14 Challengers Try to Clean House of 5 GOP Incumbents

By LEN HALL

Oct. 20, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Longshot lovers, welcome.

This November, 14 hopefuls, including Democrats, Libertarians, Natural Law Party and Reform Party candidates, are challenging Republican incumbents in five local congressional districts.

Orange County hasn’t sent anyone to the House of Representatives who wasn’t a Republican in 12 years. But bucking considerable odds and voter registration deficits, the challengers are shaking hands and holding debates, hoping for an upset in November. Here’s a look at the five races.

39th District

While about a third of the district lies in Los Angeles County, both challengers to two-term Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) live in northern Orange County.

One, Democrat R.O. “Bob” Davis, 60, of Buena Park, is a retired general contractor who has refused to accept any money from political action committees “as my own little stand for campaign finance reform.” Davis hopes his party affiliation will carry him.

The thrust of his campaign is aimed at connecting Royce with the “irresponsible actions of the Gingrich wing” of the Republican Party, he said. Royce has voted against bills that will put more police on the streets and for cuts that come at the expense of the least fortunate in society, Davis said.

“They want government to be cheaper and meaner,” Davis said.

He insists he has a shot at an upset, depending on voter turnout. Republicans enjoy only a 10% voter registration advantage in this district, which may not be enough if President Clinton wins by a large margin, Davis said.

Libertarian Jack Dean, 48, of Fullerton is familiar with Royce. He ran against him twice before, each time receiving about 5% of the vote.

This time Dean is taking an active national role for the Libertarian Party, serving as presidential candidate Harry Browne’s senior campaign advisor, a fact that shows his own candidacy is “not just a part-time hobby,” he said.

Dean’s party wants to eliminate government bureaucracy, abolish the Internal Revenue Service and end “the insane drug war,” as he called it. Libertarians argue that drugs should be legalized because government has no business interfering in that area.

“We want to make real cuts, not cuts in the growth rate,” he said.

Royce, 45, says his position as an overwhelming favorite (he won 66% of the vote in 1994) has not stopped him from campaigning seriously.

“We have a headquarters, we do precinct walks, go to different community functions, attend various events in different cites and speak to community groups,” Royce said.

He has received attention as chairman of the bipartisan “Porkbusters” coalition, which goes after pork barrel projects and wasteful spending, and as author of a bill that imposes stiff penalties for stalkers who cross state lines and expands the use of the federal data bank to help catch them, he said.

41st District

Libertarian Richard G. Newhouse, 49, of Garden Grove is in the midst of his fifth campaign and says he still is baffled by decisions made by American voters.

“It makes no sense to me that we keep on electing people from the same old parties when the average American standard of living has been going down since the 1970s,” said Newhouse, who failed in two previous congressional races and two runs for the state Senate.

He said this race probably will prove to be tougher than the other four. Most of the 41st District lies in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, with a small portion in northeast Orange County, and two-term Rep. Jay C. Kim is a solid favorite.

But Newhouse, who has been a Republican and a Democrat in the past, is convinced the country needs another party because the powers that be “are not serving the average person at all.”

Challenger David F. Kramer, 49, of Chino Hills is a candidate of the Natural Law Party, a party that advocates a flat income tax, organic farming, defense cuts and meditation. Candidates refuse to accept money from political action committees.

“There are solutions to all problems in America, whether they be in health care, education, jobs or the economy,” said Kramer, part owner of Los Serranos Country Club. “Government ignores them basically for partisan reasons.”

What government needs is a preventive approach, Kramer said. For example, our health care system is run like “a disease care system” with little emphasis on stopping disease before it starts, Kramer said.

Democrat Richard L. Waldron’s ideas are based on cutting military spending and other spending outside the United States. America should come first, he said.

“We ship money every day overseas,” said Waldron, 58, of Anaheim Hills, a former prosecutor who is now a civil and criminal attorney. “We need to bring that money home and spend it on infrastructure, on highways, bridges, dams, water projects, high-speed rail projects. Those things generate good jobs.”

Spending priorities within our country also need adjusting, Waldron said.

“How can you cut things like aid to dependent children, but at the same time sponsor the Air Force Academy to play football on Saturday afternoon?” he said.

Kim, 57, a Korean immigrant and former mayor of Diamond Bar, won 62% of the vote in 1992. A former engineer, he sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and focuses his efforts on those projects.

For his Orange County constituents, Kim has worked to save local funds on the upcoming project to improve the Prado Dam, which is at the northern end of the Santa Ana River and has been redesigned to protect the county from serious flooding. He also helped secure lines of credit for the Eastern and San Joaquin Hills transportation corridors.

He declined to comment on the South Korean businessmen who are facing federal charges of making illegal contributions to his first campaign in 1992 other than to say, “I have never been charged with anything.”

45th District

Eighty-two-year-old Democrat Sally Alexander, has received national publicity not only as the country’s oldest congressional candidate, but for her skills as a surfer. Incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) declined her challenge to a “surf-off.”

“I think I am doing, as they say in the hospital, as well as can be expected,” said the colorful Alexander, a Huntington Beach resident who has political experience as a former neighborhood commissioner from Washington, D.C.

Her hopes rest not only with the interest she has aroused with her chutzpah, but the unrest she says people feel about the Republican Party.

“I think a lot of people are disaffected by what’s going on with right-wing extremism and religious groups trying to take over our country,” Alexander said.

Rand McDevitt, 49, of Huntington Beach, is running for the Natural Law Party, which, he said, takes “a prevention-oriented approach to government.”

“We are truly a grass-roots party of concerned citizens who want to find solutions that can unify conservatives and liberals. . . . We are problem solvers.”

McDevitt, a market and delicatessen owner, said he would call for an immediate shift from shipping arms to other countries to “exporting American knowledge and know-how.”

“Right now we are in a crisis-management government. To really solve the problems of our country or others, we have to get down to the causes,” he said.

The Libertarian in the race is Mark F. Murphy, 31, of Westminster, the owner of a computer software company. His party affiliation allows him “to talk about things Mr. Rohrabacher cannot bring up,” he said.

“I’m the only candidate in this race talking about ending the drug war,” Murphy said. “We need to get government out of our bedrooms and our pocketbooks.”

Rohrabacher declined to comment on the race.

47th District

Three candidates have the considerable challenge of unseating Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) who in 1994 received 71.9% of the vote. Cox is the nation’s fifth-ranking member of Congress and the highest-ranking Californian.

This time, instead of concentrating solely on his own district, Cox also is campaigning in different parts of the country to help Republicans maintain the slim majority they now enjoy in Congress.

“It makes a big difference to be in the majority. I had more than a dozen bills pass this year,” said Cox, 44, a former attorney for President Ronald Reagan.

Cox calls the passage last year of his securities litigation reform act, which is designed to reduce “frivolous” class-action lawsuits against investment and finance firms, one of the highlights of his career. His next major goal will be to “overhaul the federal budget process,” which Cox says is currently “designed to produce deficit and wasteful spending and fiscal irresponsibility.”

Attorney Tina Louise Laine of Orange, the Democratic Party candidate, contends that Cox is “as extreme as Newt Gingrich.” She also has criticized Cox for not taking a stronger stance against the proposed conversion of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into a commercial airport. She charges that the Republicans and “Newport Beach developers have sold out the people on this issue.”

“They are using threats of a prison and working on people’s fears to mislead them on a lot of things going on,” said Laine, 40, an attorney specializing in social security and disability issues.

Laine said her job allows her to listen to the needs of her prospective constituents.

“People want a more responsible and more efficient government, but they want the services it traditionally provides,” Laine said. “They want a better public education system, a better social security system and they want to be protected by government so they can live in a neighborhood where they don’t have to worry about crime.”

Victor A. Wagner Jr. of Mission Viejo, a computer programmer, said he has been a Libertarian all his life, but didn’t realize it until he talked to a party member in 1978.

“After talking with them I said, ‘Whoa, that’s me,’ ” said Wagner, 53. He admits he is a longshot, but just being in the race “requires the leaders to at least acknowledge our positions and sometimes move toward them to pick up votes.”

Wagner said Libertarians want government out of their lives.

“The Constitution does not give the federal government any authority to spend money on education, welfare or health,” Wagner said.

Natural Law Party candidate Iris Adam of Irvine won’t knock Cox, but she believes he represents a political system that badly needs changing. Her party hopes to energize what she sees as frustrated American voters by redesigning government to be prevention-oriented, free of partisan conflicts and partisan solutions to problems, she said.

“I’m sure [Cox] is a very sincere, solid politician, but I think there’s a better way,” said Adam, 43, the mother of two teenagers who also raised two foster children. “I don’t think he is representative of this district, but representative of the people who are supporting him.”

Her party believes in fiscal conservatism, fairer, flatter taxes and a balanced budget, she said, but the way to get there is through “preventive measures.”

“We could cut health-care costs by 50%, for instance, by emphasizing prevention,” she said. “There are lots of ways to cut costs without touching essential services. I would not touch Medicare or Social Security. Not only do I have children, but I have elderly parents who deserve those services.”

48th District

Reform Party candidate William Dreu of Vista, a retired Marine, is no fan of seven-term incumbent Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside).

Dreu, 61, calls Packard “a lazy loafer who has been on congressional welfare for 14 years. . . . It’s time to put somebody up there with the dedication and activity to really do something.”

Dreu said he joined the new party in 1992 when it was called United We Stand, primarily because he thought presidential candidate Ross Perot had “the guts and honesty to speak the truth” about the country’s problems.

Another candidate taking shots at Packard is Democrat Dan Farrell of Dana Point, who has been on the picket line for months with the laborers striking for better wages at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Farrell, who grew up in Pennsylvania near Three Mile Island, is no supporter of nuclear power plants.

“I’d really like to see San Onofre retired early,” said Farrell, 55.

Farrell charges that Packard has failed his constituency by not using his powers to help derail the proposal to build a commercial airport at El Toro.

“He has done nothing about El Toro. That’s a total sellout for everybody who lives in the Saddleback Valley,” Farrell said. “I guess now people in Newport Beach will have a fancy airport for private planes at John Wayne. . . . He ought to be held accountable for it.”

One won’t find Natural Law Party candidate Sharon K. Miles, 44, criticizing Packard, however. The Natural Law Party supports “conflict-free politics,” she said.

“We are interested in bringing in the best ideas, the best programs and the best leaders with the purpose of solving and preventing problems,” Miles said.

Miles, an independent until she was introduced to the Natural Law Party, suggests this country needs “common-sense solutions to our problems.” That’s what her new party has to offer, she said.

“We need a new, fresh way of thinking about government,” said Miles, who owns a business. “Government should be focused on what works, rather than what is politically expedient. It should not be bought and paid for by special interest groups and PACs.”

Packard, 65, a former Oceanside dentist, said his 14 years in a Congress based primarily on seniority have finally put him in the position to be effective.

“For 10 years I dreamed about making a difference in Washington and influencing legislation. Now we are doing it,” Packard said. “This has been the most productive Congress in the last 50 years. To be part of that is exciting.”

Packard is perhaps best known for his stance on the controversial immigration checkpoint at San Onofre, just south of San Clemente. He applauds the recent steps made by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to keep the checkpoint open, enlarge it and to ban high-speed chases after illegal immigrants.

“I think we have improved the checkpoint to where it will operate around the clock with no back-ups and no sizable delays,” Packard said, noting that a new commuter lane will be added. “The new situation will allow our regular traffic to move and still [allow agents to] check for illegal drugs and aliens.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Orange County House Races

39TH DISTRICT

Boundaries: Atwood, Brea, Buena Park, Cerritos, Fullerton, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, most of Artesia, and parts of Anaheim, Cypress, La Mirada, Lakewood, Long Beach, Placentia, Stanton, Whittier and Yorba Linda

R. O. “Bob” Davis

Age: 60

Party: Democrat

Residence: Buena Park

Occupation: Retired general contractor

Major issue: Balancing budget and paying down national debt

Jack Dean

Age: 48

Party: Libertarian

Residence: Fullerton

Occupation: Fund-raising consultant

Major issue: Ending the war on drugs because it endangers our economic and personal freedoms

Ed Royce

Age: 45

Party: Republican

Residence: Fullerton

Occupation: Incumbent

Major issue: Balancing budget and reducing wasteful government spending

41ST DISTRICT

Boundaries: Chino, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, Montclair, Rowland Heights, Upland, and parts of Anaheim Hills, Brea, Ontario, Pomona, Walnut and Yorba Linda

Jay C. Kim

Age: 57

Party: Republican

Residence: Diamond Bar

Occupation: Incumbent

Major issue: Bringing economy back to national growth average

David F. Kramer

Age: 49

Party: Natural Law

Residence: Chino Hills

Occupation: Part owner of a country club

Major issue: Government should be a strong voice and a reflection of the determination and the will of all the people

Richard G. Newhouse

Age: 49

Party: Libertarian

Residence: Garden Grove

Occupation: College geography instructor

Major issue: Creating better paying, more interesting jobs so people are empowered to choose

Richard L. Waldron

Age: 58

Party: Democrat

Residence: Anaheim

Occupation: Attorney

Major issue: Spend taxpayer dollars within U.S. for country’s people

45TH DISTRICT

Boundaries: Huntington Beach, Midway City, Sunset Beach, Surfside, and Westminster and parts of Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Stanton

Sally J. Alexander

Age: 82

Party: Democrat

Residence: Huntington Beach

Occupation: Retired businesswoman

Major issue: Keep the oceans clean and protect environment

Rand McDevitt

Age: 49

Party: Natural Law

Residence: Huntington Beach

Occupation: Market and delicatessen owner

Major issue: Solve major health and social costs with scientifically proven solutions

Mark F. Murphy

Age: 31

Party: Libertarian

Residence: Westminster

Occupation: Owns computer software company

Major issue: Ending income tax and abolishing Internal Revenue Service

Dana Rohrabacher

Age: 48

Party: Republican

Residence: Fountain Valley

Occupation: Incumbent

Major issue: Declined to state

47TH DISTRICT

Boundaries: Corona del Mar, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Orange, Tustin and parts of Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Silverado Canyon, Trabuco Canyon

Iris Adam

Age: 43

Party: Natural Law

Residence: Irvine

Occupation: Manager of Department of Economics at UC Irvine

Major issue: Politics without the control of special interest groups

Christopher Cox

Age: 44

Party: Republican

Residence: Newport Beach

Occupation: Incumbent

Major issue: Economic growth though lower taxes and less regulation

Tina Louise Laine

Age: 40

Party: Democrat

Residence: Orange

Occupation: Attorney

Major issue: Stopping commercial airport proposed for El Toro Marine Corps Air Station

Victor A. Wagner Jr.

Age: 53

Party: Libertarian

Residence: Mission Viejo

Occupation: Computer programmer

Major issue: Ending intrusive government

48TH DISTRICT

Boundaries: Bonsall, Camp Pendleton, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Escondido, Fallbrook, Julian, Laguna Niguel, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Temecula, and Vista and parts of Aliso Viejo, Carlsbad, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, and Trabuco Canyon

William Dreu

Age: 64

Party: Reform

Residence: Vista

Occupation: Retired Marine and businessman

Major issue: Salvaging America for our youth

Dan Farrell

Age: 55

Party: Democrat

Residence: Dana Point

Occupation: Writer/educator

Major issue: Human rights conditions at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station