LOCAL ELECTIONS: LEGISLATURE : Poorly Financed GOP Challengers Face Uphill Battle : Politics: Despite a rising tide of anti-incumbent sentiment, the Democratic candidates appear secure.

As the fall election campaign enters its final weeks, veteran Westside state lawmakers are coasting toward reelection.

Their challengers, poorly financed and little known to voters, generally have been unable to mount an effective assault against the Democratic incumbents.

Statewide poll results suggest a rising tide of anti-incumbent sentiment among voters generally--Propositions 131 and 140, which would impose term limitations on legislators and other elected officials, appear to be headed for approval, for example. But such a rising tide is not likely to dislodge any Westside incumbents; it would take a tsunami to do that.

Republican candidates have found it difficult to raise money because knowledgeable donors are fully aware that Westside districts were drawn to protect Democratic incumbents. And without campaign funds, GOP candidates cannot communicate with voters.

In one case, Republicans did not even field a challenger. State Sen. Diane Watson of Los Angeles will face only Peace and Freedom candidate Ivan Kasimoff in her bid for a fourth term.

Watson’s solidly Democratic 28th Senate District includes Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Westchester, part of Culver City, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale and part of South-Central Los Angeles.

This will be the last time incumbents can run in their current districts. All of California’s legislative and congressional district boundaries will be redrawn for the 1992 elections, based on final population figures from this year’s census.

A brief overview of several of this year’s local legislative races is on J8.