Deukmejian Gives Definite No to Veep Spot

George Deukmejian formally removed his name from consideration for the Republican nomination for vice president today in a letter to Vice President George Bush.

Deukmejian, winding up a two-week overseas tour of four Pacific Rim trading partners, cited his reluctance to hand over the state to Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy in a letter to Bush dated Tuesday and released today.

“I am honored and grateful for your consideration, but I must tell you that I cannot be considered for the office of vice president,” Deukmejian wrote.

“As you know, if I were to assume the vice presidency, it would mean turning the entire executive branch of the nation’s most populous state over to the Democratic Party.”

Little Help Seen

The announcement that Deukmejian has flatly ruled out consideration by Bush comes a day after publication of a California Poll showing that he would not have helped Bush capture the state. The same poll showed Michael S. Dukakis leading Bush by 16 points in California.

Deukmejian was the best known among three possible GOP vice presidential nominees, the poll found, but would not do as well as Kansas Sen. Bob Dole in narrowing the Dukakis-Bush gap and only slightly better than New York Rep. Jack Kemp.

Deukmejian press secretary Kevin Brett said the governor’s chief of staff, Michael Frost, traveling with Deukmejian in South Korea, read the letter today to Craig Fuller, Bush’s chief of staff, who was aboard Air Force II en route to Corpus Christi, Tex.

Financial Forms

Brett said the letter to Bush was prompted by a request from the Bush campaign for Deukmejian to fill out a set of financial disclosure forms that Bush is seeking from prospective running mates.

Deukmejian previously has said he did not expect to be offered the vice presidential slot by Bush, the certain GOP presidential nominee, and had insisted he would turn down any such offer to avoid turning the statehouse over to Democrats.

But he also has said he would consider it “an honor” to be asked to share the ticket. He appeared to leave the door open in June when he dodged a question on the vice presidency during a rare national television appearance on ABC’s “This Week with David Brinkley.”