Wilson to Form Panel as Prelude to Entering Race

Gov. Pete Wilson will launch an exploratory committee for the 1996 presidential campaign--most likely this week--in a move that sources portrayed Monday as a necessary formality before his official entry into the national Republican primary.

Wilson officials said that although the governor’s planned announcement will fall short of an official presidential declaration, it should be considered a confirmation that Wilson has decided to seek the presidency.

They said the exploratory committee is a necessary step to organize a national campaign staff before an official campaign is launched. They compared the move to the plans that other presidential candidates have followed--first announcing their interest and later scheduling a formal ceremony to symbolically kick off their campaigns.

“This is part of a preparation process,” a source close to Wilson said.

During the exploratory period, sources said the governor will behave more like a presidential aspirant than a tentative prospect. They said he will appear at campaign events in key primary states such as New Hampshire, and he will speak about the themes he plans to offer in a presidential campaign.

Some Wilson officials did not rule out the possibility that unanticipated developments might alter the governor’s plans. But others said that was unlikely, adding that the exploratory committee was not being created to allow the governor an easier escape route.

“I think . . . they have staged this thing so that he heightens press expectations to give his staff time to put together a presidential campaign,” one California Republican consultant said.

Sources said they expect that the exploratory phase will last about two months, followed by an official campaign kickoff.

Wilson officials said the governor will announce his exploratory committee during a news conference in California either before or immediately after his upcoming trip to the East Coast, which begins Friday. Some said he was all but certain to make the disclosure before he leaves so that he can get the most political mileage out of his trip.

Wilson has said that he would make an announcement by March 31, which is the day after he is scheduled to return from the six-day trip.

During the trip, Wilson has a number of events scheduled, most notably fund-raisers in Washington, New York and Boston. Officials said the three fund-raisers are intended only to help the governor pay off more than $1 million in debt left over from his 1994 reelection campaign.

They acknowledged, however, that some supporters who attend the events also might want to financially assist his presidential effort.

The governor is scheduled to speak before a group of newspaper editors in Washington on Saturday. Officials said he is likely to appear on some national television broadcasts during his visit.

Sources said the governor’s schedule does not include a trip to New Hampshire, host of the first presidential primary in February, 1996. They said, however, that the schedule could change.

Earlier this month, Wilson announced that he had created a bank account to “test the waters” for a presidential campaign. By announcing his exploratory committee, officials said he would file papers with the Federal Elections Commission in Washington to create a presidential campaign committee.

FEC officials said that legally there is no distinction between an exploratory committee and a presidential campaign committee. Both can raise money under the same rules and advocate a candidate’s position.

Wilson’s interest in a presidential campaign has been criticized by Republican legislators in Sacramento. They complain that he would essentially abandon the agenda that he announced earlier this year, including a proposed 15% income tax reduction.

Monday, most legislative leaders declined to comment on the latest development, suggesting that they already consider him a presidential candidate. Others indicated that the issue is so sensitive in the Legislature, it is not an easy topic to address.

“There’s 50 reasons why he should run for President, and there’s 50 reasons why he should not,” said Phil Perry, spokesman for Assembly Republican Leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga, who declined to comment.

One of the chief Republican complaints about a Wilson presidential campaign is that a Democrat, Lt. Gov. Gray Davis, is next in line to be governor if Wilson should win the White House.

In response, three Republican activists announced Monday that they will sponsor an initiative requiring a special election to replace a governor who leaves office early, rather than automatic succession by the lieutenant governor.

Wilson officials said the governor’s campaign was not involved in the effort, which is expected to launch a signature-gathering drive to qualify for the November, 1996, ballot. The sponsors of the measure include three former state Republican Party chairmen.

Times staff writers Jerry Gillam and Carl Ingram contributed to this report.

* CAPITAL FEVER: Sacramento buzzes about Wilson’s presidential prospects. A3