DEMOCRATS BACK ANGELIDES CONVENTION ENDORSES TREASURER OVER WESTLY AGAINST SCHWARZENEGGER.

Byline: HARRISON SHEPPARD Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - State Treasurer Phil Angelides won the Democratic Party's official endorsement for governor, besting his main party rival, Controller Steve Westly, and giving a boost to his flagging campaign to unseat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Angelides has been trailing in polling leading up to the state Democratic convention, so the endorsement comes at a critical time.

"This weekend was really the start of the playoffs," Angelides said. "A lot of teams make it through the regular season, but who wins is determined in the playoff season."

With six weeks left before the primary election, convention delegates voted 67 percent to 28 percent for Angelides after listening to their party hopefuls trade light barbs over who can best unseat the Republican governor.

Angelides said Westly has been an "Arnold lite," standing with Schwarzenegger in the early part of his term even as Angelides was opposing him on nearly every issue. Angelides presented himself as the true Democrat who will fight global warming, lower college tuition, expand health care and close corporate tax loopholes.

Westly said he has been active in the party for more than 25 years, and would also fight for Democratic principles like increasing the minimum wage, supporting gay marriage, and stopping new offshore drilling.

Westly also called for Angelides to agree to run a "clean" campaign, saying the party needs to unite in opposing Schwarzenegger.

"Whatever happens on June 6, we are still one party, we are still Democrats and we still need to beat the governor this November," Westly said. "That's why I've signed a positive campaign pledge, because I want to focus on beating Arnold, not beating up each other."

But Angelides said he had no problem drawing legitimate contrasts on the issues between himself and his rival.

"If Steve Westly thinks he can buy his way into the governorship without any discussion of his record, he's wrong," Angelides said. "In the coming weeks I'm going to talk about where I want to take this state. And I will draw what are real contrasts between where we stand on the issues. That's what campaigns are about."

Angelides told party delegates that he has been the one to stand up to the governor from Day One, while Westly supported Schwarzenegger on the Proposition 57 economic recovery bond, and at one point said he would not oppose Schwarzenegger's re-election.

But Westly said he never said Schwarzenegger should be re-elected. When he supported Proposition 57, he said, it had bipartisan support, including from party leaders who are now part of the Angelides campaign, such as Sen. Barbara Boxer and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu ez, D-Los Angeles.

Polls show Westly widening his lead over Angelides, propelled by his ability to reach into his own deep pockets to fund his campaign.

As the Democrats campaign against each other, Republicans are standing on the sidelines watching, careful not to express a preference for either candidate, but voicing equal disdain for both.

"They talk about a laundry list of new programs, with no indication of how they're going to pay for it," said California Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim.

Sundheim, who watched the speeches on the Internet, said Westly went "out of his way to try to tie himself to the party apparatus" during the convention, even as he runs ads proclaiming himself a "different kind of governor."

Angelides, he said, has not defined himself well, except for supporting an increase in taxes on the wealthy.

A number of delegates in interviews said even though they have decided to support one candidate, they believe either man would be good party nominees.

Adrienne Burk, a delegate from Studio City, said she was undecided for a long time, but decided to support Angelides about two weeks ago after meeting both candidates at various events.

"To me he's genuine," Burk said. "I've made a point of talking to both candidates, and seeing them speak a number of times. He is the true progressive, absolutely."

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com

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