee decides to spend money on the race.

Still, Republican strategists argue that the “X-factor” or no, Badham is invincible. In his 24 years, Badham said, he has never encountered any “difficulty with party unity that amounted to more than a hiccup.”

Besides, Badham and his advisers said, his campaign to win in November is only just beginning.

Said David Vaporean, 35, a political consultant from Orange: “We’ll let Bruce savor his hard-earned victory for a couple of days or a week and then . . . we’ll have a full-dress campaign.” He added: “We look at this like playing golf. You’re not really playing the opponent to win. You’re playing the course.”

For Badham, “playing the course” will mean an unusually aggressive game, with targeted mailers, frequent fund-raisers, frequent appearances in the district and a “full-court press,” Vaporean promised.

Despite a relative lull in campaigning since the June 3 primary, Badham has visited his district every weekend, he said. And he has been planning several major fund-raisers: a July 30 cocktail party in Washington for 200 people that will cost $250 per person and another in Orange County on Aug. 8 that is to feature Alexander Haig and cost $150 per person for cocktails or $1,000 per couple for dinner.

Badham and Sumner promised that their campaigns would have a positive tone, although Badham and his advisers were skeptical that it would last.

‘Get Down in the Mud’

Vaporean said: “We expect Sumner to get down in the mud--as much as his budget will allow him.” Both candidates already have outlined several issues for debate.

- On offshore oil drilling, Badham claims he is actively defending the Orange County coastline from drilling, but Sumner argues that the congressman has done too little, too late.

- On Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, Badham argues that technology is rapidly reducing aircraft noise. But Sumner suggested opening El Toro Marine Corps Air Station to some commercial flights, to reduce both traffic and noise at John Wayne. Badham, an expert on defense, called that idea impractical and one that simply would move the noise problem to the Tustin Hills.

- On defense spending, Sumner, who called himself a fiscal conservative and a moderate on social issues, called the “Star Wars” strategic defense system “ill defined” and too expensive. He said he would prefer to cut some defense programs to save money for student loans.

Badham, a ranking GOP member of the House Armed Services Committee, is a strong supporter of increased defense spending.