Royce, Hoffman Use Debate to Warm a Cool State Senate Campaign

State Sen. Edward R. Royce (R-Anaheim) and his Democratic opponent, Francis Hoffman, sparred over Royce’s voting record, the toxic waste initiative and California Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird during a televised debate recently, but otherwise voters would hardly know there’s a contest this year for the 32nd Senate District seat.

That’s because Hoffman--an energetic, precinct-walking attorney and county school board member--has raised less than $5,000 for his campaign and has received no help from Democratic Party leaders in Sacramento.

And Royce, meanwhile, has ignored Hoffman in his own reelection effort, concentrating instead on boosting GOP turnout in his district and helping other Republican candidates.

Freshman Senator

Royce is a well-situated freshman senator who won a bitter contest in 1982 against Democrat Frank Barbaro in a district that was created by the Democrat-controlled Legislature during the 1981 reapportionment process. However, Democratic registration has slipped to 42.6%, from 51% four years ago, and now state Senate President Pro Tem David Roberti (D-Los Angeles) and other statewide Democratic leaders consider the seat relatively safe for an incumbent Republican.

The district, about 37% Latino, includes Stanton, La Habra and portions of Anaheim, Buena Park, Santa Ana and Fullerton. Although the district has the highest concentration of low income residents and minorities in the county, previous election results have shown that it is more conservative than demographic characteristics would suggest.

Hoffman’s biggest campaign expenses so far have been $750 for office rent and $453 to a Harris & Frank store to replace clothing that was “worn out” while walking precincts, according to mandatory political finance disclosure documents filed with the county registrar of voters.

“I’m thrifty,” Hoffman joked. “I got not one, but two suits of clothes for the money.”

Raised $211,000

Meanwhile, Royce has raised more than $211,000, mostly from business-oriented political action committees and local entrepreneurs whose industries are affected by legislation that comes before the Senate committees--such as Banking and Commerce and Health and Human Services--on which Royce serves. Royce’s biggest expenses have been a hotel fund-raising dinner, printing of campaign mail and staff salaries, leaving him with cash on hand of more than $85,545 as of Oct. 18. Royce has transferred some of his largess--$14,000 to Senate Republican political action committees, $5,000 to Republican Richard Longshore, who is running against Santa Ana Mayor Dan Griset in the 72nd Assembly District, and $2,500 to state Sen. William R. Campbell’s campaign for state controller.

But Hoffman, an attorney who moved to Orange County 10 years ago after founding the Chatsworth Democratic Club in the San Fernando Valley, said he is not intimidated by Royce’s incumbency or his campaign war chest. And referring to the absence of funds from his party, Hoffman said, “I wear that like a badge of courage, a badge of honor.

“I was outspent 30 to 1 in the June (Democratic) primary and took 70% of the vote,” Hoffman said, referring to his defeat of Sal Sapien, a Stanton councilman backed strongly by Roberti.

Although Royce is confident about his reelection, he still is not taking Hoffman lightly.

On camera at a recent KOCE-TV taping, for example, Royce bristled at Hoffman’s claim that he abstained or missed votes on 21 pieces of legislation, including funding bills for education, toxic waste cleanup and aid to pregnant women.

A week after the taping, Royce said he had checked and found that Hoffman’s information was inaccurate and that he had voted on 83% of the bills cited by Hoffman. But such a rebuttal was not available to him during the television taping.

“I’ve noticed that Mr. Royce has taken an extremely low profile approach to politics.. . . If you were to write a book it might be titled, ‘If in Doubt Abstain, When in Doubt Abstain,’ ” Hoffman said.

Angry Exchange

Hoffman’s comments provoked this angry exchange:

Royce: “I have cast, in the last legislative session, the third-highest number of votes of any legislator, the highest for any Republican. My rate for voting on legislation is 96%. In terms of bills that I’ve carried, I’ve carried bills that crack down on criminal defendants and don’t allow them to obtain the names and phone numbers of their victims. I’ve carried bills that require sex offenders that have been released to register with the local police. . . . I’ve made drunk drivers responsible for paying the cost of the police response, the fire department response, to the scene of an accident. . . .”

Hoffman: “I don’t think the senator has shown very much leadership at all in the area of crime. In my precinct-walking, I’ve found that there are an awful lot of bars on windows and security gates and guard dogs. And this is new construction I’ve found this on. . . .”

Royce: “. . . For you to imply that I’ve been soft on crime frankly is ludicrous.”

Hoffman: “He may be proposing ideas that appear to be hard on crime, but the result is ineffectiveness. The constituents in the 32nd District do not feel any safer. . . . It’s obviously not having any impact on the lives of his constituents.”

Education Issues

Hoffman criticized Royce for not being active on education issues, and pointed out that two Orange County senators--John Seymour (R-Anaheim) and Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach)--had introduced far more education legislation. But Royce countered that those senators sit on the education committee, and he doesn’t.

On toxic wastes, Hoffman said he supports Proposition 65, which would strongly regulate pesticides, herbicides and other hazardous chemicals.

Royce said he supported the measure until he discovered it contains a provision for “bounty hunters” to sue and collect 25% of the financial penalties from companies found guilty of violating the regulations. He charged that this would lead to too many lawsuits filed by people with only a financial interest in the outcome.

The two men tangled sharply over Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird of the state Supreme Court.

Royce said he has worked hard, legislatively, to reverse many of the court’s decisions. But Hoffman argued that the constitutional separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government has been eroded by politicians who attack or defend judges based on whether they personally agree with their rulings.

“I think it’s disgraceful that partisan people are going out and opposing or even supporting a judicial candidate,” Hoffman said.

“So you’re not going to answer the question on this program about whether you’re going to vote yes or no on Rose Bird?” asked KOCE moderator Jim Cooper.

Answer ‘Inappropriate’

Hoffman replied: “I think it’s inappropriate for a partisan politician to answer that question in public.”

On another issue, Hoffman began circulating a petition last June to qualify an initiative for the June, 1988, statewide ballot that would reduce the state sales tax by one-fourth-cent on each dollar. But so far he has not sought many signatures.

He said he is sponsoring the measure because he’s concerned that the sales tax unfairly burdens senior citizens on fixed incomes.

Hoffman contends that although such a reduction might not appear sizable, it would save taxpayers $520 million in one year and still leave the state with a $480 million budget surplus.

Royce has said he would sign the petition and would have his volunteers help circulate it, but so far he has not been asked and Hoffman has not circulated it widely.

“I’ve walked a few precincts myself,” Royce said. “I’ve met people who have been visited by my opponent. So far, none of them has been asked to sign the petition.”