Feinstein Plans to Seek Wilson’s U.S. Senate Seat

Former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein declared her intention Sunday to run for the U.S. Senate seat given up by Republican Pete Wilson to become governor of California, the job he won by narrowly defeating Feinstein last November.

By signaling her plans early, Feinstein, 57, hopes to seek the two-year Senate term without having to weather a bruising Democratic primary campaign of the sort she had with former state Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp for governor last June.

Feinstein said she is not making a formal announcement at this time but is actively “exploring” a run for the two-year seat to see “if I can avoid the possibility of primary opposition.” Whoever wins the 1992 election will have to run again in 1994 for a full six-year Senate term.

Wilson appointed Republican John Seymour of Anaheim to the seat through the 1992 election. Seymour then will run for the final two years of Wilson’s second term.

Also at stake in 1992 will be the six-year term of Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston, who has announced that he will retire. The 76-year-old Cranston is suffering prostate cancer and is under investigation by the Senate for involvement in the Lincoln Savings & Loan scandal.

At least seven Democrats are interested in a 1992 Senate contest. Most would prefer to run for the six-year term to avoid the cost of financing another Senate campaign immediately after winning the two-year seat. As for herself, Feinstein said, “I think, frankly, because there are so many people interested, it would be a mistake to look at the six-year race.”

Campaign experts contacted Sunday estimated it would take at least $10 million to win a Senate seat in 1992.

Among Republicans, Rep. William E. Dannemeyer of Fullerton is reported to be planning to challenge Seymour. Rep. Robert K. Dornan of Garden Grove said he may seek Cranston’s seat. Former Rep. Ed Zschau of Los Altos, who nearly upset Cranston in 1986, also may run for Cranston’s seat.

Word of Feinstein’s decision got out over the weekend as she began advising other Democrats.

Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy said he always has intended to run for the six-year seat if he runs for the Senate again. He lost to Wilson in 1988.

McCarthy and Controller Gray Davis said they did not think Feinstein could escape some primary opposition.

Davis said he would decide in about two months whether to seek a Senate seat, but did not say which one.

Duane Garrett, Feinstein’s gubernatorial campaign chairman, said he believes Feinstein is the only Democrat with the “financing capacity” to sustain two statewide Senate contests in 1992 and 1994.

So far, Rep. Robert T. Matsui of Sacramento has announced for the Cranston seat. Rep. Barbara Boxer of Marin County will run, but has not designated which seat.