15% to 20% Turnout Is Expected in 33rd State Senate District Election

Armies of volunteers trudged through the precincts in search of votes Monday in the final hours before today’s special election in the 33rd state Senate District, which includes parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties.

A turnout of 15% to 20% of registered voters is expected, according to election officials in both counties. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-Norwalk) and Norwalk Councilman Cecil N. Green, a Democrat, have emerged from a field of eight candidates as the leading contenders for the seat vacated by Sen. Paul Carpenter (D-Cypress), who won a State Board of Equalization election last November.

Both men telephoned volunteers and supporters Monday to encourage a strong get-out-the-vote drive today. Both sides also distributed rival newspaper endorsements and traded charges about last-minute attack mail.

New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, chairman of the National Republican Governors Conference, attempted to boost the visibility of Grisham’s race Monday by walking a few precincts in Los Alamitos.

About 25% of the district’s 285,000 registered voters live in the Orange County communities of Buena Park, La Palma, Cypress and Los Alamitos. The Los Angeles County portion of the district includes Downey, Norwalk, Lakewood, Cerritos, Bellflower, Santa Fe Springs, South Whittier and Hawaiian Gardens. Voter registration is 54% Democratic and 38% Republican, with the rest split among independents and smaller parties. Despite the Democrats’ registration edge, the district still is considered tough territory for them because Republicans tend to turn out in disproportionately large numbers, especially in special elections.

Grisham and Green have traded charges during the campaign about the accuracy of mailers sent to voters by each side.

Green has accused the Grisham camp of claiming falsely that he did not support the 1978 property tax reform measure, known as Proposition 13, or efforts to defeat Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird, when he had been a member of citizen groups in support of both campaigns.

Grisham charged through press secretary James Kjol Monday that some of Green’s supporters had distributed a last-minute mailer repeating charges by his former Sacramento secretary that she was fired after rebuffing Grisham’s advances. Grisham has vigorously denied the allegation, saying that the woman was fired for poor job performance.

The secretary of state’s office said the committee that sent the mailer, “Citizens Who Care,” was formed last Friday. Records at the Orange County registrar of voters office showed that the committee received $5,000 Monday from Carpenter and $2,000 from the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers.