GOP Fights Set for All O.C. Assembly Seats : Politics: More than two dozen Republicans file papers for seven districts. One-fifth of state’s lawmakers will retire or seek other offices.

Orange County Republicans are bracing for a rough election year as more than two dozen GOP candidates filed papers Tuesday to run for just seven Assembly districts that represent the county.

The candidate declarations Tuesday set the stage for Republican primary races in June in all seven of the districts, including some that promise to be hotly contested. One race features three Assembly members challenging for the same seat in Huntington Beach, and two others involve mayors trying to unseat incumbent legislators.

“It’s going to be a busy spring in Republican circles,” said Greg Haskin, executive director of the county Republican Party. “There will certainly be a lot of fund-raising that goes on.”

Tuesday was the deadline for candidates seeking state office to file papers indicating their intent to run.

Statewide, more than one-fifth of the state legislators up for reelection this fall apparently have decided to seek other offices or retire, paving the way for a significant shake-up in California’s Legislature.

Acting to meet Tuesday’s deadline for filing notices of intention to run for reelection, 19 members of the 80-member Assembly indicated that they did not plan to seek reelection to their current offices. Four of the 20 members of the state Senate up for election this year have other plans.

Both reapportionment and Proposition 140, which imposes legislative term limits, had an impact on the forthcoming reshuffling of the Assembly and Senate.

The major cause of the exodus probably was the once-a-decade redrawing of legislative district boundaries. After the 1981 reapportionment, there were 24 new faces elected to the Assembly and eight to the Senate in the 1982 elections.

This year the new legislative maps, drawn by the state Supreme Court, are expected to give Republicans more seats in the Legislature, possibly allowing the GOP to capture a majority over the Democrats in the Assembly.

The new district lines left Orange County’s biggest showdown in the Assembly seat representing Huntington Beach, where the homes of three incumbent lawmakers were included the same district.

Assembly members Thomas Mays (R-Huntington Beach), Nolan Frizzelle (R-Fountain Valley) and Doris Allen (R-Cypress) all filed Tuesday for the 67th Assembly District, as did Republican businessman Ben Nielsen of Fountain Valley.

But every city in Orange County will see a contested Republican primary for the state Assembly:

* In Newport Beach, Assemblyman Gil Ferguson faces a possible Republican challenge for the fourth time as Costa Mesa Mayor Mary Hornbuckle filed papers to enter the race Tuesday. Hornbuckle said Ferguson has been an ineffective lawmaker and that if she can raise enough money to mount a credible campaign, she will run.

Ferguson, recalling that Hornbuckle is the fourth GOP woman to challenge him, said: “There must be something fascinating about me that appeals to women candidates.”

* In Mission Viejo, Mayor Robert A. Curtis filed papers to run in the 71st District against Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Santa Ana).

* In the 73rd District, which straddles Orange and San Diego counties, three mayors have filed to run for an open seat--Mike Eggers of Dana Point, Patricia C. Bates of Laguna Niguel and Bud Lewis of Carlsbad. Nine other candidates filed for the same seat, including four Republicans and one Democrat.

* In Orange County’s only other vacancy in the Assembly, four Republicans filed as candidates, including former Assemblyman Curt Pringle of Garden Grove and two city council members, Joy L. Neugebauer of Westminster and Rhonda J. McCune of Buena Park.

Tuesday was also the deadline for candidates to file for the state Senate and two Orange County seats that are on the ballot this year.

State Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) was the only Orange County incumbent legislator who remained unopposed in the June primary.

In the 33rd Senate District, Sen. John R. Lewis (R-Orange) drew two Republican challengers.

Democratic candidates filed in all seven Assembly districts, producing three primary contests. One, however, was a challenge by Anaheim diesel mechanic Robert J. Brennan against the Democrats’ only Orange County incumbent in Sacramento, Assemblyman Tom Umberg (D-Garden Grove).

Proposition 140, approved by voters in 1990, limits Assembly members to three two-year terms and the 40 members of the Senate to two four-year terms. The state senators up for election this year--those with odd-numbered districts--were in the middle of their terms when Proposition 140 was adopted. Under term limits, they are entitled to one more full term if they are reelected this year.

Candidates who have declared their intention to run have until March 6 to complete their declaration of candidacy and file their nomination papers. If an incumbent who has declared an intention to run does not do so, other candidates will have an extra five days to jump into the race.

Among those leaving the Assembly and running for Congress this year are Marguerite Archie-Hudson (D-Los Angeles), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles), Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), William Baker (R-Danville), William Filante (R-Greenbrae), Ted Lempert (D-San Mateo) and Phillip Wyman (R-Tehachapi).

Members of the Assembly running for the state Senate include Teresa Hughes (D-Los Angeles), Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), Carol Bentley (R-El Cajon) and David Kelley (R-Hemet).

Retiring are Assembly members Sally Tanner (D-Baldwin Park), Bev Hansen (R-Santa Rosa), Bill Lancaster (R-Covina), Peter Chacon (D-San Diego) and Chris Chandler (R-Yuba City).

Assemblyman Jerry Eaves (D-Rialto) is running for San Bernardino County supervisor and Assemblyman Lloyd Connelly (D-Sacramento) is running for a judgeship.

Also, Sens. Ed Davis (R-Santa Clarita), Cecil Green (D-Norwalk), Bill Greene (D-Los Angeles) and Rose Ann Vuich (D-Dinuba) have announced retirements.

President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) is running in an April special election to serve the remainder of the term of former Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), who pleaded guilty to political corruption charges.

Daniel M. Weintraub and Jeffrey L. Rabin contributed to this story.