Whittier : Calderon, Hill Easily Win Seats in Senate

Two assemblymen from Whittier, Charles M. Calderon and Frank Hill, won easy victories in special elections to fill seats in the 26th and 31st state Senate Districts.

Calderon, a Democrat and until 1988 the Assembly’s majority whip, won a resounding victory over Republican Joe Aguilar Urquidi and Libertarian Kim Goldsworthy for the 26th District seat. Calderon received 22,293 votes, Urquidi 8,919 and Goldsworthy 1,564.

The seat was abandoned by Sen. Joseph B. Montoya after he was convicted of corruption. Calderon will serve the remaining eight months of the term.

Hill, a Republican, will replace Sen. William Campbell of Hacienda Heights in the 31st District, which includes the Southeast cities of Whittier, La Mirada and La Habra Heights. Campbell retired in December after 20 years in the Legislature.

Hill won handily over Democrat Janice Graham, a retired Laguna Hills schoolteacher, and Robert H. Lewis, the American Independent Party candidate.

The final vote for Hill was 33,504; Graham, 19,874, and Lewis, 1,901.

Hill is one of several state lawmakers under federal investigation in allegations of corruption. The investigation by the FBI is the same one that forced Montoya from office.

Calderon made headlines in 1988, when he and four other lawmakers rebelled against the authority of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. Brown almost lost his leadership position and responded by removing Calderon as majority whip, giving him a smaller office and reducing the number of his committee jobs and the size of his staff.

The 26th District includes Monterey Park, Montebello, Pico Rivera, El Monte, Irwindale, Baldwin Park and La Puente.