Wilson in a Squeaker : Atty. Gen. Race Still Undecided

Democrat Dianne Feinstein conceded her nail-biting contest for governor of California to Republican Sen. Pete Wilson today, and Wilson moved quickly as the governor-elect to appoint a transition team of old friends and long-trusted aides.

Addressing a victory news conference in San Diego, Wilson, 57, said he received Feinstein’s congratulations in “a very warm call” from San Francisco, where Feinstein, the former mayor of that city, had gone to bed early today still clinging to hopes of a surprise victory.

But with the unofficial vote virtually complete, Wilson held a 2.6% lead over Feinstein, a margin that was expected to grow with the counting of as many as 500,000 absentee votes.

The only major statewide race still in doubt was the hot state attorney general race between Democrat Arlo Smith, the San Francisco district attorney, and Republican Daniel Lungren, a former congressman from Long Beach.

In the unofficial complete vote, Smith led Lungren by about 28,000 votes out of about 7 million cast. The outcome will await the counting of the remaining absentee ballots, something that might not be completed until next Tuesday, state election officials said.

“It’s a cliffhanger,” Lungren said. “This is like watching an instant replay without knowing what the results are.”

Lungren hoped to overtake Smith on the basis of the absentee vote, which normally favors Republicans. Asked in San Diego if he might appoint Lungren to his soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat, Wilson commented, “There is every likelihood that he may be the next attorney general.”

Smith and Lungren battled for the state’s top legal position that was relinquished by Democrat Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp in his run for governor.

All the other major statewide offices went to Democrats, and Democrats maintained control of both houses of the state Legislature and the congressional delegation in Tuesday’s voting.

Feinstein said she called Wilson about 10:30 a.m. to congratulate him. She said she “offered to do whatever I could to help . . . and I wished him well.”

Wilson said: “She ran a very spirited campaign and I salute her for it. She wanted to make history, and I think she has.”

The two fought bitterly at times during the five-month-long campaign, but both moved to patch over relations.

“I suggested that after she has had a little R-and-R that we be back in touch. It’s a friendship that I look forward to resuming,” Wilson said.

Wilson then announced the appointment of an eight-member transition team headed by Robert S. White, 48, the senator’s top staff assistant since 1967. White also will serve as chief of staff when Wilson takes office as California’s 36th chief executive in January.

White’s top aide in the transition will be Otto Bos, Wilson’s campaign director. The Wilson transition office in Sacramento will open Friday. Aides said Wilson will go to Sacramento next week after a quick trip to Washington to start wrapping up his Senate business.

A rumor swept Washington today that Wilson might announce his intention to appoint U.S. Trade Ambassador Carla Anderson Hills to his Senate post. But Wilson said his appointment “will be the subject of another news conference on another day.”