ELECTIONS ’88 : Cox Victory in 40th Was Linked to His Reagan Connection

C. Christopher Cox tied his victorious 40th Congressional District campaign to Ronald Reagan, even fashioning a political sign that seemed to be a personalized message from the President. It said, “Thank you, Chris Cox,” with a facsimile of Reagan’s signature underneath.

At his Newport Beach headquarters Wednesday, Cox said, “It’s probably time to flip the signs around and say, ‘Thank you, Ronald Reagan.’ ”

The strategy of a former White House employee aligning himself with the Administration and some of its most famous names--notably former Lt. Col. Oliver L. North and former U.S. Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork--seemed to do the trick for Cox, who deflected criticism that he was an outsider by squeaking to victory early Tuesday by a mere 1,172 votes over his closest challenger, Irvine City Councilman C. David Baker.

Republican Cox now will be an overwhelming favorite in the November election against Democrat Lida Lenney, a Laguna Beach councilwoman who won the Democratic nomination Tuesday by defeating George Margolis.

Lenney, founder of the anti-development Laguna Canyon Conservancy, said she is anxious to run against Cox.

Clear-Cut Differences

“In my heart of hearts, I wanted Chris Cox as my opponent,” said Lenney, a one-term City Council member. “Our differences on the issues are very clear cut. I offer a record of public service; he is simply an outsider trying to take this seat.”

The battle to represent one of the most heavily Republican districts in the nation began in January when the incumbent, Rep. Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach), announced he would not seek election to a seventh term.

Cox, 35, a former White House lawyer who resigned in January to return to Newport Beach and seek Badham’s seat, boldly displayed his conservative stripes in the form of connections to the Reagan Administration. North and Bork came to the district to campaign for him, moves that apparently struck a cord with the district’s conservative electorate.

“Cox won it because he was able to anchor himself furthest to the right,” said Thomas A. Fuentes, chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County. “He had the Ronald Reagan signature on his profile, and that helped immeasurably.”

News of the primary victories by Cox and fellow Republican and former presidential speech writer Dana Rohrabacher in the neighboring 42nd Congressional District even received a mention by presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater at Wednesday’s White House press briefing.

Meeting With President

And Cox said he has been invited to meet with the President on Monday in Washington to discuss “my campaign and plans for Congress.”

For weeks, Cox, Baker and Newport Beach businessman Nathan Rosenberg were locked in a three-way race, emerging as front-runners from a crowded primary field that started with 14 Republicans.

Baker, 35, the only elected official of the three, received the backing of key party regulars in the county, including Badham, state Sen. Marian Bergeson and Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley. Baker has served on the Irvine City Council for four years, including one year as mayor.

Rosenberg, 36, was making his second bid for the seat. Two years ago he challenged Badham in the primary in an attack on an incumbent that was bitterly resented by the party establishment and cost Rosenberg valuable support from GOP activists this year.

“Cox was the candidate who was best able to provide an image of who he was: an unbending conservative,” said UC Irvine professor and pollster Mark Baldassare. “He grabbed the lead late in the campaign and hung on--barely.”

In a poll taken by Baldassare for The Times two weeks before the election, Cox was supported by 31% of the Republicans most likely vote, followed by Baker and Rosenberg who had 24% each.

Baker Narrowed Gap

Although the poll showed Cox already was ahead, “the North visit was a litmus test, a measure of Cox’s true conservative credentials” for many conservative voters, said Cox pollster Arnold Steinberg.

Cox led all the way Tuesday, jumping to a comfortable lead early in the evening with the first absentee ballot returns. But Baker began chipping away at Cox’s margin, and shortly after midnight closed to within 401 votes, largely because of strong support among Irvine voters. After ballots from the last Irvine precinct were processed, however, Cox pulled away. He declared victory at 2:15 a.m.

Baker “was only able to go as far as Irvine would take him,” said Cox political consultant Gary Huckaby. A Cox-commissioned survey a week before the election showed Cox leading in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Tustin. But Baker had a commanding 3-1 edge in Irvine.

Despite the efforts of more than 200 Baker volunteers, who went door-to-door in Irvine on Tuesday trying to get out the Republican vote, voter turnout in the city was only 50%, said City Clerk Nancy Lacey.

“If we get a 60% turnout in Irvine, we probably win,” said Baker campaign manager John Nakaoka. “But we fell just a few hundred votes short, and now we are left to contemplate the what ifs.”

Baker, who gave up reelection to the council to run for Congress, said it is unlikely he will seek future elective office in Irvine. But he did not rule out another try at higher office, possibly county supervisor.

“I can’t see myself uninvolved,” the former UC Irvine basketball star said Wednesday. “But right now I’ve got a 5-year-old son who needs to learn how to dribble. . . . I think this is what God wants me to do for a while.”

Rosenberg blamed his defeat on “dirty campaigning,” pointing to mailers that raised his relationship to his controversial brother Werner Erhard, founder of the est human potential movement. Cox sent several circulars to voters, warning them to “beware” of Erhard’s involvement in the campaign.

“That hurt us, no doubt,” said Rosenberg, who also speculated that a misconception by voters that he is Jewish cost him votes. He is an Episcopalian.

A tearful Rosenberg conceded the election early Wednesday morning, and then went home.

“Like Bob Dole said, I slept like a baby,” Rosenberg said. “I woke every hour and cried.”