Ex-Assemblyman Ralph May Try a Comeback

At the height of his political power, Assemblyman Leon D. Ralph (D-Los Angeles) abandoned the Legislature for the ministry.

After announcing his decision to quit the Assembly in 1976, the 10-year veteran of the Legislature declared: “I couldn’t keep doing both. I’d be short-changing either the Lord or my constituents.”

But Ralph said in a recent interview that he plans to move to Paramount and may attempt a political comeback by entering next June’s primary for the Democratic nomination in the 54th Assembly District.

Ralph, once the powerful chairman of the Assembly Rules Committee, says that he could now juggle the demands of his church and his constituents. As he put it: “I’m at a different place in my ministry. I had a lot to learn and I’ve applied myself to that.”

Ralph is among a handful of potential challengers to Assemblyman Paul E. Zeltner (R-Lakewood), who last November upset the odds-makers and captured the heavily Democratic district. In the neighboring 63rd Assembly District, two former Democratic candidates are mounting challenges to Assemblyman Wayne Grisham (R-Norwalk). Cerritos City Councilwoman Diana Needham said she, too, is considering whether to run in the Democratic primary.

Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento), chairman of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, described the two Assembly seats as “among the top five districts” Democrats expect to target in 1988. But unlike past elections, Isenberg said he doubts the Assembly leadership will publicly endorse candidates in primary elections.

Meantime, in the GOP primary for the 33rd Senate District, former Hawaiian Gardens Councilwoman Margaret Vineyard has announced her candidacy, and Cerritos City Councilman Don Knabe said he is leaning toward challenging Sen. Cecil N. Green (D-Norwalk).

Green, Grisham and Zeltner all plan to seek reelection and are preparing for costly races. Indeed, last spring Grisham and Green received a total of nearly $3 million to wage their campaigns.

To raise such substantial sums, legislative campaigns have stretched into yearlong marathons. Earlier this month, Zeltner staged a Lakewood fund-raiser to erase his $11,000 campaign debt; Green plans a major event in Orange County next month, and Peter Ohanesian, a Democrat who seeks to challenge Grisham, staged a $150-a-person fund-raiser.

Allan Hoffenblum, a longtime GOP campaign strategist who oversaw Zeltner’s campaign in 1986, predicted: “The (financial) resources going into that part of the county will be tremendous.”

The following is the early line on the three campaigns, two months before filing opens.

The 54th Assembly District:

Democrats view Zeltner, a former Lakewood city councilman and sheriff’s captain, as merely a temporary occupant of the seat because registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of better than 2-1. In 1986, he defeated Edward K. Waters, son of Assemblywoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). With her help, Waters raised $820,000 in contributions compared to Zeltner’s $170,000.

Zeltner cracked that the district “is called crucial to the Democrats . . . because I happen to have it.” Assembly Democrats are expected to put Zeltner high on their list of Republicans to defeat, prompting the rookie lawmaker to be highly visible in the district, especially in Compton. “I’m not taking anything for granted,” he acknowledged.

On the Democratic side, former Assemblyman Ralph said he is “seriously considering” running for the seat because “it’s a heavily Democratic district and people have expressed some concern about the quality of representation they currently have.”

Some politicians privately speculate that the entry into the campaign of Ralph, with his long list of political credentials, would dissuade others from getting into the race, lessening the chance of a rerun of the bitter, nine-candidate 1986 primary.

In his political heyday, Ralph was a champion of lottery and dog racing bills. He also emerged as one of the most influential blacks in state government. But in 1976, Ralph unexpectedly announced he would not seek reelection and would go into the ministry.

Shortly after leaving office, Ralph held a testimonial dinner attended by lobbyists, lawmakers and other state officials who paid $125 a plate to help their friend raise $50,000 to buy a church in the Sacramento suburb of North Highlands. He renamed it the Interdenominational Church of God and opened a branch of the church in Hawthorne in July, 1986. Ralph, who in recent years also has been registered as a capital lobbyist, moved to Inglewood last year and said he plans to settle in Paramount in the 54th District.

Ralph said that he once represented parts of Compton and Willowbrook, which are in the 54th District. He declared that “a good, strong black candidate has an excellent chance of winning.”

Other blacks whose names have surfaced as potential candidates are Willard Murray, an aide to Rep. Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton), who finished second in the 1986 Democratic primary; and former Compton Mayor Doris A. Davis, who finished third in the primary.

One white candidate, Democrat Leslie William Robbins of Long Beach, has declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. A political newcomer, Robbins is president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, which represents non-supervisory deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators. In part because of his law enforcement background, Robbins said: “I believe I would run strongest against the incumbent.”

The 33rd Senate District:

Even though Green captured 56.5% of the vote in the Los Angeles County portion of the district last May, Republicans contend he is vulnerable because the former Norwalk councilman will not have adequate time to fashion a record as a lawmaker. On the other hand, Democrats maintain that, because of Green’s short tenure, Republicans will have little ammunition to use against him.

Democrats also contend that voters, having just sent Green to Sacramento, will be reluctant to call him home. Republicans counter that they will turn out in higher numbers in the general election, boosting the chances of the Republican nominee.

At the top of the list of potential Republican challengers is Cerritos Councilman Knabe, chief deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana. Knabe jumped into the special election last year, but bowed out after a private meeting with Gov. George Deukmejian and Grisham, who stayed in the race.

Knabe said he is leaning toward entering the Republican primary. “Things seem to be looking pretty good” for launching a challenge to Green, he said.

The only declared Republican candidate is former Hawaiian Gardens councilwoman Vineyard. Vineyard, a businesswoman, said, “I’m just sorry I didn’t go for it in the special election.” In 1984, as a political unknown, Vineyard captured 45.9% of the vote to 52.5% for Sen. Paul Carpenter (D-Cypress). Carpenter was elected last year to the state Board of Equalization and left the Senate. His departure prompted the Grisham-Green battle.

The 63rd Assembly District:

Grisham, a former congressman, was dealt a setback when he lost the special election to Green. Elected to the Assembly in 1984, Grisham was regarded as the front-runner but failed to attract sufficient support, especially among Republicans. The only Southeast area city he took was Downey, where he grabbed 5,510 votes to Green’s 4,887.

So, Democrats figure that Grisham will be easy to beat next year. In the wake of his Senate loss, the names of at least a dozen Democrats surfaced as potential challengers, but most have taken themselves out of the running or remain undecided.

Three Democrats have announced their candidacies. They are:

Peter C. Ohanesian of Downey, who finished second in the 11-candidate 1984 Democratic primary. He is lining up support from local officials and recently held a $150-a-person fund-raiser in Montebello. Ohanesian owns a Downey-based direct mail and advertising firm and works for a similar business in Tustin.

Marshall H. Story of Cerritos, who finished fourth in the 1984 Democratic primary. Story is a maintenance technician for TWA and chairman of the 63rd Assembly District Democratic Party. Story is seeking support from organized labor.

Joel H. Lubin of Downey, a research specialist with the state Public Utilities Commission and longtime Democratic activist. Lubin is attempting to round up support among local officials.

Cerritos Councilwoman Needham said she is considering whether to enter the race because she believes “it’s a good time for a Democrat to possibly beat Wayne Grisham. I think his image was weakened by his loss of the Senate seat.”

Grisham said whoever the Democrats nominate, the general election will be “another hard race because the district is just not a safe Republican district or . . . a safe Democratic district.”