CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / GOVERNOR : Rivals Seek Latino Vote--Brown Airs Ads, Wilson Forms Panel

The candidates for governor launched campaigns Wednesday for the support of Latino voters--Democrat Kathleen Brown began airing Spanish-language television commercials and Republican Gov. Pete Wilson announced the formation of Latinos for Wilson.

Brown aired two 30-second television commercials over seven Spanish-language stations in the major media markets of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and San Diego.

The commercials are similar to Brown’s English-language ads that have already aired throughout California, with the announcer speaking in Spanish. New film was shot for one ad, in which Brown talks about the family dream of a better future for its children, to include Latino families, a Brown aide said.

The second ad deals with the California economy and says that Brown “will create 1 million jobs in commerce, industry and manufacturing.”

The Wilson campaign announced that Orange County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez had been selected as honorary chairman of Latinos for Wilson. Jonathan M. Sanchez, associate publisher of Eastern Group Publications in Los Angeles, will be chairman.

The Los Angeles-area chairwoman is Sarah M. Flores, chief deputy to County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and a former candidate for county supervisor.

Sanchez commended Wilson for leadership in “confronting the difficult issue of illegal immigration and by working to force Congress and the Administration to reimburse California for the adverse impact of this failed immigration policy.”

Wilson campaign aide Dan Schnur said Wilson used Spanish-language commercials in his 1982 and 1988 U.S. Senate campaigns and his 1990 race for governor.

In a close race, the Latino vote could be pivotal. According to a Los Angeles Times exit poll, 7% of the voters in the 1992 general election identified themselves as Latino. The figure was 6% in the 1994 primary.