Incumbents Retain Seats as Predicted : Voting: Democrats won by decisive margins in all districts. The largely unknown and under-financed GOP challengers were unable to crack the political stronghold.

The Westside’s deeply entrenched Democratic lawmakers swept to reelection victories Tuesday, easily overcoming Republican challengers, most of whom were little known and lacked the financial resources to mount a serious race.

The only Republican candidate with significant money to spend, congressional challenger Jim Salomon of Beverly Hills, was crushed once again by Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson of Los Angeles, who won an eighth term in the House of Representatives.

Salomon’s heavy campaign spending--it made the 23rd Congressional District one of just a few in the nation where a challenger outspent an incumbent--made no difference in the result.

With all precincts reporting, Beilenson won reelection by a 62.1% to 33.7% margin, almost identical to his landslide victory over Salomon two years ago. Peace and Freedom candidate John Honigsfeld ran a distant third with 4.1% of the vote.

The affluent, traditionally Democratic and heavily Jewish 23rd District spans the Santa Monica Mountains and includes Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel-Air, Century City, Beverly Hills, Rancho Park, Palms and the northwestern San Fernando Valley. Beilenson, who has represented the Westside part of the district for nearly a quarter of a century, first in Sacramento and then in Washington, stressed his long record of independence and refusal to accept campaign contributions from political action committees in targeted mailers to voters. Campaign potholders were used to shore up support in the San Fernando Valley.

Beilenson said Wednesday he was grateful to voters in the district for his solid reelection victory, particularly “after being outspent 2 to 1 and having my record totally distorted. . . . The people I represent know me well enough that they didn’t fall for the negative campaign of my opponent.”

Salomon was never able to find a successful avenue of attack against the incumbent despite substantial campaign resources and backing from the district’s most famous Republican, Ronald Reagan.

To the south, Democratic Rep. Mel Levine of Santa Monica beat back an under-financed bid by Republican attorney David Barrett Cohen of West Los Angeles in the 27th Congressional District.

Levine, who has built a $1.7-million campaign war chest in anticipation of a run for the U.S. Senate in 1992, won a fifth term in Congress by a 58.6% to 36.8% margin in his district, which extends along the coast from Santa Monica to the South Bay.

Voters in the district, which has a significant Jewish population, did not embrace Cohen’s call for establishment of a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel. Like most incumbents, Levine steadfastly refused to debate his challenger.

Peace and Freedom Party candidate Edward E. Ferrer drew 4.6% of the vote.

In the 24th Congressional District, powerful Democratic Rep. Henry A. Waxman of Los Angeles won a ninth term, with an overwhelming 69.3% of the vote. Republican John N. Cowles captured just 25.1% in his second challenge against the liberal lawmaker. Peace and Freedom candidate Maggie Phair drew 5.5% of the vote in the district, which runs from Fairfax area to North Hollywood.

Waxman is one of the namesakes of the Westside’s Waxman-Berman Democratic political organization that once again demonstrated its lock on local races.

His colleague and political ally, Democratic Rep. Howard L. Berman of Panorama City, won a fifth term in the House with 61.3% of the vote. Republican businessman Roy Dahlson of Van Nuys captured just 34.5% of the votes and Libertarian Bernard Zimring received 4.2% of the votes. The 26th Congressional District includes hillside areas above Hollywood, Bel-Air and Beverly Hills, plus the northeastern San Fernando Valley.

And in the 28th Congressional District, Democrat Julian C. Dixon of Los Angeles won a seventh term in the House by capturing 73.1% of the vote. Republican businessman George Z. Adams received 21.8% in the solidly Democratic district, which includes Culver City, Westchester, Lennox, Baldwin Hills and South-Central Los Angeles. Peace and Freedom candidate William R. Williams drew 2.9% and Libertarian Bob Weber trailed with 2.2%.

The story of Democratic victories was the same in legislative races.

Despite a crushing statewide defeat in the fight over the “Big Green” environmental initiative, Democratic Assemblyman Tom Hayden of Santa Monica had no difficulty winning a fifth term in Sacramento.

Without campaigning, Hayden won reelection with 56.9% of the vote in the 44th Assembly District, which includes Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, West Los Angeles and Century City.

Republican challenger Fred Beteta, a longtime Santa Monica College trustee, drew 37.5% of the vote. Libertarian Rebecca Donner received 3.6%, and Peace and Freedom candidate Timothy A. Burdick polled 1.9%.

In the 43rd Assembly District, Democrat Terry B. Friedman of Los Angeles won a third term with 61% of the vote. Republican Gary Passi received 32.1%.

Peace and Freedom candidate John Paul Lindblad polled 4.3% and Libertarian Andrew S. Rotter drew 2.6% in the district, which runs from Beverly Hills to the northwestern San Fernando Valley.

In the 45th Assembly District, Democrat Burt Margolin of Los Angeles drew 65.7% of the vote in his bid for a fifth term. Republican businesswoman Elizabeth Michael of Hollywood received 28.4% and Peace and Freedom candidate Owen Staley garnered 5.9%. The district includes Hollywood, West Hollywood, Hancock Park, Universal City, North Hollywood and part of Burbank

Next door in the 46th Assembly District, Democratic Assemblyman Mike Roos of Los Angeles won an eighth term in the lower house with 68.3% of the vote, despite a last-minute attack mailer from opponents of his bill to ban assault weapons.

Republican stockbroker Geoffrey Church of Los Angeles ran a distant second with 24.2% followed by Peace and Freedom Party candidate Dan Robrish with 4.6% and Libertarian Michael B. Everling with 2.9%.

The district runs from downtown Los Angeles to Griffith Park.

And in the 49th Assembly District, Assemblywoman Gwen Moore won a seventh term with 73.5% of the vote. Republican Eric Givens, whom she easily defeated two years ago, captured 21.3%. Peace and Freedom candidate Alice Mae Miles drew 2.9% and Libertarian Carin Rogers received 2.3%. The district runs from Marina del Rey to the Crenshaw area.

Last month, the U.S. attorney in Sacramento announced that Moore had been cleared of any wrongdoing in political corruption probe at the Capitol.

In state Senate contests, Democrat Herschel Rosenthal of Los Angeles won a third term, with 65.2% of the vote to 30.2% for Republican businessman Michael Schrager of Santa Monica. Peace and Freedom candidate Margery Hinds drew 4.5% in the 22nd Senate District, which includes most of the Westside from Pacific Palisades to Beverly Hills and south to Culver City and Mar Vista.

In the 18th Senate District, Democrat Gary K. Hart of Santa Barbara easily won a third term, receiving 60.8% of the vote. Republican businesswoman Carey Rogers of Santa Barbara received 34.8% and Libertarian Jay C. Wood got 4.3% of the vote in the district, which runs from Malibu to Santa Barbara.

And to no one’s surprise, Democrat Diane E. Watson of Los Angeles easily won a fourth term with 85.3% of the vote in the 28th Senate District. Her sole opponent, Peace and Freedom candidate Ivan Kasimoff, received 14.7% of the vote in the Westside and South Bay district. It was one of the largest percentages anywhere in the state by a minor-party candidate.