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Democrat Davis wins heralded California governorship
(AllPolitics, November 3) -- In the nation's highest-stakes governor's race, Democrat Gray Davis upended his Republican rival, Dan Lungren, to earn California's top spot. Gray's victory also determines which party will redraw California's political maps in the nation's most populous state. And how those lines are drawn could tilt control of the U.S. Congress in the new millennium. Lungren needed to win to give the GOP a voice in redistricting California's large block of congressional seats after the 2000 election, because Democrats control both houses of the California Legislature. In the final weeks of his campaign, he got $1.6 million from the Republican National Committee. Both Davis and Lungren are career California politicians. Davis, the state's lieutenant governor, and Lungren, its attorney general, wanted to succeed Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, who is barred from seeking a third term. Five other gubernatorial candidates were all but invisible because they got very little media coverage. Davis backs tough government regulations to protect air, water and other resources and control coastal development. Lungren has said many environmental laws hurt the state's economy, so he advocated flexibility and business-friendly incentives. Every major environmental advocacy group endorsed Davis. Oil companies, developers, farm groups, aerospace firms, timber companies and other influential businesses supported Lungren. The low-key Davis pulled off an upset when he defeated heavily funded millionaire businessman Al Checchi in the primary. He went on to quickly build up a fund-raising advantage and a steady lead in the polls of between six and eight percentage points. 'Boring is back!'
"Boring is back! Boring might even be beautiful!" crowed Davis, during a campaign appearance with Vice President Al Gore. On the campaign trial, Davis focused on education, saying it was his priority to restore California schools to greatness. He has passionately supported legal abortion. But his conservative views on other issues moderated his image as a diehard liberal who for years worked for Jerry Brown. Former GOP Congressman Lungren was once hailed as "The Great Right Hope." He ran on a remain-tough-on-crime platform, even though he has been criticized for failing to vigorously enforce California's assault weapons ban. He also is opposed to legal abortions and supported less government and fewer taxes. Davis wasn't shy about letting Californians know about his service with the Army during the Vietnam War, particularly since his Republican opponent had no such record. Lungren insisted he was ready to serve if called. "I supported the war. I supported the effort to limit the expansion of Communism," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. But for reasons Lungren professes not to know, he was ruled unfit. Both major candidates tried to navigate California's ethnically diverse electorate. Both tailored their message and ran Spanish-language TV spots. Lungren tried to overcome the GOP's sometimes prickly relationship with Hispanic voters by touting his Catholic upbringing and pointing to the Monica Lewinsky scandal as a character issue. Money pours inBusiness interests poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Lungren's campaign in the last weeks of the race. The money came primarily from insurance, financial services, agricultural and real estate companies. From Hollywood, the Walt Disney Co. gave each candidate $25,000, and Lungren got $1,000 from actor Tom Selleck. Davis did far better in Hollywood, getting $25,000 from Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Ovitz, $300 from Richard Dreyfuss, $500 from James Garner and $100 from Sally Kirkland. Davis also got contributions from lawyers and unions. The California Teachers Association alone poured nearly $600,000 into Davis' campaign through October 17, providing more fuel for Lungren's frequent charge that Davis is beholden to the union. CTA chipped in another $10,000 this week. Both candidates spent much of their money on TV advertising. The Lungren campaign got a total of $680,000 from state and national Republican Party committees through this week. The Associated Press contributed to this report. OVERVIEW:
• Offices where party control switched • Dems poured big bucks into final get-out-the-vote drive • Turnout approaches 38 percent • Minorities see ups, downs in results • Clinton happy with midterm election results • How voters see Lewinsky scandal SENATE RACES:
• Schumer topples D'Amato in New York Senate race • Edwards unseats Faircloth in tight North Carolina race • Moseley-Braun loses to Republican Fitzgerald • Democratic Boxer wins fight for Senate seat • Washington's Murray heads back to the Senate • Incumbent Hollings wins close race in South Carolina • Bunning ekes out win against Baesler • Reid defends Democratic Senate seat in Nevada • Coverdell outdistances Democratic Senate opponent • Campbell wins Colorado • Lincoln defeats Boozman, Dems retain Arkansas Senate seat • Gov. Voinovich wins Senate race in Ohio, defeats Democrat Boyle • Democrat Bayh easily defeats Helmke in Indiana • Analysis: Moderation sweeps the Senate HOUSE RACES:
• Democrat Inslee bests incumbent White for Washington House seat • Affair doesn't dampen support for Idaho's Chenoweth • Democrats hold on to Colorado's 2nd district • Sanchez trumps Dornan again in California House race • Udall wins Redmond's New Mexico House seat • Tradeoff in the bluegrass: Parties switch Kentucky House seats • Familiar faces still around the House • Baldwin breaks barrier, becomes first openly lesbian House member • Second time the charm for Hoeffel in Pennsylvania House race • Berkley takes Las Vegas House seat for Democrats • Open Mississippi House seat goes to Democrat Shows • House leader Bonior fends off GOP challenge in Michigan • Snowbarger's Kansas district picked up by Democrat Moore • Green pulls Republican upset in Wisconsin • Simpson keeps Idaho's 2nd district in GOP hands • Toomey takes Pennsylvania's 15th District for GOP • Democrats to make historic gains in House • Republican Sherwood wins open seat in Pennsylvania's 10th House district • Hawaii rehires Abercrombie in House race • Swing Connecticut district chooses Democrat Maloney again • Republican Ryan beats Spottswood in Wisconsin's 1st district • Illinois Rep. Evans bests Baker in closely watched contest • Republican Baker fends off tough challenge in Louisiana House race • Iowa's Boswell fends off Republican n House race • Chabot holds off Democratic challenge • Strickland retains Ohio's 6th district • Bellwether Kentucky, Indiana House races split GOVERNORS' RACES:
• Owens first GOP Colorado governor in more than two decades • Moderates inherit the governor's mansions • Former wrestler takes stunning win in Minnesota • Guinn edges Democrat rival to pick up Nevada • Knowles wins rare 2nd term in Alaska • GOP Geringer keeps Wyoming • Easy victory for Oregon Gov. Kitzhaber • Ryan picks up Illinois governorship • Democrat Davis wins heralded California governorship • Cellucci stays as Massachusetts governor • Conservative Johanns wins Nebraska governorship • Gov. Ridge wins big in Pennsylvania • Kempthorne wins landslide in Idaho • Democrat wins Iowa for first time in 30 years • Thompson wins record 4th term in Wisconsin • Taft wins close governor race in Ohio • Keating remains Oklahoma governor • GOP Gov. Janklow keeps South Dakota seat • New Mexico Gov. Johnson retains post • GOP Gov. Almond keeps Rhode Island seat • Gov. Engler easily wins re-election in Michigan • Barnes edges GOP rival for Georgia's top spot • Gov. Huckabee wins re-election in Arkansas • Arizona GOP Hull stays in office • Independent King keeps Maine seat • Kansas Gov. Graves easily wins re-election • Rowland wins re-election in Connecticut • Glendening retains office in Maryland • Siegelmen unseats incumbent James in Alabama • Sundquist stays as Tennessee governor • Texas Gov. George W. Bush wins in landslide • Hodges wins South Carolina governor race • Dean easily keeps Vermont governor seat • Jeb Bush wins big in Florida • Democrat Shaheen retains New Hampshire seat, gets third of GOP vote BALLOT RACES:
• Prop. 3 failure places California presidential primary in limbo • Medical marijuana popular at polls • Anti-affirmative action ballot measure • Washington state voters tie minimum wage to inflation • California OKs Indian gambling expansion • South Carolina removes ban on interracial marriage • Michigan voters soundly reject physician-assisted suicide • Plan to boost Calif. cigarette tax too close to call | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
