CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS: CONGRESS : Democratic Incumbents Appear Headed for Easy Victories Nov. 6

Democratic candidates in four Southeast area congressional districts seem to be moving toward easy victories on Nov. 6. While an anti-incumbent mood has been reported in congressional districts elsewhere, that sentiment does not appear to prevail here.

Three Democratic incumbents--Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park), Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton) and Glenn M. Anderson (D-San Pedro)--face relatively weak challenges and are heavily favored to win.

And in the only race with no incumbent, Democrat Maxine Waters is already acting like a winner, while her Republican opponent, Bill DeWitt, is waging what can only be described as a polite campaign. “I don’t have any rocks to throw at her,” said DeWitt, 48, a former South Gate city councilman who is opposing Waters in the 29th District.

In fact, DeWitt conceded to The Times earlier this month, “the Republican Party has kind of given up on this district,” making beating Waters a “herculean task.”

Covering South-Central Los Angeles, South Gate, Huntington Park and part of Downey, the district is Democratic by a 7-1 margin. The district’s House seat is being vacated by the retirement of Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Los Angeles), 83, who has occupied it since 1962.

Long considered the heir apparent to Hawkins, Waters, 52, is expected to be helped by her 14 years of representing much the same area in the Assembly. In the Assembly, she served as a top lieutenant of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) and gained a reputation as a champion of the poor and disadvantaged.

In recent weeks, Waters, in addition to maintaining a regular schedule of appearances in the district--especially at churches--has spent time in Washington hobnobbing with House Democratic leaders and discussing possible committee assignments.

DeWitt, who owns a woodworking business, is conducting a low-key campaign and spending little money. Among other things, he said, he is concerned about stringent air-quality regulations that are “in the process of driving business out of state.”

A third candidate, Libertarian Waheed R. Boctor, did not return Times telephone calls.

District 30: Martinez Has It Easier This Time

In the 30th District, Martinez, 61, is campaigning quietly for reelection after triumphing in 1988 over a Democratic primary challenger who questioned his ethics and a Republican candidate who was well-financed.

Two years ago, former Monterey Park Mayor Lily Chen leveled strong personal attacks against Martinez in the Democratic primary, accusing him of misusing office funds, taking junkets at taxpayers’ expense with his administrative assistant, abusing his staff and other misdeeds. Martinez denied the allegations and breezed to victory over Chen by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1.

In the 1988 general election, Republicans made Martinez one of their national targets and spent nearly $400,000 trying to oust him. But the GOP candidate, Ralph R. Ramirez, received just 36% of the vote, while Martinez garnered 60%.

Discouraged by those results, Republicans seem to be leaving Martinez alone this time.

The party’s candidate, Reuben D. Franco, 30, said he has been going door to door soliciting votes since April and is getting strong help from local volunteers, but his campaign is not well-financed. His goal is to raise $150,000.

Describing himself as a “Jack Kemp Republican” who understands the problems of blue-collar neighborhoods and the poor, Franco, a businessman and entrepreneur whose financial interests range from trading commodities to an investment in a tool-import company, says he is eager to promote various incentives to help the disadvantaged.

“Mr. Martinez has not been effective,” said Franco, who accused the incumbent of having little to show for eight years in the Congress. “The people deserve better.”

Two years ago Franco ran against Hawkins in the 29th District but lost by a large margin.

A third candidate, Libertarian G. Curtis Feger, said he believes that government is “too intrusive” and that both Republican and Democratic officeholders are to blame. He said he would cut back the role of government and also reduce U.S. involvement abroad.

The district includes Alhambra, Azusa, Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, El Monte, Irwindale, Maywood, Monterey Park, Montebello, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Vernon and parts of East Los Angeles.

District 31: Dymally Goes for a Sixth Term

In the 31st District, Dymally is expected to win a sixth term easily. The congressman, 64, is opposed by Republican Eunice N. Sato, 69, a Long Beach city councilwoman from 1975 to 1986 who served a term as the city’s mayor.

One of the most liberal members of Congress, Dymally came under fire from his opponent in the Democratic primary this spring for his efforts to promote U.S. black business interests in various African nations and for his close ties to Mobutu Sese Seko, ruler of Zaire.

Sato, however, has not talked about Dymally’s African connections, which the incumbent has defended as in keeping with his duties as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa.

A former public school teacher who also was a member of the state Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility, Sato said she sees three important issues in the contest: education, the environment and the federal budget.

“I would be there to help see that they don’t spend any more than they take in,” she said. Dismissing questions about where she would trim federal spending, Sato said the task is to ensure “more effective use of the dollar.”

Although she wants federal officials to put more “emphasis” on education, she said she is not advocating federal spending for schools. The main task in the environment is to “improve” the quality of air and water.

The district includes Hawthorne, Carson, Compton, Lynwood, Bellflower and parts of Watts and Long Beach.

District 32: Anderson

Beat Same Rival Before

In the 32nd District, 11-term incumbent Democrat Anderson faces Republican Sanford Kahn, who challenged Anderson in 1988 and lost by a ratio of more than 2 to 1.

Kahn, 46, a sales manager for the Southern California Gas Co., portrays Anderson, 77, as a once-vigorous legislator no longer able to cope with the demands of the job. He also accuses the congressman of intervening improperly four years ago in the chartering of a national bank whose board chairwoman is Lee Anderson, the legislator’s wife.

Anderson has acknowledged that he or a staff member asked federal regulators about the status of a charter application filed by his wife and other organizers of the Rancho Dominguez Bank of Carson. But he has denied any impropriety, saying the inquiry was the sort of routine service he provides for many constituents.

Times staff writers Mark Gladstone, Michele Fuetsch, Howard Blume, George Hatch and Mike Ward contributed to this story.

29TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

The district: Huntington Park, South Gate, parts of Downey and Los Angeles and unincorporated Los Angeles County. Candidate: Party Maxine Waters: Democrat Bill DeWitt: Republican Waheed R. Boctor: Libertarian

Voter Registration Registered Percent Democrats 151,564 81.8% Republicans 21,601 11.7 Declined to State 8,444 4.6 Minor Parties* 3,714 2.0 Total 185,323

* American Independent, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian and miscellaneous

1988 Results Votes Percent Augustus F. Hawkins (D)(inc.) 88,169 82.8% Reuben Franco (R) 14,543 13.7 Gregory Gilmore (Lib) 3,724 3.5

32nd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

The district: Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington. Candidate: Party Glenn M. Anderson (incumbent): Democrat Sanford Kahn: Republican

Voter Registration Registered Percent Democrats 130,650 55.0% Republicans 83,523 35.2 Declined to State 18,320 7.7 Minor parties* 5,031 2.1 Total 237,524

* American Independent, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian and miscellaneous.

1988 Results Votes Percent Glenn M. Anderson (D)(inc.) 114,666 66.9% Sanford Kahn (R) 50,710 29.6 Vikki Murdock (P&F;) 4,032 2.6 Marc Denny (Lib) 1,941 1.1

30TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

The district: Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Maywood, Montebello, Vernon, parts of the San Gabriel Valley.

Candidate: Party Matthew G. Martinez (incumbent): Democrat Reuben D. Franco: Republican G. Curtis Feter: Libertarian

Voter Registration Registered Percent Democrats 100,392 58.2% Republicans 53,257 30.9 Declined to State 15,338 8.9 Minor Parties* 3,548 2.1 Total 172,535

* American Independent, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian and miscellaneous

1988 Results Votes Percent Matthew G. Martinez (D)(inc.) 72,253 59.9% Ralph Ramirez (R) 43,833 36.3 Houston Meyers (A-1) 2,694 2.2 Kim Goldsworthy (Lib) 1,864 1.6

31ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Candidate: Party Mervyn M. Dymally (incumbent): Democrat Eunice N. Sato: Republican

Voter Registration Registered Percent Democrats 156,743 71.0% Republicans 44,689 20.2 Declined to State 14,546 6.6 Minor Parties* 4,655 2.1 Total 144,857

* American Independent, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian and miscellaneous

1988 Results Votes Percent Mervyn M. Dymally (D)(inc.) 100,919 71.6% Arnold May (R) 36,017 25.5 B. Kwaku Duren (P&F;) 4,091 2.9