Feinstein, Wilson Lead Parties in Governor Poll

The California political grapevine crackled Wednesday with word of a new poll that reportedly shows former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein leading the 1990 Democratic gubernatorial field, five points ahead of two veteran state officeholders, Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp and Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy.

According to reports circulating widely among political observers, the new California Poll, to be published today, shows Feinstein was the first choice of 27% of the Democrats who were read a list of names often mentioned as potential gubernatorial candidates.

Van de Kamp and McCarthy were next with 22% each and Controller Gray Davis was the choice of 7%.

On the Republican side, it apparently was a blowout for U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, who is expected to announce his plans to seek the governorship in the next few weeks.

Wilson was the first choice of 47% of the Republicans. Baseball Commissioner Peter V. Ueberroth, who has indicated that he might be interested in running if Wilson does not, was the choice of 19%.

Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, who has already formed an exploratory committee for governor, was third with 8%. Next were state Sen. Bill Campbell of Hacienda Heights with 5%, former Rep. Dan Lungren of Long Beach with 3% and state Sen. John Seymour of Anaheim with 1%.

The California Poll, conducted by Mervin Field of San Francisco, is the first independent survey in what is expected to be a lively governor’s race.

Through a spokesman, Van de Kamp pronounced himself satisfied with the poll results.

“The three contenders are all running evenly, which we expected,” the attorney general said. He excluded Davis from the ranks of the contenders because of a single-digit finish.

As for Feinstein, Van de Kamp noted that she had fallen slightly and that he had picked up slightly since a similar four-way sampling a year ago. “That’s a good trend,” he said.

Political professionals said Wednesday that they do not lend too much credence to a poll taken 22 months before the election. But they said the numbers are a factor in this early stage as potential candidates make plans to raise money and hire consultants.

“It’s a big, wide, wonderful world,” said media consultant Kam Kuwata of Santa Monica, an adviser to Davis. “The race is wide open, there is no real front-runner and there’s a little bit in the poll for each candidate to be happy about.”

The fact that Van de Kamp did not finish first gives comfort to Davis and others who have been insisting that the attorney general will not have the Democratic nomination locked up despite his methodical gathering of contributions and party support.

Van de Kamp is the only Democrat who has said he will definitely seek the governorship. He has said he will not seek reelection as attorney general and has formed an exploratory committee for governor. He already has about $1 million in his campaign coffers.

Davis has about $750,000 he could use to seek reelection as controller or to seek the governorship. He said he will decide soon which job he wants.

Feinstein’s lead in the early poll is expected to increase the likelihood that she will convert her current exploratory committee into a full-fledged candidacy.

Mayor for 10 Years

She was mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988 and could not run again under city law. Since leaving office she has been working on a book and sizing up her future in politics.

Feinstein was seriously considered as a running mate for Walter F. Mondale, the 1984 Democratic presidential candidate, and was the “host” mayor for Mondale’s 1984 Democratic National Convention.

The publicity she got then and the fact that she has been the mayor of one of California’s leading cities probably account for her standing in the new poll, according to political professionals.

On the Republican side, the popularity of Wilson in his party was evident in the answers to another question asked in the California Poll.

When respondents were asked, yes or no, if they were “inclined” to vote for Wilson, 78% said yes and 14% said no.

The news was not so good for Ueberroth. Forty percent of the Republicans said they would be inclined to vote for him while 41% said no.

That probably reflects the fact that Ueberroth, while winning high marks as baseball commissioner and as president of the organization that staged the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, has not run for public office and would be an unknown quantity for some Republican activists.