Corona Councilman to Run for Cranston’s Seat in Senate : Politics: The retired Anaheim police captain calls himself a ‘middle-of-the-road Eisenhower Republican.’

City Councilman Bill Franklin, a retired Anaheim police captain who calls himself a “middle-of-the-road Eisenhower Republican,” set out Tuesday on a long-shot campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Franklin told reporters that one reason he decided to make the long jump from Corona City Council to the Senate is that he is too old to begin climbing the political ladder.

“I had a feeling that if I ran (for another office) . . . that in just a few years--probably in a shorter time than that--I would want to run for Senate or governor,” he said. “Another problem I have are the sands of time. . . . I’m 59 years of age. If I was 25, perhaps I could begin as an Assembly person, (then) try for state Senate.”

Franklin told reporters that he seriously intends to raise $10 million before the June, 1992, Republican primary. He did not say how he expected to do that, leading one longtime supporter to jokingly recall Franklin’s fund-raising technique during his City Council races.

“How many garage sales do you intend to have?” he said.

Franklin, who said he attended a candidate training class at the recent state Republican convention in Anaheim, is already more than $2 million behind at least one of his GOP opponents, Rep. Tom Campbell (R-San Jose).

Franklin is seeking the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Alan Cranston, becoming the fourth California Republican to enter that primary. In addition to Campbell, the race now includes Newport Beach-based Bruce Herschensohn, a television commentator, and Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono.

U.S. Sen. John Seymour of Anaheim, who was appointed in January by Gov. Pete Wilson, will also face election next year in a separate race. Seymour is opposed in the Republican primary by Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton).

One political expert described Franklin as “barely a blip on the horizon.” But some insiders also said such campaigns are not without impact if there are enough obscure candidates to splinter votes that might otherwise go to a big-name candidate.

“As more and more individuals in Southern California announce, the votes begin to add up and it begins to erode Herschensohn’s base,” said Scott Hart, a Republican political consultant in Costa Mesa. “There are a substantial number of Republican voters in Riverside County.”

Franklin worked for the Anaheim Police Department for 30 years, 20 years as a police captain and division commander. He also served eight years in the Marine Corps as a gunnery sergeant and, for 17 years, he was a lieutenant colonel in the reserves.

In his announcement, Franklin told reporters that Corona is a city of 85,000 people located between Riverside and Anaheim. He has served on its City Council since 1984, including one term as mayor in 1987.

The candidate outlined a platform that included more pay for women workers, greater attention to the environment, a smaller government bureaucracy and a crackdown on drug smugglers by the military.

“I want America to keep its moral character and its closeness to God,” he said. “I want America to be the world leader in all fields of endeavor. I want California to be clean, environmentally sound, forward-looking and challenged. . . . A hand-to-mouth existence is not for America. I want the American family to have some money to save and to have fun with.”