California’s campaigns bear on national scene

Press, 18 June 1986, Page 18

California’s campaigns bear on national scene

From

JOHN HUTCHISON,

in San Francisco

There were more truants than voters in California’s primary election, but the outcome set the stage for campaigns with a bearing on national politics. One of the races puts in jeopardy the hope of Democrats to wrest control of the United States Senate from the Republicans, which would enable them to make it more difficult for President Reagan to work his will on national legislation. The other contest will involve the New Zealand-born LieutenantGovernor of California. If the Democrats can seize four seats in the Senate now held by Republicans, they will command a majority of the 100

members. The other body of the Congress is firmly in the Democrats’ hands. California Republicans have just chosen a formidable opponent for Senator Alan Cranston, one of the most influential members of the Senate. Mr Cranston has been elected three times to consecutive sixyear terms, always against Rightwing opponents. Now, at the age of 71, he has a tough, rich, 46-year-old opponent who squeaked through the primary, defeating a dozen conservatives. He is often referred to as a moderate Republican. He is an enthusiastic supporter of President Reagan on most, but not all issues.

Political commentators here are already predicting that this challenger, Ed Zschau, has a chance to defeat Senator Cranston. Mr Zschau, a congressman and a successful electronics manufacturer, was little known outside his own constituency when the campaign began. He spent large amounts of money on television commercials which told voters how to pronounce his unusual name — like the first syllable in “shower.”' Senator Cranston is described as a liberal, and the Republicans use that term as an epithet. He has been a vigorous and effective opponent of many Reagan policies — on Nicaragua, defence spending, welfare, and the environment. He lost some lustre

politically in an ineffectual attempt to become the Democratic candidate for the Presidency in 1984. The Cranston-Zschau contest may bring some excitement to an election year abysmally dull until now in California. The primary drew the smallest percentage of voters that the state has seen at the polls since 1928. Of the nearly 27 million Californians, only 40 per cent of the registered 12.2 million voters cast their ballots. Millions of the population are legal or illegal immigrants unfamiliar with United States politics. Millions of other Californians seemed content with or inured to incumbent office-holders. The other primary race which may enliven California politics

was that for nominations for Lieutenant-Governor. Leo McCarthy, born in New Zealand and brought here as a small boy, occupies the job, which is to succeed the Governor in case of his resignation or incapacity. The man Mr McCarthy might replace is Governor George Deukmejian, a Republican. Mr McCarthy is a Democrat, and he will be opposed in November by Mike Curb. Both men are very much interested in being Governor of the State, and they know that Mr Deukmejian is very much interested in becoming Vice-Presi-dent of the United States in 1989, right in the middle of his term as Governor. A very bitter fight between Messrs Curb and McCarthy is in the works.