Hill, Calderon Lose Little Time in Preparing to Take Senate Seats

California’s two newest state senators-elect were already eyeing new offices and staff assignments Wednesday--just hours after their special-election victories--in a transition expected to be as swift and seamless as possible in politics.

Since both are former assemblymen, they are already known in the Capitol. And since both will assume the offices of their partisan and philosophical brethren, political leaders predicted little effect on the Senate’s balance of power.

Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier) received more than 60% of the vote Tuesday in his bid to replace former Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) in the 31st Senate District. The heavily Republican district stretches from West Covina in Los Angeles County to Laguna Beach in Orange County.

Democrat Janice Graham, a former schoolteacher from Laguna Hills, had about 36% of the vote. Robert Lewis, the American Independent Party candidate, received 3.4%.

In the 26th Senate District, Assemblyman Charles M. Calderon (D-Whittier) won the seat held by former Democratic Sen. Joseph B. Montoya, who resigned in February after his conviction on political corruption charges. The San Gabriel Valley district includes Alhambra, Baldwin Park, El Monte, La Puente, Monterey Park and Montebello.

Calderon won the heavily Democratic district with 68% of the vote. His Republican opponent, Montebello businessman Joe Aguilar Urquidi, had 27%. Kim Goldsworth of the Libertarian Party had 5%.

In Tuesday’s third legislative special election--a primary for the vacant 78th Assembly District seat in San Diego--a Republican was the surprise first-place finisher. But since the GOP candidate failed to get more than 50% of the vote, he faces a June runoff against two other candidates.

Hill and Calderon are expected to be sworn in to their new offices in a ceremony at the Capitol on Monday. Their Assembly seats will remain vacant until their successors are picked in November as part of the regular election cycle already in process.

“I would characterize Calderon as a little more liberal than Montoya and Hill as almost identical to Campbell,” said Sen. William Leonard (R-Redlands), chairman of the Senate Republican caucus. “It will be a relatively smooth transition.”

In the San Diego Assembly primary, Republican Jeff Marston received 35.9% of the vote in his bid to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Lucy Killea’s election to the state Senate last December. Marston will face former San Diego City Councilman Mike Gotch, a Democrat, and Peace and Freedom Party candidate Jane Rocio Evans in a June 5 runoff for the remaining six months of Killea’s unexpired term.

Times staff writer Barry M. Horstman contributed to this story.