Sacramento Gold Rush Is On for Senate Seat : Election: John Seymour has left for Washington, and behind him is a scramble by eager political climbers for his coveted office.

They’ve waited and waited and waited. Now, finally, there is a rare opening in the state Senate, and it has set off a scramble among several of Orange County’s most eager political climbers.

With the appointment of former Anaheim state Sen. John Seymour last month to the U.S. Senate, the downside of holding office in Orange County’s safe Republican territory is underscored: Turnover is slow.

Nearly half of the county’s Assembly members have applied for this promotion. And at least eight other candidates--including some prominent city and county officials--have indicated that they will file for the office by the Monday deadline.

“Senate seats don’t open very often unless (the senator) goes to jail or dies or goes to a higher seat,” said Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach). “I can see why Assembly members would want to run for the Senate. . . . The pay is the same, but you don’t have to run for office every two years.”

The field of potential candidates so far includes eight Republicans, one Democrat, one Libertarian and a Peace and Freedom Party member. Those 11 hopefuls have taken out election papers for the March 19 race, but not all have returned the forms with the required signatures.

The three Assembly members in the race are John R. Lewis (R-Orange), Doris Allen (R-Cypress) and Nolan Frizzelle (R-Huntington Beach).

Four other prominent candidates--all Republicans--are Dana Reed, Orange County Transportation Commission member; William G. Steiner, director of the Orangewood Children’s Home and a city councilman in Orange; Charles V. Smith, mayor of Westminster; and William Dougherty, the attorney who represented Christopher Boyce, the convicted spy made famous in the book and movie, “The Falcon and the Snowman.”

The only Democrat who has expressed interest is Frank Hoffman, a trustee on the Orange County Board of Education, who ran unsuccessfully last year against Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton).

The 35th Senate District is strongly Republican. The GOP has an edge in registration of about 56% to 33% over Democrats. But unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote March 19--which is unlikely--the top Republican and Democratic vote-getters will meet in a May 14 runoff.

The district is a slice of Orange County’s best and worst. It has some of the county’s most famous landmarks: Disneyland, John Wayne Airport, Anaheim Stadium and the Performing Arts Center.

But it also has some of the most congested traffic areas on three major highways and some of the county’s highest-crime neighborhoods.

The district is shaped like a horseshoe that surrounds but barely includes Santa Ana. It covers all or most of three major cities: Anaheim, Orange and Costa Mesa. It also includes Tustin, Villa Park, Fountain Valley, Westminster and Irvine.

For many reasons, the race for the 35th Senate District promises to be close. There are several well-known candidates who should be able to raise about $300,000 each, some probably more. And each of these top-shelf candidates has different bases of strength.

Assemblyman Lewis, for example, is locking up a lot of support in Sacramento. He has already won endorsements from the county’s three other state senators.

Transportation commissioner Reed is supported by most of the county supervisors, who are all Republicans, and is well connected to their financial and support networks.

“I think this is going to be Orange County versus Sacramento,” Reed said. “I think most of the support for the three legislators will come from Sacramento and people who want the status quo.”

At the same time, Assemblywoman Allen hopes to draw from a wider base of voters than the other candidates. While others fight over Republican voters, she expects to attract Democrats too.

“I think I have a broad appeal on issues that cross party lines,” she said.

Ferguson agreed: “If Doris had enough money, she could probably nail these guys, because she’s got the one thing that’s different from everybody: She’s a woman.”

Other candidates are largely counting on the identification they have already established with voters.

Most of Assemblyman Frizzelle’s constituents are in the district. And Orange Councilman Steiner is hoping that his well-known name in one of the district’s major cities will carry him in a low-turnout race.

Experts expect about 20% of voters in the district to go to the polls.

Steiner’s campaign recently released a poll that found him in second place, largely based on the response from Orange. Lewis finished first in the poll, with Allen third.

In such a cosmopolitan area, several of the county’s major issues also affect the 35th Senate District’s voters, most notably transportation, crime, taxes and the environment.

But one issue that clearly splits the Republican field is abortion. Even if voters do not choose candidates based solely on that issue, it has become a standard to distinguish conservative and moderate candidates. There is potential for statewide groups from both sides of the issue to choose candidates and supply them with financial and volunteer support.

All three Assembly members oppose abortion rights, while Reed and Steiner support a woman’s right to choose abortion.

“I come from a position of having worked 30 years with children who are unwanted,” said Steiner, director of the Orangewood Children’s Home for abused and neglected youth. “Given that reality, I am one of the few pro-choice candidates--and it will be an issue.”

With such a crowded field, a relatively short time until the election and low interest among voters, the race is likely to be dominated by attack mail.

Conventional political wisdom holds that it is easier to tear down another candidate than to build up your own. So, with little time and tough competition for voter attention, several candidates will probably run negative campaigns.

“I hope it’s a positive campaign,” said Reed, the first candidate to issue a press release attacking his foes. “I hope that we discuss the issue as to whether or not any of those three people (the Assembly members) deserve a promotion. . . . I don’t think that’s negative.”