ELECTIONS 23RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT : Beilenson Is Low-Key in Rematch With Salomon

Democratic Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson of Tarzana, seeking an eighth term in the 23rd Congressional District, is in a rematch with Republican Jim Salomon of Beverly Hills, whom he beat by a 2-1 margin in 1988.

Although Beilenson has run a low-key campaign so far, campaign consultant Craig Miller said the incumbent takes Salomon’s challenge seriously, in part because of Salomon’s fund-raising abilities, and is planning to conduct a direct mail campaign before voters go to the polls.

The Salomon camp announced earlier this month that it had conducted a poll indicating that Beilenson’s popularity was low. According to Salomon staffer Paul Fredrix, the challenger would defeat Beilenson by a 3-2 ratio if both candidates’ positions on major issues were explained to voters.

Beilenson’s camp disputed those findings.

“Congressman Beilenson is a very popular and well-respected congressman,” Miller said, “and we do not believe any Republican campaign polls to the contrary.”

The 23rd District stretches from the Westside into the west San Fernando Valley and includes Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda and Encino.

The district is notable for its affluence, liberal leanings and high percentage of Jewish voters. Of the 291,230 registered voters, nearly 54% are Democrats and 36% are Republicans. Independents and members of minor parties make up about 10% of the electorate.

The district has been reliably Democratic, except in the 1984 Republican landslide that gave Ronald Reagan a second term in the White House.

Reagan, the district’s most famous Republican resident, has waded into the contest by endorsing Salomon and by appearing in August at a Century City reception on Solomon’s behalf.

Since then, the campaign has been marked by the disclosure that Salomon has been out of work since June, 1989, when he began running full time, and that he has been involved in a legal dispute with his ex-wife involving child-support payments and attorney’s fees.

Although Salomon describes himself in campaign literature as a businessman and international trade consultant, he acknowledged that he has had no income since the middle of last year, has no assets except personal property and is “living solely upon credit.”

In campaign literature and appearances, Salomon has questioned Beilenson’s support of Israel and suggested that he is lukewarm in his support of the Jewish state.

Beilenson, who has a strong pro-Israel voting record, has called such suggestions “misleading, deceitful and preposterous” and says he has never voted against aid to Israel.

Beilenson and Salomon also part company on some environmental issues.

The congressman, a champion of protection for the Santa Monica Mountains as a recreation area, took the lead in negotiating a 5,700-acre land swap with Bob Hope. Under the agreement, which has not been completed, the entertainer would sell 4,600 acres in the Santa Monica and Santa Susana mountains to park agencies for $10 million, a figure that proponents of the deal say is well below market value.

As part of the proposal, Hope wants the National Park Service to give up 59 acres of parkland in Cheeseboro Canyon in Agoura in exchange for 1,100 acres of his adjacent Jordan Ranch. The park service property would be used to provide an access road to a proposed development on the remainder of the Jordan Ranch.

Beilenson praised the package when it was negotiated in June. “There will probably never again be an opportunity to gain so much valuable open space in Southern California at so little cost to the public,” he said.

But Salomon objects to the transaction, saying it is “a very dangerous precedent to start opening up national park land for development.”

Both candidates oppose oil drilling off California’s coast.

A maverick in Congress, Beilenson has decried the massive federal budget deficit and has taken the politically dangerous route of suggesting tax increases, including a gasoline tax hike, higher income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans, transfer taxes on stock transactions and higher cigarette taxes to help close the gap between revenue and spending.

Salomon favors increases in taxes on alcohol and tobacco to deal with the deficit, but opposes higher income tax rates for wealthy Americans.

Beilenson, a longtime advocate of campaign reform, has not accepted any contributions from political action committees or any honorariums from special interests. His largest campaign contributions have come from the entertainment industry.

Salomon received his largest campaign contribution from the National Rifle Assn., but also has been successful in generating numerous contributions from individuals, including corporate executives, prominent Republicans and some members of the Jewish community.

Peace and Freedom candidate John Honigsfeld of Los Angeles also is on the ballot for the second time.