Bustamante is first Hispanic elected to statewide office this century

Bustamante is first Hispanic elected to statewide office this century

By MICHELLE LOCKE Associated Press Writer, NOVEMBER 4, 1998

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Declaring he was ``standing on my grandparents' shoulders,'' third-generation Mexican-American Cruz Bustamante became the first Hispanic elected to statewide office this century by winning the state's No. 2 post.

In other ``down ticket'' races, state Sen. Bill Lockyer won a hotly contested race for attorney general and wealthy developer Phil Angelides was elected treasurer. Gloria Matta Tuchman, a first-grade teacher and bilingual education foe backed by a cadre of conservative multimillionaires, lost to incumbent state school's chief Delaine Eastin.

The race for secretary of state was neck and neck early today.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Republican incumbent Bill Jones held a slim lead over Michela Alioto, granddaughter of longtime San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto, with 3,302,946 votes to 3,259,223, or 47 percent to 46 percent.

In the lieutenant governor's race, Bustamante defeated Republican state Sen. Tim Leslie 3,779,298 to 2,755,528, or 53 percent to 39 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

``I am very, very proud today to break a 120-year barrier in the state of California and look forward to a time when Latinos getting elected statewide will be a very common occurrence,'' Bustamante told about 200 cheering supporters in Fresno on Tuesday night.

He took a breath to compose himself as he talked about his immigrant roots.

``I'm standing on my grandparents' shoulders,'' he said.

Bustamante, a Democrat, was the first Hispanic elected to statewide office since Romualdo Pacheco was elected lieutenant governor in 1871. With Democrat Gray Davis winning as governor, this was the first time in 20 years that California's governor and lieutenant governor are from the same party.

A Fresno assemblyman forced out by term limits, Bustamante said he wanted to use the office to get involved in education and trade.

In the attorney general's race, Lockyer, D-Hayward, defeated Republican Dave Stirling, 3,635,441 to 2,959,025 or 52 percent to 42 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

Lockyer campaigned on a platform of gun control. Stirling, a former assemblyman and chief deputy to Attorney General Dan Lungren, opposed gun control, advocating instead tougher penalties against criminals who use guns.

The treasurer's race had matched two men - Angelides and Republican assemblyman Curt Pringle - haunted by their political pasts.

Pringle had been endorsed by Angelides' two Democratic rivals from the June primary. He also had a fund-raiser hosted by the wife of David Roberti, the former state Senate leader who lost the 1994 Democratic nomination for treasurer to Angelides in a nasty primary fight.

Pringle's history included a $400,000 fine he and other Republicans had to pay to settle a lawsuit brought by five Hispanic voters who charged that security guards posted at polling sites in Hispanic districts by the Orange County Republican Central Committee in 1988 intimidated voters. Pringle denied having any role in placing the guards.

Angelides defeated Pringle 3,671,745 to 2,756,681 votes, or 53 percent to 40 percent.

Incumbent Controller Kathleen Connell, a Democrat, won re-election. She defeated Republican Ruben Barrales by 4,284,409 to 2,318,527, or 61 percent to 33 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

Incumbent Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, a Republican, also stayed in office. He defeated challenger Diane Martinez with 3,502,262 votes to 3,105,081 or 50 percent to 44 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

Quackenbush dedicated his campaign to his father, who died in the past year. He promised to improve the economic environment and said he thinks ``we can bring prices down 10 percent,'' for insurance rates.

In the race for schools chief, Eastin defeated Matta Tuchman by 3,322,811 votes to 2,888,752, or 53 percent to 47 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

The nonpartisan race made headlines after a small group of multimillionaires backed the candidacy of Republican Matta Tuchman over Democrat Eastin, a former assemblywoman seeking her second, four-year term.

Charges of gay-baiting also flew after Matta Tuchman underscored Eastin's support from gays.

Matta Tuchman rose to prominence as co-author of Proposition 227, the measure that sought to ban bilingual education. Supporters included computer heir David Packard, whose late-campaign contribution of $500,000 was believed to be the highest ever to a bottom of the ticket race.