RIORDAN, SIMON IN GOP SHOWDOWN.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

In a final flurry of campaigning Monday, candidates for governor, state and local offices staged rallies, walked precincts and ran their last television commercials for today's primary election.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the state's 15.3 million voters, of which only 36 percent are expected to turn out despite the hard- fought Republican campaign for governor.

In Los Angeles, most interest is focused on the runoff election for the east San Fernando Valley City Council seat between Wendy Greuel and Tony Cardenas and the fate of Proposition Q, a $600 million bond issue for police and fire facilities. Officials said they would not make any predictions on how the state's most populous county - with 4.1 million voters - will turn out at the polls. Los Angeles also has 1.14 million of the state's 5.3 million Republicans.

``We could be looking at our worst turnout in history - and that was 35 percent in the 1994 gubernatorial primary,'' said Shad Balch, a spokesman for the Secretary of State's Office.

Balch said the office does not make predictions for separate political parties, but looks at the overall figure.

``We think there are a combination of factors this year,'' Balch said. ``It's an early primary and people haven't really focused on the election. We had a late Super Bowl and the Olympics and there are the events of Sept. 11. People just aren't looking to the election.''

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who saw his once overwhelming lead vanish in the campaign's closing weeks, staged a rally Monday at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

At the same time, the new leader in polls, businessman Bill Simon Jr., held a rally at Phillipe's Restaurant - the self-proclaimed home of the original French dip sandwich - in downtown Los Angeles before traveling to events in San Diego.

Secretary of State Bill Jones, the highest-ranking Republican in the state, spent his final day in rallies with one final event planned for today in his home county of Fresno.

It has been an unusual campaign in that the candidate who spent the most to influence the Republican primary is Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, with some $9 million going for television commercials - most of it directed at criticism of Riordan, considered the most moderate of the three GOP contenders.

Riordan has made a pitch in recent days to those ``decline to state'' voters - independents who are not members of any political party - and are able to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

Nominees for all of the statewide offices are to be decided today as well - lieutenant governor, attorney general, controller, secretary of state, insurance commissioner and state superintendent of public instruction.

Most interest has focused on the comeback attempts of two Democrats - March Fong Eu, 79, for secretary of state and John Garamendi for insurance commissioner, even though both face crowded fields.

Among ballot measures, the most controversial has been Proposition 45, which seeks to change the state's term-limit law by allowing incumbents to run for an additional four years if they collect petitions from 20 percent of those who voted in the most recent election.

In Los Angeles County - where officials have been exempt from term limits - there are a pair of proposals on the ballot to impose limits of three four-year terms. One measure, Proposition A, would apply to all county elected officials. Proposition B would apply only to the five-member Board of Supervisors.

Voters also will decide the fate of all the members of the state Assembly and half of the state Senate.

Locally, the race that has drawn the most interest has been that in the 40th Assembly District based in Van Nuys and being vacated by former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg due to term limits.

It has been a hard fought and increasingly negative campaign between Hertzberg aide Andrei Cherny and legislative aide Lloyd Levine, the son of political consultant Larry Levine.

Also to be determined is the 2nd District seat in the City Council, empty since last October with the resignation of Councilman Joel Wachs.

Assemblyman Tony Cardenas, D-Mission Hills, nearly won in a December primary election but is facing a tough runoff contest from entertainment executive Wendy Greuel. Cardenas has the support of council President Alex Padilla, but Greuel has picked up support from several other council members.

There also have been questions raised over Proposition Q, a $600 million police and fire public safety measure put before Los Angeles city voters. It would rebuild a number of police stations and construct new facilities. However, it needs two-thirds voter support to be successful.

Also, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is up for re-election and facing a challenge from two deputies. Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky also are on the ballot. Molina faces one challenger while Yaroslavsky is unopposed.

Assessor Rick Auerbach is seeking a second term against three challengers.

In neighboring Ventura County, a furious campaign has been under way as two county prosecutors seek the job being vacated by District Attorney Michael D. Bradbury, who is stepping down.

Also in Ventura County, Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Linda Parks and businessman Randy Hoffman are battling to become 2nd District supervisor, replacing Frank Schillo who is stepping down. Incumbent 4th District Supervisor Judy Mikels of Simi Valley is opposed by John Lane of Moorpark.

VOTER INFORMATION

More than 4.1 million registered voters are eligible to vote today in Los Angeles County, with 385,140 registered in Ventura County.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and there are several ways to determine your voting location:

--See the address printed on the back cover of the sample ballot booklet you received in the mail.

--Call the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's Office at [phone].

--Go online and access the Registrar-Recorder's home page, www.lavote.net, to look up your polling place, view the sample ballot and get other voter information. Voters who do not have access to the Internet can visit their nearest public library, as most now have access to the Web.

--For the Ventura County Registrar-Recorder's Office, phone [phone]. For election returns, visit www.ventura.org/election/elecidx.htm.

You can follow election results tonight and get other election-related information at www.dailynews.com.

The Secretary of State's Office has established a 24-hour, toll-free line to take requests for voter registration and to report incidents of fraud or election misconduct. Call (800) 345-VOTE.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon, above, greets patrons at Phillipe's Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles during a campaign stop Monday. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, at left, gets a high-five from Bryan Brennan, 5, following a breakfast for supporters in Sacramento.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

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VOTER INFORMATION (see text)