Politicians Act Fast to Run for Campbell’s Seat : Campaign: Would-be state senators size up their chances to fill the vacancy that William Campbell will create when he leaves office.

Sen. William Campbell’s surprise decision to step down from office is enticing San Gabriel Valley-area politicians to study voter registration figures and consult strategists to decide whether they should attempt a scramble up the political ladder.

Within hours of the Oct. 26 announcement by the Hacienda Heights Republican, Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier) jumped into the Senate race, prompting at least seven would-be candidates, including former Assemblyman Wayne Grisham, to consider whether to seek his Assembly job.

Last Wednesday, Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach), who is serving his third term in the lower house, announced that he, too, would be a candidate for Republican Campbell’s 31st Senate District seat. The sprawling district straddles parts of Southeast Los Angeles County, the San Gabriel Valley and stretches south to El Toro in Orange County. Among the district’s registered voters, Republicans have a 54% to 36% lead over Democrats.

In a prepared statement, Ferguson said that, in part, he was prompted to run because “Los Angeles-area lawmakers now dominate the Legislature” and that “no one from Orange County has ever represented the district,” even though more than half the voters live in Orange County.

At least two other Republicans are considering the race. Brea City Councilman Ron Isles last Monday said he is “95% certain” he will run for the Senate. And Diamond Bar City Councilman Gary Miller said he might enter the contest for the seat, which will become vacant in January.

Campbell said he has not made up his mind whether he will endorse a candidate to succeed him.

Isles, 51, said he is willing to spend $500,000 of his money on the campaign. In a statement, he indicated that ethics could be an issue, warning that “the candidates who decide to enter this contest better not be carrying any political baggage.” In an interview, Isles said the statement was not aimed at Ferguson or Hill.

In 1987, Ferguson, 66, failed to properly report some personal income and amended his economic disclosure statement after newspaper stories revealed the discrepancy. The Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating the matter.

Hill, 35, is one of the five elected state officials who are targets of an ongoing FBI investigation into political corruption in the Capitol.

Hill, who previously had been advised not to make statements to the media about the investigation, said last Tuesday: “I know as much about it as I read in the newspapers. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m running.”

But Democrat Janice Lynn Graham, 53, who last year ran for Campbell’s seat, maintained that Hill “has a cloud over his head with the FBI . . . that might create a problem for him.” Graham, a retired businesswoman and teacher from Laguna Hills, said she is exploring whether to seek the office, despite losing to Campbell by a wide margin.

Campbell’s Senate seat and Hill’s Assembly seat are regarded by campaign consultants as relatively safe for the GOP because registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in both districts.

Democrats acknowledge that capturing either district would be a long shot. But privately, several Democratic legislative staffers say the party might be willing to pump money into a campaign if Assemblywoman Lucy Killea (D-San Diego) wins a December special election in what is also regarded as a safe Republican Senate district in San Diego County.

Campbell officially steps down in January, and the secretary of state’s office said Gov. George Deukmejian could call the primary in March or April with a runoff, if necessary, in May or June.

The secretary of state’s office said Hill or Ferguson could file for reelection to the Assembly while campaigning for the Senate seat.

Hill, who estimates that he has $260,000 in his Assembly war chest, said he is undecided whether he will seek both seats at the same time. If he ran for reelection to the Assembly and won, a special election for his seat might not be held for another year, state election officials said.

The impact of campaign contribution limits approved last year by voters on the special election is also unclear.

In Hill’s district, registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 48% to 43%. The district includes Walnut, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, a large part of Whittier, Diamond Bar, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights and parts of Industry, West Covina and South Whittier.

Among the Republicans lining up for Hill’s seat, Grisham, 66, is the most well known. A former La Mirada city councilman, Grisham represented part of the district during two terms in Congress from 1978-82. After losing his congressional seat and serving as a Peace Corps official, Grisham established a voting residence in Norwalk. He won two elections to the 63rd Assembly District, but last year narrowly lost a reelection bid.

Grisham, who has been serving as a broker in his son’s real estate office, confirmed that he is “seriously considering” making another political comeback.

Also considering the race is Walnut Mayor Drexel Smith, a 43-year-old Republican. Smith, who is running for reelection to the City Council, said: “I’m looking at it as an option and an opportunity that needs to be evaluated.”

If Hill does not seek reelection, Diamond Bar City Councilman Paul Horcher, 38, said he will be a candidate for the Assembly. Ken Manning, 38, a member of the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District, said there is a strong possibility he too will be a candidate for the lower house.

Another Republican regarded as a potential candidate is Barbara Shell Stone of Whittier. But last Wednesday, Stone, who finished second to Hill in the 1982 GOP primary, said: “There’s no opening so I’m not going to deal with it. . . . That’s not appropriate.”

Other Republicans who say they might be interested in seeking Hill’s seat include Dan Pellissier, 29, of Whittier, a former aide to Grisham and to Senate Minority Leader Ken Maddy (R-Fresno), who is now a public affairs analyst with Southern California Gas Co.; Tony Russo, 26, a former aide to Hill and Grisham now serving as chief of staff to Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), and Ray Andersen, 33, of Diamond Bar, a former deputy to County Supervisor Pete Schabarum.

Also mentioned as a possible candidate is Democrat Terry Lee Perkins of Walnut, who lost to Hill in 1988.