CENTRISTS AIM TO WIN SEATS BACK FOR GOP.Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer Fed up with the loss of a former GOP stronghold, several prominent Glendale and Burbank Republicans have gone to war against their party's conservative bent. Seeing themselves as the vanguard of a national revolution to steer the party to the center of the political spectrum, they are aggressively recruiting moderate Republicans who are abortion-rights advocates and favor gun control to run for state legislative seats in next year's elections. ``It's the people at the top who aren't getting the picture,'' said Ann-Marie Villicana, a former Pasadena City Council member who is considering a bid for the 44th District Assembly seat now held by Jack Scott. ``The California Republican Party The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the national Republican Party. Its chairman is Ron Nehring and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. needs to decide if they are serious about taking back the 43rd and 44th districts. They need to make a concerted effort from the beginning and not just in the last two weeks of an election.'' Earlier this year, moderates at the state GOP convention tried but failed to force the adoption of a more centrist platform. Instead, hard-line conservatives were elected to head the state party, and opposition to abortion and gun control stayed in the platform. But local Republicans say the pressure is on in Glendale and Burbank to get moderates on board now to carry off victories in November 2000. Pam Corradi, chairwoman of the 43rd District Republican Central Committee, said the Burbank-Glendale area is leading the way because the party's candidates need an early start to be competitive. ``Much the same thing is happening nationwide. It just hasn't hit the state and nation like it has in this district. It certainly is a groundswell ground·swell n. 1. A sudden gathering of force, as of public opinion: a groundswell of antiwar sentiment. 2. , and it's not going to stop,'' Corradi said. ``We can't continue to be a viable party without women and minorities. We have to realize that if we want to be a party of white males, we are not going to win elections.'' She expects that party leadership will support moderate candidates even if they are not in lock step with the platform. ``You are going to have some outcry that this isn't what we should be doing and that we are abandoning our principles. But I think they will be isolated incidents,'' Corradi said. But there is a risk to recruiting moderate candidates when the California Republican Party leadership is made up of hard-line conservatives, said Lisa Ann Rowe, a Burbank resident and president of the California Congress of Republicans, a moderate GOP group. ``It's about who controls the money. If the (leaders are) very conservative, they are obviously going to offer funds to people who are like-minded,'' Rowe said. But state party officials insist that, regardless of what the platform says, they will support Republicans of all stripes in efforts to take back the Assembly and state Senate in 2000. ``There is not a litmus test litmus test n. A test for chemical acidity or basicity using litmus paper. ,'' said Stuart Deveaux, the communications director for the California Republican Party. ``We're still united under one banner.'' New recruits The stakes are high for November 2000 races in Burbank and Glendale because the local Senate seat and the two Assembly seats are expected to be wide open. The Democrats who swept into office in 1996 are now getting ambitious for higher offices. State Sen. Adam Schiff
Adam B. Schiff (born June 20 1960) is an American politician. He first served in the California State Senate. , D-Pasadena, is giving up his post to challenge U.S. Rep. James Rogan, R-Pasadena, in the 27th Congressional District Noun 1. congressional district - a territorial division of a state; entitled to elect one member to the United States House of Representatives district, territorial dominion, territory, dominion - a region marked off for administrative or other purposes . Assemblymen Scott Wildman Scott Wildman was a California State Assemblyman from 1996 until 2000. That year, he lost a State Senate primary to Dr. Jack Scott, an Assemblyman from a neighboring district. Wildman received 46.7% of the vote. , D-Glendale, and Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, are expected to give up their seats to face each other in the March 2000 primary for Schiff's Senate seat. The promotion is attractive to both assemblymen because term limits will put them out of office in 2002. Among those being courted to run for local Assembly seats in the November 2000 election are Alice Petrossian, an assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. at the Glendale Unified School District The Glendale Unified School District is a school district based in Glendale, California, United States. The school district serves the city of Glendale, portions of the city of La Cañada and the unincorporated communities of Montrose and La Crescenta. and a high-profile leader in the Armenian-American community. She calls herself a moderate and said she has been contacted by about 100 local Republicans urging her to run for the 43rd District Assembly seat now held by Wildman. ``In the past, there wasn't much interest in having women run. I'm very honored that I'm one of the women they are looking at,'' said Petrossian, who was appointed to various statewide education commissions by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown For the whistleblower, see . Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. (born April 7, 1938), is the Attorney General for the state of California. Brown has had a lengthy political career spanning terms on the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees (1969-1971), as California and Republican Gov. Pete Wilson For others named Pete Wilson, see . Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California. Wilson served as the thirty-sixth Governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that . Petrossian said she will take her time about making up her mind, despite pressure to make a decision quickly. While some are concerned that conservatives are resisting a move toward the center, Petrossian said she thinks there is critical change occurring. ``There hasn't been a conservative out there who hasn't been refreshing to me,'' Petrossian said. Pasadena Councilwoman Villicana just lost her bid to become that city's first elected mayor and is deciding whether to run for Scott's seat. ``We need to focus on things people care about,'' Villicana said. ``I absolutely think abortion has got to get out of the Republican ticket.'' Other moderate Republicans who are considering runs are Burbank Councilman Bill Wiggins William David Wiggin (born June 4, 1966) is a British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries. He has held the seat of Leominster since the 2001 election. and lawyer Craig Missakian, both thinking about the Senate or Wildman's seat in the Assembly. ``In order for Republicans to win in this area, we have to recognize that the district has changed dramatically, and it's no longer a seat Republicans can win by just putting their name on the ballot,'' Missakian said. Glendale police Lt. Don Merideth said he will make a decision by July 10 on whether he will run for Wildman's or Schiff's seat. He has been with the Glendale Police Department for 27 years. Then there's the wild card candidate: Susan Carpenter-McMillan, a San Marino San Marino, city, United States San Marino (săn mərē`nō), residential city (1990 pop. 12,959), Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1913. Of interest is the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. resident who came to national prominence as spokeswoman for Paula Jones
Paula Corbin Jones (born Paula Rosalee Corbin , a former state of Arkansas employee who sued President Clinton for sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. . Carpenter-McMillan is considering running for Schiff's Senate seat or Scott's seat in the Assembly. A high profile, anti-abortion activist, Carpenter-McMillan said she is conservative on abortion but liberal on other issues. ``I think it's important that women and minorities become visible in the Republican Party,'' Carpenter-McMillan said. ``We've had just about as much as we can take with testosterone testosterone (tĕstŏs`tərōn), principal androgen, or male sex hormone. One of the group of compounds known as anabolic steroids, testosterone is secreted by the testes (see testis) but is also synthesized in small quantities in the problems with both Democrats and Republicans.'' With 80 percent of the country now supporting first-trimester abortion, Carpenter-McMillan said she doubts her anti-abortion stance will be a hindrance hin·drance n. 1. a. The act of hindering. b. The condition of being hindered. 2. One that hinders; an impediment. See Synonyms at obstacle. . ``There is nothing an Assembly person or senator can do about it,'' McMillan said. ``I don't think abortion is going to be an issue in this campaign.'' Money and moderates While some moderate Republicans fear they will be abandoned by the state's party leadership, conservative Republicans said centrist candidates who win will be supported even if they do not agree with the most controversial parts of the state platform. ``It simply doesn't matter. Republican Party nominees who demonstrate a winning style will always receive the necessary funding,'' Riley said. The two Assembly seats and the Senate seat are top targets for the Republicans, and it's important for them to get organized, Riley said. ``We're finding out who is going to carry the flag. Let's settle the differences we have so we can concentrate on beating the Democrats,'' he said. ``The sooner we can get that done, the better.'' Elliot Graham, president of the Burbank-Glendale Republican Assembly, said he is a conservative Republican but recognizes that the party needs to run a moderate to win locally. In addition, the party needs to expand its corps of volunteers. Volunteers were the reason Republicans enjoyed victories here for decades, Graham said. ``It used to be a lot of fun to be a Republican in this district. The Democrats didn't have a chance,'' Graham said. GOP losses Conservative white men - local political giants like former state Sen. Newt Russell, former Assemblyman as·sem·bly·man n. A man who is a member of a legislative assembly. assemblyman Noun pl -men a member of a legislative assembly Noun 1. Pat Nolan Patrick J. Nolan (born 1950) is an American lawyer, politician, and activist. Nolan began his career as a conservative activist. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California. and former Rep. Carlos Moorhead Carlos John Moorhead (born May 6, 1922) was a United States Congressman from California. Born in Long Beach, he attended the public schools of Glendale and earned a B.A. from the UCLA and a J.D. from the USC School of Law in 1949. - traditionally dominated Republicanism in the Burbank-Glendale area. Now only two conservative Republicans from the area remain in county, state or federal offices: Rogan and county Supervisor Michael Antonovich. In 1996, buoyed by the retirements of Russell and Moorhead and a new advantage in voter registration Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens to check in with some central registry before being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive. Centralized/compulsory vs. , Democrats won in the area's state Senate and Assembly districts by running centrist campaigns. Republicans lost for a variety of reasons. ``As a party, especially in this area, we have neglected to do our homework as far as our candidates are concerned,'' Corradi said. ``People are apathetic ap·a·thet·ic adj. Lacking interest or concern; indifferent. ap  a·thet , and I can understand why.'' Schiff defeated former Assemblywoman as·sem·bly·wom·an n. A woman who is a member of a legislative assembly. Noun 1. assemblywoman - a woman assemblyman representative - a person who represents others Paula Boland, a conservative who moved from Granada Hills to run. Wildman inched past Republican outsider John Geranios, who knocked well-known local Republicans out of race by spending $450,000 of his own money to win the primary. Geranios ran as a moderate, but was abandoned by local hard-line conservatives in the homestretch home·stretch n. 1. The portion of a racetrack from the last turn to the finish line. 2. Informal The final stages of an undertaking. Noun 1. at the same time Democrats dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into Wildman's campaign. Scott defeated former Republican Assemblyman Bill Hoge. Rogan has been the sole Republican survivor in recent races. But in 1998, he won by just 50.7 percent of the vote. Schiff is expected to be a tough opponent in 2000, and the race is being targeted by both Democrats and Republicans nationwide. Wildman won re-election in 1998, easily disposing of Republican challenger Peter Repovich, a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police officer. Many local Republicans stopped supporting Repovich after it was disclosed during the campaign that he had once been suspended from his job after a police board of rights found him guilty of sexual harassment. Ara Bedrossian, a member of the National Organization of Republican Armenians, said the shift to the center is not yet complete in Burbank and Glendale, but recruiting moderate candidates is part of that process. ``The establishment has to realize they have to change. I don't think they understand that,'' Bedrossian said. ``The conservative trend has gone into a downfall. The status quo [Latin, The existing state of things at any given date.] Status quo ante bellum means the state of things before the war. The status quo to be preserved by a preliminary injunction is the last actual, peaceable, uncontested status which preceded the pending controversy. needs change.'' 21st STATE SENATE DISTRICT Historical registration in the Senate district, which includes both Assembly districts covering Glendale and Burbank. Feb 1987 Dem - 120,351 Repub. - 190,691 Total - 340,048 May 1992 Dem - 141,176 Repub - 149,635 Total - 330,649 May 1999 Dem - 172,405 Repub - 139,756 Total - 381,399 CAPTION(S): Chart Chart: 21st STATE SENATE DISTRICT (See text) |
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