The Orange County Vote : LOCAL ELECTIONS / CONGRESS : Banuelos Takes Lead; GOP’s Kim Survives : Early returns show clear leader in Democratic 46th race. And, Diamond Bar congressman holds off challenge.

A Santa Ana senior citizens counselor appeared headed for victory Tuesday in a hard-fought Democratic contest for the right to challenge Rep. Robert K. Dornan in November, while Jay C. Kim, the only Orange County congressman to face a serious challenge in the primary election, appeared to have survived it easily.

Early returns in the 46th Congressional District’s Democratic primary showed Robert John Banuelos, 41, leading businessman Mike Farber by a comfortable margin. Farber, who moved to the district 18 months ago for the purpose of challenging Dornan (R-Garden Grove), was considered the favorite in the primary, having garnered endorsements from the state Democratic party and many Orange County party luminaries.

Dornan, who was on his way back to Washington Tuesday night after attending D-day anniversary events in France, drew no Republican challengers this year after defeating a well-financed moderate, Judith Ryan, in the 1992 primary.

Democrats considered him vulnerable, though, because the outspoken conservative barely survived a 1992 general election challenge from Banuelos, who spent less than $5,000 and rarely campaigned. In addition, the 46th, which contains parts of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana, is the county’s only congressional district with more Democratic than Republican voters.

Nine-term incumbent Dornan spent little time campaigning in the primary, his staff said. But according to the most recent campaign finance statements, he has built up a war chest of nearly $473,000 since Jan. 1--more than seven times the amount raised by Farber, the best-financed Democrat in the race.

Banuelos, who spent the evening at a union local in Santa Ana, said he credits his lead to volunteers who tirelessly canvassed the community focusing on their candidate’s local roots and community visibility.

Those volunteers, Banuelos said, made up for his small campaign fund.

Campaign manager Rob Jones said contributions will be more important in beating Dornan in the fall. Jones said he expects more money to come in once the Democrats have chosen a candidate.

“Finally the Democrats have a strong enough candidate to beat Dornan,” Jones said. “Robert (Banuelos) did so well last time that he’s shown he’s a contender.”

In the 41st Congressional District, which takes in part of northern Orange County and sections of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, Kim, the one-term incumbent, appeared to have survived a primary challenge from four Republicans./

On the Democratic side, urban redeveloper Ed Tessier was leading Richard Waldron by a comfortable margin.

Kim, the first Korean American elected to Congress, became the subject last summer of a federal probe into possible election, tax and labor law violations related to his former engineering firm. He also faced allegations that he used the business to funnel money illegally into his 1992 congressional campaign.

All four Republicans seeking to oust Kim--mining engineer Ronald L. Curtis of Upland, businessman Bob Kerns of Ontario, Upland businesswoman Valerie Romero and attorney Todd R. Thakar of Orange--had tried to capitalize on Republican fears that, if Kim won the primary and the investigations into his finances continued, the Democrats could wrest the seat from the party in November. Nonetheless, Republicans have a distinct advantage in the district, where they outnumber Democrats 48% to 40%.

Kim, who has stated all along that there was no wrongdoing on his part, ran a low-key campaign on the issues until the last few days, when he began responding to sharp attacks by his opponents, particularly Romero. In his recent mailer, Kim counterattacked, characterizing Romero as a political nobody who was relying primarily on her auto-dealer father’s money and reputation in her campaign.

At a party in a Diamond Bar hotel conference room for about 50 supporters, Kim spoke emotionally about being the target of a federal probe and the negative tone of his opponents’ campaigns.

“In spite of all the negative publicity I had, all the problems I had, they still have faith in me. They want to send me back. You know what that means to me? I’m absolutely, deeply touched. You can’t ask for more than that.”

“In spite of all the attacks, they love me. They have faith in me. I’m going to give everything I have. I want to be the best congressman in the history books.”

“It was a bad campaign. It hurt me. My wife cried. It was tough on me and my family.”

Kim said he wasn’t angry with Romero for her attacks. Rather, he characterized her as an inexperienced politician following the suggestions of her advisers.

Of the four other Republican incumbents in Orange County, only two--Reps. Christopher Cox of Newport Beach and Ron Packard of Carlsbad--faced opposition in the primary.

In the 47th District, Cox appeared to be trouncing Steven J. Frogue, a Lake Forest high school teacher making his second attempt to oust Cox, who has held the seat since 1988. Late Tuesday, Cox was leading by better than 6 to 1.

Frogue, who spent only a few hundred dollars on the campaign, said he felt he had “done about as good as I could do.” Frogue said he spent less time campaigning this year than in 1992, when he garnered 12% of the vote in a three-way primary race.

After hearing early returns that show him way ahead, Cox said his campaign targeted “small group meetings, breakfasts, lunches, Rotary clubs, and community events.”

“We’ve simply been doing a ground (level) campaign for months, and it seems to have done the trick,” Cox said. “The best way for a member of Congress to win reelection is to do the job you’re elected to do.”

Democrat Gary Kingsbury, an educational training consultant from Irvine, was unopposed in the primary.

In the 48th District, which includes parts of southern Orange County and northern San Diego County, Packard, first elected to Congress in 1982, was leading Ed Mayerhofer, a Mission Viejo realtor, by about 4 to 1. Mayerhofer received about 16% of the vote when he first ran against Packard in 1992.