<i> Change</i> : Not All Heeded Buzzword : GOP: Conservative roots remain firmly planted in Orange County.

Judith M. Ryan, Mary Hornbuckle, Rhonda J. McCune--on Tuesday, they were the names of a movement forecasting great change for Orange County. On Wednesday, they were reminders how much things are the same.

The wave of anti-incumbent anger and the support for more women in government that swept across the nation during the spring primaries rolled into Orange County in the form of more hotly contested campaigns than at any time in the last decade.

But even as change was the election buzzword throughout most of California in Tuesday’s primary, Orange County Republicans used the election to dramatically underscore the unshaken conservative roots of their political strength.

As the flurry of campaign activity ended Wednesday, both sides in the contentious battles had some sharply different explanations for the outcome of Tuesday’s voting. But they agreed on one conclusion about politics in Orange County: Conservative candidates are nearly invincible in low-turnout Republican primaries.

Tuesday’s turnout in Orange County was just less than 44%, slightly below the statewide average and about five points under the norm for a presidential-year primary.

“Orange County voted as Orange County always votes,” said Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, who backed Ryan in her high-powered attempt to unseat veteran Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove). “With all of the women who entered politics this season, I thought it would make a difference. Well, it made a difference every place except Orange County.”

Gil Ferguson--a Newport Beach assemblyman who turned back a challenge from Hornbuckle, the Costa Mesa mayor, in the 70th Assembly District--said the primary demonstrated that the conservative politics he and Dornan practice is an accurate reflection of the county’s GOP electorate.

“If there is a philosophy in the Republican Party, it comes out of here,” Ferguson said. “Orange County is the bastion of the Republican Party--we wouldn’t last two minutes in some other places.”

For more than a decade, Orange County’s state and federal delegations have been dominated by conservatives who have vocally opposed abortion rights, gays and taxes. This year, challengers from local city councils--and at least two who were able to outspend the incumbents they faced--thought the 1992 political landscape was ripe for change.

In the 15 races for state and federal offices representing Orange County, there were 31 non-incumbent GOP candidates. By contrast, there was only one in the 1990 primary.

But in each race in which a sitting lawmaker faced a primary opponent, voters sided with the incumbent. And in an open seat in the 68th Assembly District, former Assemblyman Curt Pringle defeated McCune, the Buena Park mayor, and Westminster Councilwoman Joy L. Neugebauer to win the nomination.

The depth and profile of Orange County’s conservative voters also surfaced in the heat of some campaign battles where candidates--incumbents and challengers alike--sought to firm their base of support with inflammatory and divisive comments that were certain to outrage some community leaders.

Faced with women challengers, both Ferguson and Dornan charged that their opponents were backed by groups dominated by lesbians. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) held off two challengers in the 45th Congressional District, in part, by appealing to voter anger over illegal immigrants, whom he generically referred to as “Pedro.”

“I know it’s hard for people to believe, but the people we represent know us and the knocks we get (in the media) are not knocks to them,” Ferguson said. “When I stand up and take on a big liberal in a fight, my people say: ‘Right on!’ ”

The challengers and their sponsors said Wednesday that they were disappointed at the election results, but they vowed to continue their efforts to change Orange County’s political makeup.

Eileen Padberg, a consultant to Ryan, said the campaign was exploring a possible write-in bid against Dornan in the November election.

With a higher turnout expected for the presidential race and voters allowed to cross party lines, the electorate for a general election campaign would be much different than it was in the primary, Padberg said.

“What we did this time is a mobilization of forces across the country that will not go back to sleep,” Padberg said. “The Bob Dornans and the Rohrabachers are going to have to mind their business.”

Predictably, Padberg and Dornan also had opposite analyses of Tuesday’s outcome.

Padberg said voters in the 46th Congressional District are still unaware of Dornan’s true character and his actual record as a congressman. Dornan claimed that he was nominated precisely because voters do know him.

Ryan, a former Orange County Superior Court judge, was backed by a coalition of women’s groups and abortion rights supporters from across the country. In total, nearly $500,000 was spent for Ryan, double what Dornan claims to have spent.

Dornan said he was surprised at the degree of national support that went into Ryan’s campaign. But, in the end, he reminded reporters that he predicted his winning tally of nearly 60% to Ryan’s 40%.

“She maxed out on what she could possibly get,” Dornan said. “They can’t get me below 60%.”

Padberg attributed the loss to two primary factors--the brief duration of the campaign since Ryan’s decision to run in March and Dornan’s attacks on Ryan for not living within the district. Ryan lives in Yorba Linda. The district includes Santa Ana and Garden Grove.

“I think if we had been in this from January, we would have cleaned his clock,” Padberg said.

Dornan reacted angrily to the suggestion that Ryan might run a write-in campaign in November.

“Instead of calling me and congratulating me, here is Padberg getting into more nefarious and low-life politics,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, these people are not Republicans now, they’re trying to destroy our party.”

Turnout Roller Coaster

Orange County’s voter turnout in Tuesday’s election-44%-was a 4% increase from 1990’s primary, but declined from the presidential contest in June, 1988.

Primary Election 1982: 46% ‘84: 50% ‘86: 38% ‘88: 49% ‘90: 40%

General Election 1982: 68% ‘84: 78% ‘86: 60% ‘88: 77% ‘90: 62% Source: Orange County registrar of voters

Compiled by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times