GOP ‘Gorilla’ Doesn’t Scare Foes This Time : Politics: In redrawn 46th District, combative Rep. Robert K. Dornan is opposed not only by Democrats, but by a fellow Republican.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan’s attack-style politics and millions of dollars in contributions have long made him Orange County’s 400-pound gorilla at the polls--able to scare off formidable rivals and easily defeat those who challenge him.

Two years ago, Dornan had just one opponent--a Democrat who withdrew shortly after the race started, even though her party held a majority among voters registered in Dornan’s central county district.

This time, though, things are different.

Fueled by newly drawn districts and an anti-incumbent fever, Dornan has drawn five Democratic opponents from a district that includes Santa Ana as well as parts of Garden Grove and Anaheim. They include a civil rights worker and aerospace engineer, Nazeer Ahmed; a trial lawyer and National Guardsman, Ricardo A. Nicol III, and a gay-rights activist employed by a labor union, Jeff LaTourneau.

Most significantly, though, Dornan is facing his first reelection challenge ever from a Republican after 14 years in Congress.

Judith M. Ryan, a former county Superior Court judge, is hoping to wrest the GOP nomination from Dornan with help from a growing national movement to send more elected women to Washington and an abortion-rights audience that could be energized by timely decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ryan’s campaign has drawn interest from some moderate GOP donors throughout the Southland who consider Dornan to be out of step on social issues and particularly insensitive to women’s concerns.

“I think the women’s groups feel that Bob Dornan is Public Enemy No. 1 for child care and women’s issues,” said Eileen Padberg, a campaign consultant for Ryan. “Bob Dornan is in trouble. He has been in office 14 years, and our data consistently shows people are looking for fresh ideas.”

But as a political neophyte who has decided not to move from her Yorba Linda residence into the district, Ryan faces an enormous task in unseating one of Washington’s most entrenched lawmakers.

With just five weeks left until the June 2 California primary, Ryan’s biggest job is still to become known to district voters. And since she did not decide to enter the race until March, she has been forced to undergo on-the-job training to learn the issues important to the new 46th Congressional District.

Some audiences unhappy with Dornan and eager to hear about a possible successor have been left unimpressed by Ryan’s vague answers, such as those at a recent dinner meeting for Latino business leaders. When asked whether the Latino community would be a focus for her campaign, Ryan said: “I haven’t talked about that with Eileen yet.”

During an interview last week that was also short on specific ideas for her candidacy, Ryan confessed: “My thoughts are evolving as I talk to people. I think, as much as anything, I have a willing ear.”

Surprisingly, Ryan declined an invitation to meet Dornan in a televised debate--usually a favorite tool for challengers who need public attention and a forum to contrast themselves with better-known incumbents.

“I’ve never heard of a challenger not asking for a debate,” Dornan said. “It comes down to one line: She just flat-out doesn’t know the issues at all.”

Ryan’s campaign said it could not participate in the debate because of a scheduling conflict, noting that the candidate has not taken a leave from her job as a court arbiter to run for office.

“This is a working woman . . . (who) only has campaign time a little bit in the evening and on the weekends,” campaign manager Heidi Bunkowske said.

She also said Ryan will not debate Dornan unless he “behaved himself, (because) Mr. Dornan likes to be theatrical.”

Dornan’s antics as an outspoken conservative congressman and a flamboyant national character have made him a favorite in his party’s right wing but also a target for other Republicans who complain that he is more concerned about personal ambition than helping constituents.

Dornan set off a firestorm last month when he first heard that Ryan was planning to seek support from Republican women in Congress.

Dornan confronted the GOP congresswomen before many even knew about Ryan and suggested that they would spark an intraparty war if they supported a primary opponent against him. All seven women promised not to support Ryan’s campaign. The incident still caused the national press to slap a new moniker on the congressman: “Bully Bob.”

Ryan’s candidacy has also revealed a faction of county Republicans willing to break from GOP tradition and oppose a party incumbent. She has been endorsed by two county supervisors--Thomas F. Riley and Harriett M. Wieder--as well as a coalition of moderate business leaders, such as developer Kathryn G. Thompson.

Ryan is hoping to exploit a protest vote that has been evident in past campaigns against Dornan, when largely unknown and unfunded foes have nevertheless scored surprisingly well at the polls. Democrat Barbara Jackson dropped her 1990 campaign against Dornan long before the election, but she still got 42% of the vote.

But Ryan’s biggest obstacle may be the short time left to find a majority of support among Republican voters.

Even with national attention for her campaign, the former judge raised just $43,018 by the end of March--less than a quarter of the contributions Dornan received this year. Usually, campaign experts believe, a candidate trying to unseat an incumbent congressman needs up to $500,000.

Voters who do evaluate the candidates, however, will rarely find a sharper contrast in a primary. Questioned by The Times on a range of issues, Dornan and Ryan disagreed on four of six areas, including abortion, gun control, health care and aid to the former Soviet Union.

“She’s a liberal Democrat at heart,” Dornan said. “I’m taking the primary seriously, but I can’t take Judith Ryan seriously.”

Ryan countered: “There’s been a lack of responsiveness. I think a lot of people are put off by the manner in which he conducts himself.”

Democrats also face a clear choice among five candidates seeking to represent the district. Unlike the Republican campaign, Democrats are focusing on the large Latino and Asian communities that represent more than half of the district’s population.

Ahmed, an executive programs manager at Hughes Aircraft and a native of India, has highlighted his past civil rights activism, including a spot on the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1988 campaign and, during the 1960s, marches with the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“It behooves us to bring the people together, to create a consensus in politics so that all of us together can look back and be proud,” said Ahmed, founder of a food program for the homeless in Los Angeles.

Nicol has emphasized his ethnic roots; his mother is Latino, his father Irish.

“What you see before you is the face of Ireland and the soul of Latin America,” Nicol said in a recent speech. “We are talking about building bridges between ethnic groups--I am the bridge. I think I understand the two dominant cultures.”

In public appearances, LaTourneau has called attention to his arrest record stemming from his protests for gay rights.

“As a gay male, I feel I am a member of the most persecuted minority in the United States,” LaTourneau said. “I feel I can relate to this need to bring people together. You’ve got to break down the barriers.”

Placentia City Councilman Norman Z. Eckenrode is also campaigning in the Democratic primary, although he lives just outside the district and has decided against moving his residence.

“I’m campaigning on the fact that we are tired of (President) George Bush not paying attention to the store,” Eckenrode said. “We’re supposed to be broke right now, but he found $24 billion to give the former Soviet Union.”

Robert John Banuelos, a social services administrator for Santa Ana, has run for federal office before as a candidate in the 1986 Democratic primary against Sen. Alan Cranston. He was unavailable for comment.

46th Congressional District

Here are the candidates running for the 46th Congressional District seat in the June 2 primary.

The Issues

The candidates were asked these questions:

Abortion rights--Do you support abortion rights?

Capital gains tax--Do you support cuts in the federal capital gains tax?

Health plan--Do you support President Bush’s national health plan, which would provide tax breaks for low- and middle-income families and slash Medicaid by $35 billion over five years?

Gun control--Do you support legislation similar to the Brady bill, which would place a waiting period on the purchase of handguns?

Soviet aid--Do you support the Bush plan to bail out the republics of the former Soviet Union?

Desert protection--Do you support the Cranston desert bill, which would dramatically expand the area in the Mojave and other sections of California to protect against encroachment?

REPUBLICANS

Robert K. Dornan

Home: Garden Grove

Age: 59

Occupation: Congressman

Background: Elected to Congress in 1976 representing Santa Monica. Elected to Congress representing Orange County, 1984. Candidate for U.S. Senate, 1982. In Air Force, 1953-58. Former broadcast journalist and talk show host.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes. Capital gains tax cut--supports. Health care plan--supports. Gun control--opposes. Soviet aid--opposes. Desert protection--opposes.

Judith M. Ryan

Home: Yorba Linda

Age: 49

Occupation: Arbiter, Judicial Arbitration Mediation Service in Anaheim

Background: Orange County Superior Court judge, 1982-89. Appointed to Orange County Municipal Court in 1981 by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. Former legal adviser to Santa Ana police, 1977-81.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Capital gains tax cut--supports. Health care plan--opposes but leans toward a plan plan based on tax incentives. Gun control--supports. Soviet aid--supports. Desert protection--undecided.

DEMOCRATS

Nazeer Ahmed

Home: Santa Ana

Age: 52

Occupation: Aerospace engineer

Background: Former representative to Parliament in India. Aerospace engineer in Orange County, including work on design team for lunar module. Delegate to 1988 Democratic National Convention for Jesse Jackson. Joint-secretary of Southern California Indo-American Political Assn.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Capital gains tax cut--undecided. Health care plan--opposes. Gun control--supports. Soviet aid--opposes. Desert protection--supports.

Robert John Banuelos

Home: Santa Ana

Age: 39

Occupation: Santa Ana community services representative.

Background: Candidate for U.S. Senate, 1986. Former loan executive, United Way of Orange County.

Issues: Unavailable.

Norman Z. Eckenrode

Home: Placentia

Age: 54

Occupation: Owner, Shakey’s Pizza in Brea.

Background: Placentia City Council member since 1978. Two one-year terms as mayor. Former salesman for West Bend Co., appliance manufacturer.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Capital gains tax cut--supports. Health care plan--opposes but supports a plan based on tax incentives. Gun control--supports. Soviet aid--opposes. Desert protection--opposes.

Jeff LeTourneau

Home: Anaheim

Age: 35

Occupation: Administrator with Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union

Background: Has worked with union for nearly 10 years. Gay rights activist. Member of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club for gay and lesbian party activists.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Capital gains tax cut--opposes. Health care plan--opposes. Gun control--supports. Soviet aid--supports. Desert protection--supports.

Ricardo A. Nicol III (photo not available)

Home: Santa Ana

Age: 37

Occupation: Trial lawyer

Background: Five years in Army and now a captain in the National Guard.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Capital gains tax cut--supports. Health care plan--opposes. Gun control--supports. Soviet aid--opposes. Desert protection--undecided.

LIBERTARIAN

Richard G. Newhouse (photo not available)

Home: Garden Grove

Age: 45

Occupation: College professor of geography

Background: Former attorney.

Issues: Unavailable.