Race for Coelho’s Seat in Congress Has Turned Nasty

As Election Day nears, a special congressional race in the San Joaquin Valley has turned nasty, with Republican candidate Clare Berryhill charging that his Democratic opponent is “under the influence” of special interests.

Democratic Assemblyman Gary A. Condit, the front-runner in the contest, is firing back with television ads labeling Berryhill--a former state legislator and top Deukmejian official--as a quitter who should not be returned to public office.

The two well-established politicians are vying to replace former Democratic Rep. Tony Coelho of Modesto, who resigned from Congress in June amid charges of improper financial dealings.

Tarnished Image

For Republicans, the primary election on Tuesday is a chance to capitalize on the Democrats’ tarnished image after the resignation of Coelho and House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.). But Democrats have united behind Condit in a strong campaign effort to prevent the GOP from making inroads into Democratic turf.

Condit, who had a head start in the race as well as Coelho’s help in raising campaign funds, hopes to win the race outright by capturing more than 50% of the vote in the primary.

Berryhill, the best-known of five Republicans on the ballot, concedes that his best chance is to force Condit into a November runoff, where he can take on the Democratic assemblyman in a head-to-head race.

“We have had to fight an uphill battle,” Berryhill said. “My assessment is at this point it’s going to be a tough one to call.

In this hot, dusty valley where agriculture has long been the dominant economic force, each candidate has portrayed himself as a friend of the farmer, pledging to represent growers effectively in Washington.

But the two contenders, with their contrasting personal styles, offer voters a clear choice in the election.

Condit, 41, is a career politician who was elected mayor of the small town of Ceres while he was a senior in college. He served as a Stanislaus County supervisor and then was elected to the Assembly in 1982. As a legislator, he has become best known for his membership in the “Gang of Five,” a group of Democratic dissidents who challenged the leadership of Democratic Assembly Speaker Willie Brown.

Can Be Charming

With an Oklahoma twang and boyish good looks, Condit can be a charming campaigner--although some Assembly colleagues say he is more interested in back-room maneuvering than he is in questions of public policy.

Berryhill, 63, is a farmer who has twice left his almonds and wine grapes for public office, serving in the Assembly and state Senate between 1969 and 1976 and then serving as Gov. George Deukmejian’s director of food and agriculture from 1983 to 1987. Both times, Berryhill retired from his post, saying he needed to get back to running his farm.

Berryhill, whose campaign commercials play up the fact that he is a lifelong farmer who married his high school sweetheart, is an affable man known around the state Capitol for his candor.

Conservative Bent

Both candidates have proven appeal in a district that takes in all or parts of Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa and Fresno counties and includes Modesto and the northern portion of the city of Fresno. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the sprawling district, but they tend to be conservative in their voting habits.

Now Berryhill, in brochures mailed to voters, is charging that thousands of dollars in payments Condit received from the medical and liquor industries have influenced the Democratic lawmaker’s actions in the Assembly.

“Gary Condit talks a lot about ethics,” one of the brochures says. “But like a lot of politicians, Gary Condit has learned that talk is cheap when it comes to ethics. It’s having ethics that can be expensive.”

One Berryhill broadside charges that Condit accepted more than $65,000 in salary from National Medical Enterprises from 1984 to 1986 and then voted more than 70 times on legislation affecting the hospital company.

A second pamphlet accuses Condit of voting on behalf of the liquor industry after receiving nearly $77,000 in campaign contributions from brewers and wineries. “Gary Condit says he doesn’t drink,” the mailer says. “But that doesn’t mean Gary Condit is not under the influence.”

‘Bunch of Hogwash’

Condit angrily denies that he has ever had any conflict of interest, saying, “It’s a bunch of hogwash.” He charged that Berryhill, out of “desperation,” has chosen to run a “very negative campaign.”

The assemblyman said he began working for National Medical Enterprises in the early 1970s and continued working part-time as a consultant after his election. His financial reports filed with the state show he received $2,000 a month in income from the company. “It’s been no secret in the district,” he said.

Condit said his votes on legislation were never affected by his outside income from the hospital company or by campaign contributions he received from other groups.

Fighting back, Condit charged that Berryhill himself was faced with a conflict of interest because he continued operating his farm--and selling his produce--while serving as Deukmejian’s food and agriculture director. Among other things, Condit noted, Berryhill received substantial income from California wineries by selling them his wine grapes.

“I would put my ethics record up against his any day,” Condit said.

Berryhill responded that selling his grapes and other crops while serving as director was appropriate and did not present a conflict of interest. “What am I supposed to do,” he asked, “give them away?”

Throughout the campaign, Berryhill has promoted himself as a citizen-politician while criticizing Condit for having no career other than politics.

But in recent days, Condit has attempted to turn the tables on Berryhill by running a television commercial that criticizes him for stepping in and out of government jobs.

As old footage of a baseball player striking out rolls across the screen, the announcer names the jobs Berryhill has left and says: “Three strikes, you’re out. But he’s still at the plate.”

Berryhill scoffed at Condit’s suggestion that he would not last long as a congressman. “Condit is trying to say I’m a quitter,” he said. “I’ve never been a quitter. If I was, I wouldn’t be running this race.”

Difference on Abortion

Although issues have taken a back seat in the campaign, there are some distinct differences: Berryhill favors a ban on abortion, while Condit supports the right of women to choose whether to have an abortion.

Condit argues that the federal government should institute a program of national health care. Berryhill, who opposes such a plan, charges that Condit wants to raise taxes and increase government spending.

In their efforts to sway voters, both candidates have turned to their party’s leaders. Deukmejian, U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, state Senate Republican Leader Ken Maddy and others have all stumped for Berryhill. Condit has received help from new House Speaker Thomas S. Foley, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt and Coelho, among others.

Democrats believe that Coelho still has considerable appeal in the district despite charges that he bought a $100,000 junk bond from Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. with the help of a $50,000 loan he did not report as required by law. Coelho resigned rather than face a congressional investigation into the charges.

Early in the campaign, Condit ran television ads invoking Coelho’s name. “He is still a very popular person in the district,” Condit said.

Giving Condit a distinct advantage is the fact that he is the only Democrat in the race. In a reversal of usual party roles, other Democrats agreed to clear the field for Condit while five Republican candidates filed against Berryhill.

The other GOP candidates on the ballot are Atwater farmer Robert Weimer; Merced housing contractor Cliff Burris; Livermore packing engineer Dave Williams; retired Air Force Maj. Chris Patterakis of Modesto, and Modesto businessman Jack McCoy. Although their names remain on the ballot, both Patterakis and McCoy have dropped out of the race. Roy Shimp, a Merced teacher, is running as a Libertarian candidate.

Under the law governing special elections, the leading vote-getter of each party will go into a runoff, unless one candidate receives a 50% plus 1 of the votes in the primary.

Distinct Advantage

When it comes to financial backing, Condit has a distinct advantage, according to the candidates’ own figures. Condit expects to spend $450,000 while Berryhill hopes to spend $300,000.

Despite his underdog status, Berryhill seemed almost casual Friday afternoon in his approach to the race. Instead of going out to campaign, he returned to his farm to supervise his almond harvest.

“I am relaxed,” he said. “The way I look at it, win, lose or draw we are standing up for what we believe in. Even if the voters reject us, we still feel good about that.”