Democratic Incumbents Make It a Clean Sweep

Westside voters did the expected Tuesday, giving their overwhelming support to legislative and congressional incumbents on the Democratic slate.

In the end it was not so much a match between rival political parties--since the Republicans were solidly defeated in every Westside contest--as it was a popularity contest among the various Democrats vying for reelection.

Placing highest in terms of popularity was 49th District Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles), who collected 77% of the vote against the GOP’s Eric Givens, despite an FBI investigation into special-interest legislation sponsored by Moore.

Other big winners were 45th District Assemblyman Burt Margolin (D-Los Angeles), with 69% of the vote; 23rd District Sen. David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles), with 67.8%, and 28th District Congressman Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles) with 76.3%.

None Less Than 61%

Final returns show that none of the Westside’s 10 incumbents received less than 61% of the votes cast on Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica) said the returns show that the voters are satisfied with their representation.

“I think that, by and large, people on the Westside are represented in the way they want to be represented,” Levine said. “I feel pleased by the nature of the representation people have, and I think that we wouldn’t have received the margins that we did if people wanted to send us a different message.”

Levine, who represents the 27th Congressional District, won 68% of the vote. Joining Levine in victory were 23rd District Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Tarzana), with 63.6% of the vote, 24th District Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), with 72.5%, and 26th District Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City), with 70.5%.

In the Legislature, the other winners were 43rd District Assemblyman Terry Friedman (D-Tarzana), with 61.8%, and 44th District Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), with 61.4%.

Listless Season

Despite the impressive margins of victory, however, Tuesday’s election marked the end of a listless campaign season on the solidly Democratic Westside, at least in terms of the legislative and congressional contests.

With their own seats secure, most lawmakers devoted themselves to other issues, such as the Dukakis presidential campaign, and local ballot measures, such as Proposition O, the effort to stop oil drilling in Pacific Palisades.

Since there were no campaign parties thrown on their behalf, the incumbents spent Election Night hopping between events, or, in the case of Hayden, hopping clear across country.

Spokesman Bill Schulz said Hayden spent Tuesday evening at the Dukakis campaign party in Boston. Schulz said Hayden made the trip because he had worked on the campaign and wanted to be with Dukakis when the results came in.

Although Hayden was disappointed at Dukakis’ loss, Schulz said the assemblyman was pleased with his own tally, which is the highest of his political career. “Tom received 2.5 points higher than he did in 1986,” Schulz said. “It’s clear his efforts to protect Santa Monica Bay and his work on environmental and education issues have given him increasing support.”

One candidate who was not pleased with the vote was the GOP’s Tom Larkin, a West Hollywood commercial real estate broker who took on powerful State Senate leader Roberti in the 23rd District race.

While Larkin campaigned vigorously and received some financial backing from the state Republican party, he received only 26% of the vote.

On the morning after the election, Larkin said he was reassessing his views on Westside politics. “I think it might be impossible for a Republican to make it here,” Larkin said. “It’s just too hard.”