CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / THE AD CAMPAIGNS : Candidates Are Picking Up the Pace on Television

A new television commercial produced by state Sen. John Seymour’s campaign for lieutenant governor implies that the Anaheim Republican wrote two laws that actually never have been enacted.

And as the primary election campaign neared its final three weeks, candidates in two other statewide races--for attorney general and treasurer--also unveiled more about their television advertising strategies.

Seymour’s ad describes him as the “author of some of California’s toughest laws.” Among the examples mentioned are “the death penalty for drug kingpins” and “deportation of illegal aliens who commit felony drug crimes.”

The senator did introduce legislation to require the death penalty or life in prison for those convicted of providing drugs to someone who dies as a result of using them. But the bill failed passage in 1987.

Seymour also has sponsored a bill to allow the deportation of illegal aliens who are convicted of a felony. That measure is pending in the Senate.

The ad drew quick criticism from the campaign of Seymour’s Republican primary opponent, state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach).

“This fits a pattern of misstatements that John has carried on throughout the campaign,” said Eric Rose, Bergeson’s campaign coordinator. “When it comes to remembering his own record, he has political Alzheimer’s disease.”

But Seymour said he believed the ad provided an accurate description of his record even if it was not technically correct.

“In retrospect, if we were going to dot the I’s and cross the Ts, we should have said I was the author of some of California’s toughest laws--and bills,” he said. “We should have added two more words.”

In the race for attorney general, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner on Monday will begin airing an ad that is negative toward slumlords, polluters and other criminals--but ignores his Democratic primary opponent, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Arlo Smith.

The Reiner spot consists of a tight close-up of the prosecutor’s face as he delivers a monologue worthy of an old-time Hollywood flick about a crusading district attorney.

“Throughout my career,” Reiner says, “I have always tried to speak my mind. And I haven’t been afraid to rock the boat.”

Reiner boasts about jailing slumlords and corporate polluters and offending “downtown politicians.” He claims to have the highest felony conviction rate in the history of the district attorney’s office.

Reiner is correct when he states that he has locked up slumlords and polluters.

It is also true that his actions have offended some people. Four years ago, for example, he was censured by the State Bar for violating conflict-of-interest rules while he served as Los Angeles city attorney. In that case, Reiner publicly criticized members of a secret Los Angeles Police Department intelligence unit while defending the city in a lawsuit alleging illegal spying by the unit.

As for the conviction rate, Reiner’s office points to Los Angeles County district attorney annual reports dating back to 1952 showing that the rate first exceeded 90% in 1985, the year Reiner took office.

Reiner campaign manager Sam Singer said the campaign will spend $500,000 on TV advertising but that no decision has yet been made on whether to prepare a second spot.

Marc Dann, campaign manager for Smith, said that he will not disclose his camp’s plans until an ad has actually hit the airwaves. “The problem is, I don’t want to let (Reiner) know where we are and what we are doing,” said Dann. “We have a limited amount of resources and we have to make them last.”

In the treasurer’s race, Republican Angela M. (Bay) Buchanan said Friday that television advertisements that began running in Los Angeles and San Diego this week will begin showing in Northern California on Monday.

Buchanan, a former U.S. treasurer, uses the commercial to slam her opponent, incumbent Thomas W. Hayes, for accepting $250,000 in contributions from Wall Street investment firms.

Buchanan said she will have enough money to continue television advertising until the June 5 primary election. She refused to disclose how much she will be able to spend.

Hayes, who was appointed treasurer by Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, still has not run any television spots and is keeping his plans secret.

Times staff writer Douglas P. Shuit contributed to this article.