Close Vote on Casino Could Mean Another Try in 1994 : Gambling: Supporters are emboldened by the near-victory after similar proposals elsewhere were soundly defeated.

Supporters of a card club proposal that was narrowly rejected by city voters said they may try to put the measure on the ballot a second time, possibly next spring when City Council elections are held.

Despite the defeat, supporters took some consolation in the fact that their well-financed campaign almost succeeded while card club proposals were defeated overwhelmingly in three other cities.

“We almost did it,” developer Claude L. Booker said after the final results were announced Tuesday night at his crowded campaign headquarters. “(The vote) was just too close to give it all up now.”

In the end, the proposal to build a $35-million card casino on vacant land off the 605 Freeway lost by 209 votes. Although 231 provisional and absentee ballots remain to be counted, officials said they doubted that the outcome would change.

Card club advocates attributed the defeat to unexpectedly high voter turnout and “non-resident intervention,” including last-minute mailings from political action committees funded by area card clubs.

More than 35% of the city’s 23,861 registered voters cast ballots, one of the largest voter turnouts in the city’s history. The turnout was about 23% in last fall’s presidential election, and City Council elections generally have turnouts under 20%, officials said.

Booker said the measure would have won easily with an average turnout.

The proposal took an early lead during the counting as a high number of absentee ballots favored the casino.

“We were tracking beautifully in the beginning,” he said. “The voters we had targeted were out voting. We were only counting on the absentees (votes) as a cushion.”

Casino advocates even began an early celebration, uncorking champagne after receiving word at campaign headquarters that absentee ballots indicated a healthy 700-vote margin. At City Hall, sullen casino opponents huddled into groups and watched as the absentee votes were tallied in the council chambers.

But by the end of the night, the mood swung dramatically, as opponents slowly gained ground in each of the 18 precincts. By the time results from the 16th precinct were posted, casino advocates had seen their lead shrink to less than 40 votes.

When votes from the final precinct were counted at 9:40 p.m. they sent opponents to their narrow victory. The chamber was filled with cheers and whoops of joy from opponents who had all but lost hope just hours earlier.

“I can’t believe this!” opponent Stephen Chavez said. “It’s unreal.”

Casino opponents, operating with a much smaller budget than proponents, said they were not surprised by the large turnout. In fact, they blanketed the city with volunteers starting at dawn Election Day, knocking on doors and encouraging people to get out and vote.

“We knew they had the slick campaign and the money for a huge absentee-ballot drive,” Chavez said. “We depended on a true grass-roots effort, with handmade signs and calls to friends.”

Casino opponents had also amassed powerful allies, including Assemblywoman Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) and County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who spoke at one forum and lent her name to phone bank pitches and other anti-casino literature.

Booker and other casino advocates said Molina’s considerable influence among residents in her native Pico Rivera made a difference.

“(Molina’s) people were very significant in this campaign,” Mayor Alberto Natividad said after the final results were posted. “The non-resident intervention was our downfall.”

Adding to the opposition were some weekend mailers. Two of the mailers, which hammered on the theme that a casino would drive up the crime rate, were funded by the California Card Club Assn., a lobbying committee organized to promote card club issues.

George Hardie, general manager of the successful Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens, has in the past opposed new clubs, saying there are not enough players to support additional casinos. Hardie could not be reached for comment on the outcome of the election.

Some voters said, however, they were more offended by a letter they received in the mail Monday from card club proponents, offering free Dodgers tickets to all voters.

“I’ve never heard of such a blatant giveaway,” said resident Yvonne Pedersen before she cast her vote at Magee Elementary School. “It makes you wonder who is behind it when they can spend so much money on tickets to sporting events.”

Still, Booker and his supporters remained upbeat Tuesday night as they sat sipping cocktails amid stacks of unused campaign mailers, literature and colorful drawings of the proposed casino--remnants of a costly and emotionally draining effort to bring gambling to the mostly residential community.

“When card club proposals lose, they usually lose big,” City Manager Dennis Courtemarche said. “This one was so close. The fact that we had 49% of the voters in favor of it sends us a message.”

Courtemarche and the City Council had supported the proposal. Developers said the casino would create hundreds of new jobs and generate an additional $6 million in revenues for the city.

The Pico Rivera proposal was one of four card club measures on the ballot in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Proposals in West Hollywood and Cypress lost by nearly 2-to-1 ratios, and a measure in Stanton was opposed by about 80% of the voters.