Sybert Concedes to Beilenson, Vows to Renew Challenge in ’96 : Politics: Both camps say they are considering lawsuits to protest alleged distortions during the bitter 24th Congressional District campaign.

Nearly three weeks after the polls closed, Republican congressional candidate Rich Sybert on Monday conceded a close and bitterly fought race to Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson, but vowed to challenge the Woodland Hills Democrat again in 1996.

Beilenson, an 18-year veteran of Congress, bucked a nationwide tide favoring Republican candidates to edge Sybert by about 3,600 votes out of more than 186,000 cast in the 24th Congressional District, which straddles Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

With all Los Angeles County ballots counted--and only a small number uncounted in Ventura County--election officials said Beilenson tallied 95,276 votes while Sybert, in his first run for office, collected 91,692.

“You can’t fight arithmetic,” Sybert said. “I assume those are the final numbers, or close to them. If that’s the case, I’ll call Mr. Beilenson and congratulate him.”

Sybert, an attorney and former top aide to Gov. Pete Wilson, said that despite his loss, he plans to run again against Beilenson in two years.

Joking about how little known he was to voters when he began the campaign, Sybert said, “I had 1% name identification last year, and I suspect those people were lying.”

Even so, he added: “I came within a whisker of beating a 30-year incumbent.”

Sybert, who served as state planning chief under Wilson, said he is considering a return to law practice or devoting more time to his San Fernando Valley land-use consulting business. He also might return to a former job as head of a Santa Barbara toy-design company, he said.

Sybert renewed his charges that Beilenson held onto his seat with “last-minute dirty tricks.” He also reiterated that he may file a lawsuit against Beilenson or petition the House of Representatives to deny Beilenson his seat.

Sybert claimed that brochures were mailed to Republican voters distorting his position on abortion and linking Beilenson to former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, a conservative GOP icon.

He also charged that ballot boxes were left unlocked in a number of Encino polling places, raising the possibility that some voters cast more than one ballot.

Beilenson has denied those charges, and on Monday his campaign manager said the congressman was considering filing his own lawsuit against Sybert for putting out campaign flyers that allegedly distorted Beilenson votes on immigration, the death penalty and other issues.

“They put out multiple mailings that were just complete lies,” said Beilenson campaign chief Craig Miller.

Los Angeles County election officials said it took so long to finish counting the votes because they had to cope with a higher than usual number of absentee and provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are cast by people whose names do not appear on voter lists at polling places and must be individually verified.

Los Angeles election officials also said they stopped the count for two days while a Los Angeles Superior Court judge reviewed Republican allegations of widespread voter fraud. The count resumed after the judge found no evidence of extensive fraud.