Roberti Holds Steady Lead Over Rowen

State Senate Leader David A. Roberti held a narrow but steady lead with about two-thirds of the returns counted Tuesday in his race against Republican Carol Rowen, a political novice who repeatedly attacked him for his anti-abortion views and lengthy incumbency.

Roberti and the state Democratic Party poured more than $1.5 million into his drive to beat Rowen, a Tarzana pension consultant, in a special election to replace Alan Robbins in the San Fernando Valley’s 20th Senate District.

Robbins resigned the seat last year and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. The district covers Van Nuys and other south-central portions of the Valley.

Roberti, a liberal powerhouse who has long represented the Hollywood area, transplanted himself to the 20th District after his district was eliminated by reapportionment.

A prodigious campaign fund-raiser, he outspent Rowen by almost 9 to 1 and barraged voters with two dozen campaign brochures in his effort to capture the district, a bastion of moderate Democrats.

Roberti moved toward the political center during the campaign, voicing law-and-order and anti-tax themes. Although he opposes capital punishment, he touted his Senate votes to extend the death penalty to crimes such as murder committed during kidnapings.

Rowen, who is active in abortion-rights groups, repeatedly criticized him for opposing legalized abortion. Her campaign was backed by the California Abortion Rights Action League, National Organization for Women and other abortion rights advocates.

Rowen also attacked Roberti for carpetbagging into the 20th District and charged that he was an apple-polisher for special interests, who contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaign.

She also benefited from well-financed independent campaigns mounted by old political enemies of Roberti: gun owners and anti-tax activists. One group, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., sent 385,000 brochures to voters attacking Roberti for opposing tax-slashing Proposition 13 in 1978.

Roberti countered by painting Rowen as a phantom candidate who dodged a televised debate and was unwilling to detail her positions on the issues. He also attacked her refusal to make public her tax returns, which he said concealed evidence that she invested in tax shelters.

Roberti tried to drive a wedge between Rowen and her Republican base by pointing out that in the past she raised funds for Democratic Assemblyman Tom Bane of Van Nuys and Democratic Assembly Speaker Willie Brown of San Francisco.

Rowen raised eyebrows among Republicans and Democrats by appointing political consultant Marlene Bane, the assemblyman’s wife, as her campaign manager. Marlene Bane resigned under GOP pressure less than three weeks before the election.

Roberti hoped that alienating Republicans from Rowen would partly offset defections by Democrats who objected to his abortion position. In addition, he advertised his legislative efforts on behalf of women and children, such as a law he authored establishing a landmark after-school program for latchkey children.

In the closing days of the campaign, Roberti assembled a small army of volunteers to walk precincts and staff phone banks for him. On Election Day, more than 330 people participated in a massive get-out-the-vote effort.