Delegates Prepare for Their Moment in Political Limelight

Maureen Reagan, the President’s daughter and Republican National Committee co-chair, and prominent GOP fund-raiser Margaret Brock will be among the delegates from the San Fernando Valley congressional districts attending the Republican National Convention in August.

The Valley area’s Democratic delegate slate includes actor Ed Begley Jr. of Ojai and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joy Picus. In addition, Reps. Howard L. Berman of Panorama City and Anthony C. Beilenson of Tarzana will be so-called “super delegates” at the Democrats’ convention in July.

They are the better-known political figures among the nine Republican and 15 Democratic delegates selected in the 21st, 23rd and 26th congressional districts following the June 7 primary. All the GOP delegates are pledged to George Bush; 12 of the Democrats will back Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis while the other three are supporters of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Bush’s district delegates were selected by a 13-member committee of the vice president’s leading California supporters. The Democratic delegates were chosen through open caucus elections.

Reagan and Brock will be part of the 175-member California Republican delegation committed to Bush under the state GOP’s winner-take-all format. Both women live in the 23rd District, which extends from Canoga Park and Reseda over the Santa Monica Mountains to West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Malibu.

Reagan, 47, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1982, was named co-chair of the national GOP committee early last year. Brock, known in some circles as “Mrs. Republican,” has been a major party fund-raiser since she supported Ronald Reagan’s 1966 successful run for governor.

Steven Dart, the son of another former Reagan confidant, will be a Republican delegate from the 26th District. Dart’s late father, Justin, was one of a handful of wealthy Southern California businessmen who persuaded Ronald Reagan to enter politics. He remained part of the President’s California Kitchen Cabinet until his death in 1984.

Ira Norris, ex-president of the Building and Industry Assn. of Southern California, is also a Republican delegate in the 26th District, which extends from Burbank and Studio City to the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Rep. Elton Gallegly of Simi Valley, Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury and auto dealership owner Robert Dean Nesen of Thousand Oaks make up the 21st District delegation. Nesen, who served as ambassador to Australia from 1981 to 1985, is a longtime friend and supporter of both President Reagan and former President Richard Nixon.

The 21st District includes portions of Ventura County, parts of the West San Fernando Valley and Santa Catalina Island.

The GOP delegates were selected by a committee of Bush’s top fund-raising and political supporters in the state, said Eileen Padberg, who managed Bush’s California primary campaign. The committee, co-chaired by Bush associates Gordon Luce and former Atty. Gen. William French Smith, chose 175 delegates and 175 alternates from 1,100 applicants, Padberg said.

The GOP convention, where Bush is to be nominated, will be held Aug. 15-18 in New Orleans.

On the Democratic side, Begley and Picus of Woodland Hills are pledged to Dukakis. Begley, who starred in the television show “St. Elsewhere,” acted as spokesman last year when Hollywood celebrities rallied in protest outside Gov. George Deukmejian’s office in Sacramento to charge that the governor was not forcefully implementing Proposition 65, the anti-toxics initiative.

Berman and Beilenson are not pledged to a candidate as super delegates but each has vowed to back Dukakis. All of the state’s Democratic Congress members will be delegates.

Another Democratic delegate is Lila Garrett, a member of the Hollywood Women’s Political Committee and a two-time Emmy award-winning television writer-producer. She is joined in the 23rd District by Robert Hattoy, Southern California regional director of the Sierra Club and a member of the Los Angeles Environmental Quality Board. Both are Dukakis delegates.

Jackson’s delegates include Yousef Elia Haddad of Arleta in the 26th District. Haddad, an accountant who emigrated from Jordan 15 years ago, registered hundreds of new voters as a Jackson volunteer. He said he had never voted in an American election before Jackson inspired him to participate this year.

Democratic delegates were nominated at May 1 congressional district caucuses open to party members pledged to Dukakis and Jackson, respectively.

Percentage Basis

The number of delegates each candidate received in the 45 congressional districts was determined last week by the percentage of his popular vote. Each of the district delegations is balanced by sex as well.

Dukakis won between 71.7% and 75.6% of the Democratic vote in the 21st, 23rd and 26th districts, according to the unofficial tally.

In addition to the district delegates, 68 at-large Democratic delegates will be chosen this weekend to bring the percentage of blacks, Latinos and Asian-Americans in the state’s delegation into line with their representation among the party’s voters. Another 41 elected and party officials pledged to Dukakis and Jackson will be selected as delegates as well.

The Democratic convention, where Dukakis is to be nominated, will be held July 18-21 in Atlanta. California will send 336 delegates and 105 alternates to the convention.