Winning Democrats Shape Up as Future Contenders for Higher Offices

In an election where voters handed a Republican governor a landslide victory and ousted three Democratic-appointed justices, Democrats managed to hold on to the other statewide offices and, in doing so, set themselves up as their party’s standard bearers.

From among this group of five Democrats, which includes some of the most ambitious of California’s politicians, are certain to come contenders for the offices of U.S. Senate in 1988 and governor in 1990.

Political Vacuum

On Wednesday, less than a day after their election, the victors and their advisers speculated on the political vacuum left by the crushing defeat of the most prominent Democratic candidate for a state office, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.

“What you’ll see in the next three or four years is people trying to take strong leadership positions,” said Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp, who easily won reelection to a second term.

In addition to Van de Kamp, who is considered one of the most likely prospects for governorship in 1990, other strong figures emerging from Tuesday’s election were Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy, who won a bruising bid for reelection against Republican Mike Curb, and controller-elect Gray Davis, the only newcomer among the state’s six constitutional officers.

“They’ll all be trying to outdo each other,” said Ken Khachigian, a top strategist for Gov. George Deukemejian. “One of the ways to do it is to be a consistent critic of the governor. I would expect sometime in the first year of the term, you’ll see a lot of maneuvering going on.”

Although considered less likely to run, state Treasurer Jesse Unruh, who holds more than $1.5 million in his campaign treasury, and veteran Secretary of State March Fong Eu are not being counted out. Another potential contender for a statewide post is San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and others may emerge from the Legislature or local offices.

McCarthy’s Future

McCarthy, a former Speaker of the Assembly, demonstrated his political strength by beating Curb, the former lieutenant governor, by a 54% to 42% margin. McCarthy was outspent by Curb and handicapped by his vocal support of the three ousted justices, including Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird.

In the euphoria following his victory, McCarthy spoke of his political future: “There are two choices out there: a governorship or a U.S. Senate race. I have not made a choice in either direction. They are both extremely attractive jobs. At this moment, I’m thinking about a few items I want to pursue as lieutenant governor.”

Davis emerged from his hard-fought campaign against Republican state Sen. William Campbell of Hacienda Heights having shown his ability to raise huge amounts of campaign money and endure attacks on what many thought would be his Achilles heel: his long association with former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.

Still acting like a candidate the day after his 52%-to-44% victory over Campbell, Davis held press conferences in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento, where he talked about everything from his environmentalist support to his proposals for changing California’s income tax system. The only issue he did not want to discuss was his own political future.

“I’m just not going to entertain that kind of speculation,” Davis said shortly after declaring victory.

But Albert Gersten Jr., Davis’ campaign financier, was not so reticent. “There is no question that a person who seeks an office like controller does it for a purpose,” he said. “I think you want someone who has a future because that person will do a better job.”

Some wonder whether Davis will be able to hold back until the time is right. “I don’t think he’s mentally able to be that patient,” said Joe Cerrell, a veteran Democratic campaign strategist. “He’s all set to go; you name it, he’s there.”

Van de Kamp’s strength as a candidate was proven by the Republicans’ decision not to field more than a token candidate--despite the attorney general’s longstanding opposition to the death penalty, a bellwether issue for the GOP.

Whimsical Commercials

Mounting a low-key campaign highlighted by whimsical television commercials, Van de Kamp trounced Republican attorney Bruce Gleason by 66% to 30%. Gleason was so obscure that at the GOP election night celebration he wore a name tag so people would know who he was.

Van de Kamp played down his political ambitions, saying in an interview: “I enjoy doing the job (attorney general) and I’m not about to launch into a campaign for higher office. That’s not to say I’m not interested in higher office.”

With all these Democrats and only a few top jobs to go around, it is likely that several will find themselves on a collision course. Van de Kamp, who seems to have set his sights on the governorship, could face Davis or McCarthy, among others, in a 1990 primary contest.

Their aspirations are complicated by the fact that Deukmejian may seek a third term--but may not let the Democrats know what he is planning.

“I think he’ll keep it very open,” Khachigian said. “I would recommend to him that nobody know what he’s going to do at least until 1990.”

Even Eu, who won her fourth term as secretary of state by capturing 69% of the vote to 26% for Republican Bruce Nestande, was caught up in the enthusiasm. After supporters presented her with a shoe box full of “Eu in ‘88” buttons on election night, she vowed to “seriously” consider a run at the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Pete Wilson.

Unruh, California’s one-time Big Daddy of politics, also shouldn’t be disregarded as a gubernatorial contender, even though he was defeated in 1970 by Ronald Reagan in his first bid for the office, Cerrell said. No Republican opposed Unruh this year and he received 83% of the vote.

“He really wants to be governor,” Cerrell said. “He just doesn’t know how to change the Constitution to allow the job to be appointed.”