Lewis’ Success Spurs a Wave of Candidate Talk : Politics: Redistricting, challenges to Seymour, Cranston’s retirement and other races present lively prospects for both parties.

Lined up like storms over the Pacific, a field of candidates was already taking shape Wednesday to fill the anticipated vacuum left by Assemblyman John R. Lewis’ success in Tuesday’s special state Senate election.

Lewis, a Republican from Orange, still faces a runoff against a Democrat and a Libertarian on May 14, but he is considered such a strong contender for the 35th Senate District seat that speculation shifted Wednesday to the possible candidates in a special election to fill his Assembly seat.

Political insiders were talking about another showdown between the Republican Party’s conservative and moderate wings as they selected former Garden Grove Assemblyman Curt Pringle and Orange Councilman William G. Steiner as the most likely candidates.

“We’re going to have another fight and that one will be replacing John Lewis,” said Dana Reed, a moderate Republican who finished fourth in Tuesday’s voting. The county’s conservative Republican leaders, Reed predicted, “will support Curt Pringle. . . . In my opinion, Bill Steiner ought to be able to beat Curt Pringle.”

Pringle, who lost his Assembly seat to Democrat Tom Umberg last November, declined to comment on his possible candidacy, although he would not rule it out. “I don’t even want to talk about it until the (Lewis) election is over,” he said.

Steiner, a moderate Republican and director of the Orangewood Children’s Home, said Wednesday that he was “seriously, seriously considering the option.”

The likelihood of another competitive special election represents an unusually active political year for Orange County and it is considered just a harbinger for what is expected to be the highest turnover in a decade in 1992.

“This is the beginning of a very complicated and lively election cycle,” said Thomas A. Fuentes, chairman of the county Republican Party. “I don’t think we’re going to have any normal downtime in this so-called off-election year.”

Lewis was the top vote-getter Tuesday in a special election called to replace former Anaheim state Sen. John Seymour, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January. Lewis beat a field of seven other Republicans, including two colleagues from the Assembly--Nolan Frizzelle (R-Fountain Valley), who finished second, and Doris Allen (R-Anaheim), who was third.

In the runoff, Lewis will face Anaheim Democrat Francis X. Hoffman, a trustee on the Orange County Board of Education, and Libertarian Eric Sprik, a dry cleaner from Costa Mesa.

The GOP holds a commanding lead in voter registration in the 35th Senate District--56% compared to 33% Democrats. Similarly, Republicans would be expected to win a race for Lewis’ Assembly seat, where 59% of the voters are registered with the GOP, compared to 30%.

But there are plenty of other opportunities on the political horizon that are certain to spark change at every level of government in Orange County.

“There’s going to be a lot of moving around,” Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) said Wednesday. “It’s all starting with Seymour’s appointment, but it won’t end until after November ’92.”

A large part of the change will be forced by the redrawing of district lines mandated by the 1990 census. Like everywhere, Orange County’s seats will be significantly changed, with the possibility of an additional one.

Several politicians already are poised for a campaign if redistricting presents an opportunity. Frizzelle said Wednesday that he might run again for the Senate if reapportionment created a district that he could win.

“There may well be a good Senate seat for me to run for concocted out of this,” he said, adding that he plans to run again for his Assembly seat next year if there is not an opportunity in the Senate.

There could be a significant ripple effect through city, county and state offices, with the possible departure next year of two longtime Orange County congressmen.

Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) has already announced that he will challenge U.S. Sen. Seymour in a Republican primary next year and state Sen. Ed Royce (R-Anaheim) has publicly launched his bid to replace Dannemeyer.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) is also said to be considering a bid for retiring Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston’s seat. An opening in Dornan’s seat could prompt a competitive race between the two major parties since the Garden Grove congressman represents a predominantly Democratic district.

“This (change) is giving the Democratic Party some opportunities,” said Howard Adler, chairman of the county Democratic Party. “We are going to take advantage of those opportunities when they become available.”