Roberti Felled by Little-Known Foe Angelides

Less than two months after he fended off a recall effort, state Sen. David A. Roberti was defeated Tuesday night by a rich, little-known political insider in the Democratic race for state treasurer.

Phil Angelides, a 40-year-old Sacramento developer and recent leader of the state Democratic Party, buried Roberti in his first statewide election.

With more than half the vote counted, the 30-year veteran lawmaker conceded defeat.

“Bon voyage and happy sailing,” Roberti told his supporters.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have enough rich friends, and it’s very difficult to fund an election after an expensive recall and to match a $3-million (Angelides) campaign that was highly negative against me.”

Said Angelides: “I believe in the end that voters in this critical year will be looking for new people and new energy, and that’s why I won tonight.”

It was perhaps the most unexpected among the early results in the seven statewide races below the governor’s office--wide-open offices, only one of which is still held by an incumbent.

In another Democratic contest that was looking like it might defy political pundits, Tony Miller, the acting secretary of state--all but anonymous outside the office six months ago--was elbowing his way past two veteran politicians, former Los Angeles City Councilman and ex-mayoral candidate Michael Woo and Assemblywoman Gwen Moore.

“There are a lot more votes out there,” Woo told reporters late Tuesday night. “This is going to be a long night. We’ll wait for them to come in.”

Miller, the appointed successor to longtime Secretary of State March Fong Eu and the man whose name appeared on the official election pamphlets sent to millions of homes, would be the first openly gay man to win statewide office in California, and perhaps in the nation.

State Sen. Art Torres, a longtime Los Angeles political figure, was keeping a safe distance ahead of his leading challenger in the Democratic race for state insurance commissioner. Torres and Los Angeles Assemblyman Burt Margolin had exchanged heavy-artillery campaign fire in the last days of the campaign.

Torres said late Tuesday that his victory was proof that “the voters rejected the politics of anger and negativity and accepted the politics of change.”

In the Republican contest for insurance commissioner, Chuck Quackenbush, the best funded of the group, was holding a nearly 2-1 lead over his closest competitors.

Women candidates were performing strongly on both partisan and nonpartisan ballots: state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) was comfortably ahead of Assemblyman Stan Statham (R-Oak Run) in the Republican struggle for the lieutenant governor’s nomination. Democrat Gray Davis had only nominal opposition.

And the Democratic race for state controller found businesswoman Kathleen Connell outdistancing both Alameda County Supervisor Don Perata and Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-San Jose) by 2 to 1. Republican Tom McClintock, who describes himself as a taxpayers’ advocate, was handily ahead of John Morris, a real estate developer and son of the founder of Mervyn’s department stores, in the race to carry the Republican banner into the general election for controller.

The contest to succeed convicted felon Bill Honig as state superintendent of public instruction--a nonpartisan position that drew a dozen candidates, Republicans and Democrats, professional educators and political veterans--appeared headed for a runoff. The top vote-getters in the early counting were Democratic Assemblywoman and educator Delaine Eastin and Gov. Pete Wilson’s education adviser, Maureen DiMarco.

In choosing her and DiMarco, both longtime education insiders, Eastin said voters showed “they do want school reform, because we both ran as reformers, but they don’t want fringe reform.”

A bitter, at times mean-spirited race had characterized the Democratic Party duel in the treasurer’s contest between Roberti and the better-funded but little-known Angelides.

Angelides attacked Roberti for his opposition to abortion and for leading the Senate at a time when three senators were convicted of political corruption charges.

Roberti, 55, the former Senate president pro tem, began the campaign with higher name recognition, thanks in part to his survival in a recall election organized by gun rights activists angered over his assault weapon ban.

Angelides will face Republican Matt Fong, 40, now a State Board of Equalization member, in November.

In the race for lieutenant governor the key fight was between Republicans Wright, 65, and Statham, 55. Wright promised to boost the programs of GOP Gov. Wilson, a goal that would require both of them to win in November.

State Controller Davis, 51, a former assemblyman who was once chief of staff to Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr., had only token opposition in the primary.

In the crowded nonpartisan contest for state schools chief, Eastin, 46, was endorsed by the state teachers union and the Democratic Party. DiMarco, 45, is Gov. Wilson’s secretary of child development and education.

In a particularly nasty fight for the Democratic nomination for state insurance commissioner, Torres, 47, and Margolin, 43, exchanged last-minute charges through the mails and the airwaves. Margolin targeted Torres’ two drunk-driving convictions; Torres accused Margolin of taking campaign money from insurance-related sources. Both candidates promised to pressure insurance companies into giving consumers the rebates promised 5 1/2 years ago under Proposition 103.

The chief Republican candidates were Conran, 42, who recently stepped down as Gov. Wilson’s consumer affairs director; Quackenbush, 40, and Wes Bannister, 57, who won the party nomination four years ago. Quackenbush tried to capitalize on his being a co-author of the “three strikes and you’re out” anti-crime statute, and pledged late Tuesday not to discuss Torres’ two DUI convictions in his campaign.

In the secretary of state’s race, the best known Democrat in the field of three was Woo, 42, who pledged to change the way campaigns are financed and to initiate an enforcement program against companies that counterfeit brand-name goods.

Moore, 53, promised to streamline the office, which is responsible for maintaining records and coordinating elections. She also proposed to boost voter turnout--which appeared headed for a notorious low on Tuesday. Miller, 45, emphasized his experience in the office, where he has worked since 1976.

The winner will face Republican Assemblyman Bill Jones, 44, of Fresno, the author of the “three strikes and you’re out” statute, in November.

Few statewide offices are as obscure as controller, the state’s top accountant and fiscal officer. But the job has sometimes proved a springboard to higher office. Democrats Connell, 46, Perata, 49, and Areias, 44, all proposed using the office to reduce government waste.

In the Democratic primary race for the District 4 seat on the Board of Equalization, the board’s current chairman, Brad Sherman, 39, took an early lead over four challengers.

In the Republican primary for District 4, which includes most of Los Angeles County, Ernie Dynda, president of a taxpayer organization, held a 2-1 lead over Hal J. Styles Jr., a Woodland Hills businessman.