Candidate Narrowly Misses Endorsement

James Cavuoto, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 42nd Congressional District, led his closest opponent by a margin of more than 2 to 1 in a county endorsement caucus held last weekend. But he still fell short of gaining an official endorsement from the state Democratic Party.

Cavuoto, 33, who owns a computer journal publishing company in Torrance, received 25 votes at the Saturday caucus of county Democratic Central Committee members in Santa Ana, while Guy C. Kimbrough, a professor at Mt. San Jacinto College, received 11 votes. A third candidate, Bryan Stevens of Rolling Hills Estates, got six votes, while eight voted for no endorsement.

The winner of the June 5 Democratic primary will face incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Lomita), who defeated Kimbrough in 1988 by a margin of nearly 2 to 1. The district, which stretches along the coast from Huntington Beach to Rancho Palos Verdes, is heavily Republican.

Under Democratic Party rules, a candidate must receive 70% of all votes cast at the county caucus to receive the state party endorsement automatically; otherwise, the endorsement decision goes before the state party convention--which will be held April 8 in Los Angeles--where only 60% of the votes cast are required to gain the party’s official backing.

“It should be easier there,” said Cavuoto. “They go to multiple ballots, so there’s not the problem of a third candidate” preventing the leader from gaining the necessary majority.