Incumbents Appear to Be Holding Seats : Legislature: Some are locked in tight Assembly and Senate races. Results come in slowly because of long ballot and computer glitches.

Several incumbent state legislators, including veteran Democratic Sen. Ruben S. Ayala of Chino, found themselves pushed up against the political wall in a series of races that were too close to call Tuesday night.

In addition to Ayala, those finding themselves in tight races included Assemblymen Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) and Norm Waters (D-Plymouth) and Sen. James W. Nielsen of Rohnert Park, a former Republican floor leader, and Senate Majority Leader Barry Keene (D-Benicia).

Ayala, who in 1974 became the first Latino in modern times elected to the state Senate, was slightly ahead late Tuesday in his battle with well-financed challenger Assemblyman Charles Bader (R-Pomona) in a rapidly growing Inland Empire district that has become home to waves of newcomers searching for affordable housing.

Bader had based his campaign on the hope that these new voters would find Ayala out of touch with their concerns. Bader said he was “very optimistic. I think we may win.”

For his part, Ayala said, “We’re not ready to declare victory.”

In a closely watched special election for the Senate, Assemblyman Patrick Johnston (D-Stockton) seemed likely to be his party’s nominee over fellow Democrat Patti Garamendi, wife of Democratic insurance commissioner nominee John Garamendi. Since Johnston’s vote total likely will be under 50%, he will face a runoff against the nominees of other parties for the seat.

Confident that he would be elected insurance commissioner in Tuesday’s vote, John Garamendi resigned his Senate seat last Labor Day to give his wife a head start to fill the unexpired two years of his term.

Substantial but incomplete returns in races for open Southland seats in the Assembly showed these candidates rolling up leads. By district: 38th, Republican Paula L. Boland; 48th, Democrat Marguerite Archie-Hudson of Los Angeles; 52nd, Republican Paul V. Horcher of Hacienda Heights; 58th, Republican Tom Mays of Huntington Beach; 59th, Democrat Xavier Becerra of Monterey Park, and 65th, Republican Jim Brulte of Ontario.

Freshman Assemblyman Pringle was running behind Democrat Tom Umberg of Garden Grove, an assistant U.S. attorney. Two years ago, Pringle stirred a storm of controversy when the GOP posted private security guards outside polling places in what Democrats charged was an attempt to intimidate Latino voters.

In San Diego, Republican Assemblyman Jeff Marston narrowly led in a tight contest with Democrat Mike Gotch, who lost to Marston in a June special election for the seat.

Elsewhere, most incumbents of both parties in the Assembly and Senate appeared to be retaining their seats.

Along with Pringle, another exception was Waters, who was trailing Republican David Knowles in a Sacramento area district. Waters has served in the Assembly since 1976.

Two other veteran legislators--Neilsen and Keene--had small leads over their opponents. Neilsen was being challenged by Democrat Mike Thompson; Keene was facing Republican Margie Handley.

The hopes of challengers had been bolstered by pre-election indications of a rising anti-incumbency tide among voters. However, public opinion polls and legislative leaders, such as Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) and Senate Leader David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles), suggested that the public mood was not so much anti-incumbent but “anti-incumbency,” with voters upset at the Legislature as an institution but not at their local legislators.

For Democrats, retaining or increasing their margin over Republicans in the Assembly and Senate was crucial because next year legislative, U.S. House and Board of Equalization districts must be redrawn to reflect population changes recorded by the 1990 Census.

Traditionally, the majority party in the Legislature seeks to cement its dominance for the next 10 years by carefully crafting politically “safe” districts for its candidates. Republicans cite the reapportionment plans written by Democrats in the early 1980s as an especially egregious example.

A stiff barrier to dominance by one party of the reapportionment process is a governor of the opposing party, who can veto any redistricting bills that he considers unfair.

The Senate now consists of 24 Democrats, 14 Republicans, one vacant seat, and an independent, Sen. Quentin L. Kopp of San Francisco, who appeared headed for victory. Twenty-one of the 40 Senate seats were at stake.

In the Assembly, where all 80 seats were up for election, Democrats total 45 and Republicans 32, and there were three vacancies. Incumbents were not seeking reelection in eight districts.

Brown on Tuesday night expressed confidence that his party would retain its control of the Assembly. “I don’t think we will lose a member on my side of the aisle,” he said.