Lungren Pledges His Full Support to Rohrabacher

Rep. Daniel E. Lungren said Friday he has no regrets about his decision to leave Congress, despite the state Supreme Court’s unanimous rejection of his bid to become state treasurer.

“I resolved that in my own mind a long time ago,” the Long Beach Republican said in an interview at the state Capitol. “You can’t look back. If you look back, you’ll go nuts.

“I had 10 good years in the Congress. I’ve enjoyed it in the Congress,” Lungren said at an earlier news conference. “I think I’ve made a contribution in the Congress, but my family wanted to come home” to California, he said.

Supporting Rohrabacher

In the next few months, Lungren plans to play a role in the politics of his 42nd district by supporting the candidacy of former White House speech writer Dana Rohrabacher. “I’ve already met with him, and I’ve indicated my full support, anything we can do,” Lungren said. “I’m going to help him as much as I can.”

Gov. George Deukmejian’s nomination of Lungren for the treasurer’s post and Lungren’s decision in early March not to seek reelection led to a bitter GOP primary fight in his Republican congressional district, which runs from Torrance to Huntington Beach.

Although Lungren endorsed Orange County Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder to succeed him, Rohrabacher won the June 7 primary in a hard-fought and expensive campaign.

A longtime associate of President Reagan, Rohrabacher soundly defeated Wieder and six other Republicans with the help of a last-minute campaign swing by retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North.

Rohrabacher, of Palos Verdes Estates, will face Democrat Guy C. Kimbrough, a political science instructor from Huntington Beach, in the November election.

The Republican primary was rocked by the disclosure that Wieder had lied for 25 years about having a degree from Wayne State University in Detroit although she never attended college.

Lungren said that “obviously, the issue of education hurt her badly.” In addition, he said, a “sort of free-for-all over the question of growth,” including a threatened recall campaign against Wieder by slow-growth advocates, damaged her congressional bid.

“It was a combination of Harriett being hurt by things and Rohrabacher coming up with two major things--identification with Reagan and Ollie North coming in at the end,” Lungren said.

As for his own plans, Lungren, 41, said he will serve out the remainder of his fifth term in Congress before returning to the Sacramento area to join his family.

Senate Rejects Confirmation

Although Lungren’s nomination as treasurer won confirmation in the state Assembly, it was rejected by the Senate, and the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that approval of both houses is required for appointment to statewide office.

Lungren did not rule out a run for statewide office in 1990. “It is not my intent to retire from public office in Roseville,” he said, referring to the Sacramento suburb where he has bought a home.

Lungren said he has benefited from the publicity surrounding the treasurer’s appointment and his unsuccessful legal fight over it.

“I think I’m better known in this state than I was before,” he said.

In his opening remarks at Friday’s news conference, Lungren thanked his constituents for bearing with him during the battle for the treasurer’s job. “They’ve probably shown as much patience through all this as anybody else. I thank them for that. I’m sorry I’m not going to be representing them any longer, but it was not meant to be.”