Senate Leader Endorses Green to Replace Carpenter in 33rd District

Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) endorsed Norwalk City Councilman Cecil N. Green on Tuesday to fill the state Senate seat vacated last week by Cypress Democrat Paul B. Carpenter.

Within the next few days, Gov. George Deukmejian is expected to call a special election for April or May to fill the vacancy in the 33rd Senate District, which covers Buena Park, La Palma, Cypress and Los Alamitos in northwest Orange County and parts of southeast Los Angeles County.

Robert Forsyth, a Roberti spokesman, said the Senate leader decided to support Green, who also has been endorsed by Carpenter, “after many hours of discussion.”

Hot Campaign Foreseen

Carpenter was elected last November to the state Board of Equalization and assumed his new office last week, setting the stage for what is expected to be a hotly contested election. The race is especially important to Roberti, who has seen his Democratic majority in the Senate slip. There are 23 Democrats, 15 Republicans, one independent and one vacancy.

Roberti could not be reached for comment, but one Senate aide, who asked not to be identified, predicted that the Senate leader will raise between $500,000 and $600,000 for Green’s campaign.

Green said he is uncertain what Roberti’s support will mean in terms of money and campaign staff, but he predicted that “a lot of coffers in Sacramento will be open to me now.”

Forsyth also said he anticipates that “the majority” of the Democratic Senate caucus will follow Roberti’s lead and endorse Green, 62, a member of the Norwalk council since 1974.

Democratic Edge

Carpenter had held the seat since 1976, but with Democrats holding a voter registration lead over the GOP of only 53.8% to 38%, it is regarded as a difficult district for Democrats to hold, especially because Republican voters tend to turn out in higher percentages in special elections.

Besides Green, other Democrats in the running for Roberti’s endorsement included retired Downey Municipal Court Judge Leon Emerson and former Cypress Mayor Otto Lacayo. Democratic Senate aides said that former Assemblyman Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove), who last November lost a bid for Congress and whose name has been mentioned as a potential Senate candidate, has not figured prominently in recent discussions.

Among leading candidates on the Republican side are Assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-Norwalk) and Cerritos Mayor Don Knabe, a top aide to Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana. Another potential GOP candidate is former Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Margaret Vineyard, who ran a close race against Carpenter in 1984.

No GOP Endorsement

Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim), Senate Republican caucus chairman, said on Tuesday that Senate Republicans will not endorse a candidate in the primary. “We don’t believe it sells well in the local community for Sacramento to play kingmaker,” Seymour said.

In the special election, all candidates will be listed on a single ballot and voters of any party can vote for any candidate. Should no candidate win more than 50% of the vote, the top finishers from each party would compete in a runoff election.

Deukmejian has until early next week to schedule the election but is expected to make an announcement before Friday, when he is scheduled to leave on a trade mission to Japan.