33rd District Senate Race Thinning Out : 2 Politicians From Norwalk Lead Pack; 4 Hopefuls Withdraw

The race to replace Sen. Paul Carpenter in the 33rd state Senate District appears to be narrowing toward a showdown between Assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-Norwalk) and Norwalk City Councilman Cecil N. Green, a Democrat.

In recent days, several candidates have withdrawn from the March 17 primary election to fill the vacancy left by Carpenter, a Democrat from Cypress, when he resigned early last month to take a seat on the state Board of Equalization.

On Monday, the last day to file for the special election, Grisham’s candidacy received a boost when former Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Margaret Vineyard bowed out. Vineyard and Cerritos Mayor Don Knabe, who earlier withdrew from the race, were considered Grisham’s top Republican challengers. Both Vineyard and Knabe said Monday that they will endorse Grisham, 63, a two-term assemblyman.

Both Could Run

Should Grisham win the Senate seat, Vineyard said, she will run for his 63rd Assembly District seat. Knabe is also considered a potential candidate for that seat.

On the Democratic side of the Senate contest, Green’s top two rivals, former Cypress Mayor Otto Lacayo and retired Downey Municipal Judge Leon Emerson, also dropped out on Monday. Emerson, who has joined Green’s campaign, said he was unable to raise enough money to finance “a credible race.” Lacayo said it would be difficult to overcome Green’s broad base of support, including key endorsements from Senate Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) and Carpenter.

Like Carpenter, Lacayo is a longtime Cypress resident, but the two have not been close since they ran against each other for the Assembly in 1974.

“He’s had an ax to grind with me for sometime,” Lacayo said of Carpenter, “and it is clear that if I had stayed in the race, he would have done what he could have to defeat me.”

Unlike Emerson, Lacayo said he will not endorse Green because that “would be an endorsement for Carpenter, and I won’t do that.”

David Hayes, a trustee in the South Whittier School District, is the only other Democrat in the race.

Other GOP Candidates

The other Republicans are R. O. Davis, a Buena Park businessman; Verner S. Waite, a Cypress physician, and David Shapiro, a Cypress political science student. Also running is photojournalist Lee Connelly, a Buena Park Libertarian, and court service officer Ed Evans, a Peace and Freedom Party member who lives in Cypress.

If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote in March, there will be a runoff election in May.