Press Telegram

 

Karnette wins the 54th

Alan Lowenthal takes 27th Senate District

By Jason Gewirtz
Staff writer

November 4, 2004

LONG BEACH— This time, it wasn't close.

State Sen. Betty Karnette avenged her loss 10 years ago to Republican businessman Steve Kuykendall, soundly defeating him Tuesday in a closely watched race for the 54th Assembly District.

Karnette, a Democrat who faced term limits in the Senate, took the Assembly seat with 53 percent of the vote.

Karnette could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but at her campaign party late Tuesday, she said interest in the top of the Democratic ticket was a benefit.

"I do think that young people got engaged, and I feel I connect with young people," she said.

In 1994, Kuykendall edged Karnette by less than 600 votes in the U-shaped district that includes Long Beach, Signal Hill, Catalina Island, San Pedro and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Karnette, a Long Beach resident, won Tuesday by more than 12,000 votes.

Early returns, including absentee ballots, showed Kuykendall keeping the race close. But results from the final precincts in Long Beach Karnette's stronghold put the senator solidly on top.

Kuykendall said it was too soon to tell where his campaign went wrong. His advertisements and mailers gave prominent play to his endorsement from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the governor's only appearance with Kuykendall came Monday at a rally for proposition issues and several candidates well outside of the district in Marina del Rey.

"It would have been great to have him more," Kuykendall said, "but there wasn't more of him to give."

Jay Day, Karnette's campaign manager, said her candidate's campaign issues, which included education and health care, resonated better with voters. Kuykendall, who challenged Karnette's votes on immigration issues in campaign pieces, didn't connect as well, Day said.

"Steve's only message was illegals, and Arnold endorsed me and that was it," Day said.

Kuykendall's loss was also felt by the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, which recruited the former Rancho Palos Verdes mayor for the campaign after conducting a poll on potential candidates. The 54th District race was the first time the chamber endorsed and campaigned for a candidate in a state race.

Randy Gordon, the chamber's president and CEO, said he was disappointed that the state Republican Party didn't put more money into the race. The Democratic Party spent significantly more on Karnette's side.

Gordon said the chamber would regroup and look for another candidate in two years.

"Common sense would tell you if the party and labor together spent $3 million to get you elected, how do you think she's going to vote on party and labor issues?' Gordon said.

Because she served one term in the seat from 1992 to 1994, Karnette would only be eligible to seek re-election to the Assembly in 2006.