ELECTIONS ’88 : Orange County : Littlefair Leans on Growth Issue, Reagan Ties

For weeks, former White House advance man Andrew J. Littlefair has left little doubt about who his chief target is in the 42nd Congressional District race.

Referring to a recall effort still in its early stages, he asked in a mailer sent out earlier this month: “Why are thousands of Orange County residents recalling Supervisor Harriett Wieder?” It went on to accuse her of receiving more than $160,000 from developers since 1980 and of consistently voting in favor of development projects.

“If you’re tired of developers representing you . . . take a look at Andrew Littlefair,” the mailer said.

One of eight Republicans on the June 7 primary ballot in the 42nd District, Littlefair was the first to grasp the explosive potential of the slow-growth issue. Seizing the opportunity, he has capitalized on the issue both by strongly supporting Orange County’s slow-growth initiative and by concentrating his fire on Wieder. And he hasn’t limited his attacks to mailers.

At a recent campaign forum in Huntington Beach, Littlefair, of Torrance, said growth, traffic and overdevelopment are the most important issues in the 42nd District, which straddles the border between Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Last month he appeared at an Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting and accused Wieder of being pro-development and overseeing “the Los Angeles-ization of Orange County.”

For her part, Wieder has not taken the abuse lying down. At a candidates forum an hour after Littlefair’s appearance at the supervisors meeting, Wieder, 67, told him, “You made a fool of yourself.” She suggested that Littlefair, who is 40 years younger, should “grow up.”

On other occasions, Wieder has mocked Littlefair’s role as a White House advance man. “What did he do--sharpen pencils for the President?” she asked.

Not to be outdone by former White House speech writer Dana Rohrabacher, also a candidate for the GOP nomination in the 42nd District, Littlefair is staking his claim to the Republican nomination in large part on his five years of service to President Reagan. Even his campaign mailer attacking Wieder contains two pictures of Littlefair and the President at the White House.

In an interview, Littlefair said the real issue before the voters is leadership, and he wondered aloud of Wieder, “Why in the world would we want to send her to Washington?”

His campaign headquarters on busy Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance is filled with mementoes of presidential trips to Switzerland, Iceland, Belgium and Grenada that he helped arrange.

Although neither Reagan aide in the race has been endorsed by the President, all of Littlefair’s campaign mailings emphasize the Reagan connection and feature pictures of him conferring with Reagan.

“The President is neutral in the race,” said White House political director Frank Lavin. “You are not going to see a presidential endorsement between Rohrabacher and Littlefair.”

Unlike the more conservative Rohrabacher, the tall, preppie, 27-year-old Littlefair represents the more moderate elements in the Reagan Administration.

Ex-Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan and former White House political director Edward J. Rollins are promoting Littlefair’s candidacy and helping to raise money for his campaign.

Regan said in a statement that “I know Andrew well. I’ve worked with him and am confident of his abilities. . . . He understands the political process and is an outstanding example of the kind of young person needed in Washington. The district couldn’t be better represented.”

Rollins said Littlefair has maintained “better ties” than Rohrabacher to his home area and is “more compatible with the district.”

Littlefair’s congressional bid--his first for elective office--has been given a big financial boost by his most recent boss, Texas oilman and corporate takeover artist T. Boone Pickens.

Altogether, Pickens, his political action committee and associates have contributed at least $11,000 of the more than $167,000 Littlefair had raised as of May 18.

En route to a fund-raiser earlier this month at the Beverly Hills home of home builder Ray Watt, Pickens offered an unabashed endorsement of Littlefair’s candidacy. “Andrew would be in the top 10% of the Congress,” Pickens said. “He’s bright, he’s young, he’s energetic, he’s been around. He’s a moxie guy. He’d be a good asset.”

After leaving his post as staff assistant to the President last August, Littlefair spent five months as an executive assistant to Pickens in Amarillo, Tex., before returning to California in January to run for the seat being given up by Rep. Daniel E. Lungren (R-Long Beach). On the ballot, Littlefair is listed as a “corporate executive.”

Despite his youth and absence of experience in elective office, Littlefair insists that he has the maturity to be a member of Congress.

He points to his tenure as Student Senate president at USC, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1983 and won the university’s service award for a graduating senior.

After graduating, he joined the Reagan Administration and then the 1984 presidential campaign staff, assisting in arranging campaign events and presidential travel.

Those who knew him in the White House speak well of Littlefair.

Even a Reagan speech writer and Rohrabacher supporter had good things to say about Littlefair, describing him as “an extremely competent, good-natured young man, earnest and hard-working.”

Littlefair supporter James Lake, who was Reagan campaign spokesman in 1980 and 1984, said the candidate has the “instincts, judgment and maturity” to be a congressman and is respected for his energy, thoroughness and grasp of problems. “He gets high marks, is well-regarded and gets the job done,” Lake said.

Privately, another Reagan aide said Littlefair’s age is “probably his biggest downside” although he is “very mature and professional to the core.”

Littlefair, who is partial to monogrammed shirts, says he is a conservative Republican, although his political experience has been with more moderate Republicans, including former Assemblywoman Marilyn Ryan (R-Rancho Palos Verdes) and Torrance Mayor Katy Geissert, who has endorsed his candidacy.

He says the federal budget deficit must be addressed but has offered few specific areas to cut government spending, other than ending subsidies for the tobacco and dairy industries.

“I don’t think that the first response is to raise taxes,” he said. “I don’t buy that we’ve cut as much as we can.”

Littlefair said he believes that the federal government should play “a role in providing for some people who can’t provide for themselves.” He supports help for the homeless, expanded research to combat the AIDS epidemic and protection of Social Security benefits for seniors.

In a congressional district heavily dependent on defense spending, Littlefair favors the President’s defense buildup but wants to ensure that defense spending is well-planned and efficient.

And on trade, another key economic issue, he favors getting “tough with our trading partners” but says that placing tariffs and restrictions on other countries is “not going to create a healthy business environment here.”

“Ronald Reagan is a conservative with conservative principles who works within the system and is pragmatic,” Littlefair said. “I’m a conservative that knows you have to be pragmatic.”

ANDREW J. LITTLEFAIR

Office sought: 42nd Congressional District representative. The district includes Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Cypress, La Palma and parts of Huntington Beach, Westminster and Garden Grove in Orange County, as well as the Palos Verdes area, Signal Hill and parts of Long Beach and Torrance in Los Angeles County.

Occupation: Corporate executive.

Party Affiliation: Republican.

Age: 27

Residence: Torrance

Public office previously held: Republican Party Central Committee, 1980-82.