GOP State Sen. Bergeson Begins Her Run for Lieutenant Governor

Pledging to tackle California’s problems with stronger “leadership and vision,” Republican state Sen. Marian Bergeson of Newport Beach on Thursday declared her candidacy for lieutenant governor in 1990.

Bergeson, who generally is considered to be a moderate but describes herself as a “pragmatic conservative,” said that, if elected, she will use the nearly powerless lieutenant governor’s post as a kind of bully pulpit to rally Californians on such issues as education, transportation and economic development.

Bergeson, 61, joins state Sen. John Seymour of Anaheim, whose district adjoins hers, as the first two Republicans in the race for the GOP nomination. The winner will try to unseat Democratic incumbent Leo T. McCarthy, who has said he intends to run for a third term.

Political consultant Ron Smith will manage her campaign, Bergeson said. Smith, who works out of Los Angeles and San Francisco, is best known for his work on behalf of former Rep. Ed Zschau of Los Altos, who rose from relative obscurity to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 1986. Zschau was narrowly defeated by Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston in the general election.

Bergeson and state Sen. Becky Morgan of Los Altos Hills became the first two Republican women in the state Senate when they were elected in 1984. Bergeson also served six years in the Assembly and 13 years on the Newport Beach City and Newport Mesa Unified school boards. She is a former elementary school teacher.

Bergeson declined to say which issues would separate her from Seymour as the two Orange County politicians battle to raise campaign funds and win Republican votes. She also avoided criticizing the performance of Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, although she suggested that she is sympathetic with critics of the governor who complain that his cautious style has kept state lawmakers from tackling several issues important to Californians.

“With increasing clarity, I see that the challenge facing California can only be solved by strengthening state leadership and vision,” she said.

Bergeson said she would attack the state’s transportation problems by supporting an increase in the gasoline tax of between 5 cents and 10 cents a gallon. She also pledged to support a revision of the state’s constitutional spending limit so that the new money could be spent on highway construction. Deukmejian has yet to take a position on either proposal, although he has proposed that a special state election be held next November so voters can decide the issue.

Critical of McCarthy

Looking forward to the general election, Bergeson said she does not think that McCarthy “is in step with the people of California” and said she “cannot recall” a single issue on which McCarthy has provided leadership. But she did say she generally agrees with McCarthy’s opposition to new oil drilling off the coast of California.

Bergeson predicted that U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, who is expected to be the Republican nominee for governor, will win the chief executive’s job in 1990. She said she would be a “strong, effective partner” for Wilson.

Bergeson said she could still function effectively as lieutenant governor even if she won and Wilson lost. But she said she “hadn’t even taken that into consideration, because I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Wilson, who has long been friends with Seymour, is not expected to endorse a candidate in the GOP primary.