ELECTIONS : Voter Turnout Low, Council Turnover High in Many Races : Politics: Anti-incumbent sentiment is evident in Manhattan Beach, Lawndale, El Segundo and Avalon. Growth plans are also an issue in some cities.

South Bay voters sent a mixed message to local candidates Tuesday night, ousting several incumbents in favor of untested challengers but returning some veteran council members to office in an election marked by general voter apathy.

The anti-incumbent sentiment was felt in Manhattan Beach, Lawndale, El Segundo and Avalon, where council members were bounced from office. One Carson councilwoman also was defeated but downplayed the results because she has set her sights on an upcoming congressional race.

Growth plans played a big part in council races in Lawndale and El Segundo, cities that have been grappling with development issues for years. But many of the races were decided by a tiny portion of the voters. Only 14% of the registered voters cast ballots in Lomita, 19% in Palos Verdes Estates, 23% in Lawndale and 34% in Gardena.

MANHATTAN BEACH

In Manhattan Beach, where three City Council seats were up for grabs, anti-incumbent fever was apparent as 26-year-old challenger Steve Napolitano outpolled seven rivals with his door-to-door, anti-Establishment campaign. Voters also overwhelmingly endorsed an advisory measure calling on the state Legislature to limit council members to two terms.

“It’s time for a change,” said Napolitano, a graphic designer who lost a council bid in 1990. “I dealt with some specific ideas and people heard me.”

One of Napolitano’s focal points was the controversial pension given to former City Manager David Thompson, which inflated his pension to make it $50,000 a year more than he received in salary.

At the same time, however, Manhattan Beach voters reelected Councilman Steve Barnes, who downplayed the Thompson issue, and rejected Councilwoman Patricia (Pat) Collins’ bid for a second term. Tim Lilligren, who finished second, will move from city clerk to the council.

Manhattan Beach City Treasurer Stephen A. Schlesinger cruised to victory in his race against rival Milo Wolff.

CARSON

A group of mobile home park residents flexed its political muscle in Carson and fueled the victories of incumbent Mayor Michael I. Mitoma and Planning Commissioner Pete Fajardo. However, the group failed in its effort to oust Councilwoman Kay Calas.

Homeowners Against Rent Decontrol, the residents lobby group, mustered voter turnouts as high as 56% in precincts set up almost exclusively around mobile home parks.

“We’re proud of the people; they listened to what we had to say,” said Connie Hathaway, the group’s chairwoman. “We had a better turnout in the mobile homes than the people in the stick-built homes.”

Mitoma overcame serious character questions to easily retain his seat on the council. Fajardo, in his first bid for a council seat, was the top vote-getter. He becomes the first Filipino-American elected official in a city whose population is almost equally divided among Asians, African-Americans, Latinos and Anglos.

“I think my election is a message to the city of Carson that incumbents better watch out,” Fajardo said.

One of those incumbents, Calas, easily won reelection despite being bitterly opposed by the mobile home group.

At the same time, incumbent Vera Robles DeWitt was handily defeated. She downplayed the results, saying she did not actively campaign for reelection because she is running for the 37th Congressional District.

“This was not my race,” DeWitt said. “I told the voters of Carson I wanted to run for Congress. I did very well for someone who did not openly campaign.”

Carson voters also resoundingly approved a ballot measure that makes the mayor’s post an elective one and a companion measure that sets a two-year term for the job.

LAWNDALE

The biggest loser in Lawndale’s election was the General Plan, which voters rejected by a 2-1 margin. But the issue weighed unevenly in voters’ choices for the City Council.

Voters reelected incumbent Mayor Harold Hofmann, a strong opponent of the General Plan, and tapped civic activist Nancy Marthens, another plan opponent, to unseat Councilwoman Carol Norman. But voters also returned to office Councilman Norm Lagerquist, a supporter of the General Plan.

Norman, who placed fourth in a field of five candidates, said she thought that she was the focus of a backlash against incumbents.

“Right now, people are unhappy, jobs are scarce and they’re angry with government, so I think they’re looking for a change,” Norman said.

Newcomer Marthens, the top vote-getter, said she thought that Norman’s support of the General Plan cost her the election. Marthens’ victory was especially surprising since Norman outspent her 10 to one.

Norman and Councilman Bill Johnson, another General Plan supporter who failed in his bid for mayor, “have been their own worst enemies,” Marthens said.

It was the second time in three years that voters rejected a General Plan, a technical, state-required document that provides guidelines for development.

In the meantime, City Atty. David Aleshire warned planning officials Tuesday night not to approve any major building projects until he could analyze the city’s legal options.

EL SEGUNDO

Low-growth advocates scored a sweeping victory in El Segundo, taking a majority of seats on the five member City Council and throwing the fate of the city’s proposed General Plan up in the air.

The plan, which was the central issue in the heated election contest, is up for final passage at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

The big loser Tuesday was incumbent Councilwoman Janice Cruikshank, who supported the development plan and was ousted. Mayor Carl Jacobson, who opposed what critics say is a high-density General Plan, led the balloting, followed by challengers Richard Switz, a 63-year-old retired engineer from Hughes Aircraft, and Michael Robbins, 32, a computer systems engineer, also from Hughes.

City Clerk Ronald Hart was ousted by newcomer Cindy Mortesen, 44, a bookkeeper who has lived in the city for 36 years.

The proposed General Plan allows for townhouse or condominium developments on two surplus school sites, an idea bitterly opposed by the El Segundo Residents Assn., whose members were vigorously involved in the campaigns of low-growth advocates.

“I think it’s very clear that the majority of residents in El Segundo like the small-town atmosphere as opposed to high-density development,” Robbins said.

AVALON

In Avalon, where several elections and a slate of ballot measures drew 60.4% of voters to the polls, Mayor Hugh T. Smith was easily returned to office despite a write-in-challenge by retired insurance executive Hal Host. Also reelected was Councilman Norman Stow, who placed second in a six-person race for two council seats.

But in an upset, businessman Ralph Morrow Jr. also won election to the council and unseated incumbent Paul Puma, who placed fourth in the race. Morrow, whose campaign focused on the lack of affordable housing on Avalon, was the top vote-getter.

Avalon City Treasurer Harry Stiritz Jr. won reelection over Deputy City Treasurer Christine Graham.

Voters also authorized city officials to use community improvement funds for the following projects: affordable housing, construction of a municipal swimming pool, building a combination multipurpose center/city hall/fire station, improvements to the Avalon Municipal Hospital and placing utilities underground.

In another measure, voters defeated a proposal to declare Sept. 30 an official city holiday in honor of William Wrigley Jr. and his family, the original purchasers of Catalina Island.

GARDENA

In Gardena, Mayor Donald L. Dear won reelection with an overwhelming 89.5% of the vote in his campaign against Edmund K. Enos, a retired Teamster. Likewise, Gardena Treasurer Lorenzo Ybarra cruised to victory over businessman Jonathan T. Kaji. City Clerk May Doi ran unopposed.

In a much tighter contest for two council seats, incumbents James W. Cragin and Paul Y. Tsukahara prevailed against challenger Steven Bradford, a conservation coordinator bidding to become the city’s first black councilman.

Bradford, who also ran in 1990, had a strong showing Tuesday. But when absentee ballots were tabulated, Tsukahara outdistanced him by 43 votes.

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

In upscale Palos Verdes Estates, incumbents James Nyman and Raymond Mattingly beat challenger Ruth McGrew. Nyman and Mattingly will be serving second terms.

Former City Councilman Ed Ritscher, an aerospace project manager, ran unopposed for city treasurer.

In the exclusive, gated community of Rolling Hills, voters returned Thomas Heinsheimer and Godfrey Pernell to their seats on the council.

LOMITA

In Lomita, Councilmen Charles Belba and Harold S. (Hal) Croyts were reelected, turning back challenges from retiree Lawson Pedigo and computerized-receiving clerk George Green.

Lomita voters also authorized the council to move forward with plans for 75 units of low-income housing next to the Lomita Manor senior citizen complex.

This article was written by Times staff writer Kenneth J. Garcia with contributions by staff writers Kim Kowsky, Greg Krikorian, Marc Lacey, Anthony Millican and correspondent Ann Johnson.

The Winners

Steve Napolitano, Manhattan Beach

Michael T. Mitoma, Carson

Pete Fajardo, Carson

Nancy Marthens, Lawndale