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A man with a low profile on Capitol Hill, the seven-term Martinez remains the favorite in this Democratic district--despite a House Commerce Committee investigation into a government contract Martinez helped a minority construction company win. If his mostly Democratic constituents believe he was trying to help them, it's the kind of problem that might not hurt.
THE ISSUES
Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "[I]n a time when we are trying to promote independence and self-sufficiency rather than reliance on the public dole, raising the minimum wage makes sense."
LARRY ARDITO (R) District 32 (West Los Angeles; Culver City)
BORN: Dec. 23, 1953, Newport, R.I. EDUCATION: Grahm Junior College, A.A., 1975 FAMILY: Wife, Conchita RELIGION: Christian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Institutional foodservice sales POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 5503, Culver City 90231. Tel.: 310-839-2125
Ardito is challenging a long-term incumbent, which is exactly the point of his campaign: he calls Julian Dixon a "dinosaur who doesn't know he's extinct." Ardito would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act and term limits; he would also vote for a law prohibiting desecration of the American flag. He opposes abortion except when the woman's life is in danger and advocates the death penalty. But in a district with a mere 13% Republican registration Ardito may be preaching to the unconvertible.
THE ISSUES
Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "[Running for Congress] is something in life that you really think you ought to do...to give something back to [your country] and show that you are willing to serve."
JULIAN DIXON (D) District 32
BORN: Aug. 8, 1934, Washington EDUCATION: California State U, Los Angeles, B.S., 1962; SOUTHWESTERN U, LL.B., 1967 FAMILY: Wife, Betty; one child RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: Army, 1957-60 OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly, 1973-78; U.S. House, 1978- ADDRESS: 1581 Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles 90035. Tel.: 213-678-5424
Dixon has earned a reputation as a solid, fair-minded legislator with an extremely liberal voting record--a popular history in this Democratic district. But he is best known for his many years of work on the District of Columbia subcommittee, from which he has tried (with limited success) to steer the capital toward workable home rule.
THE ISSUES
Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "Yes, we have a problem with illegal immigration. But punishing children not legally in this country through no fault of their own, while placing on our public-education system the burden of defining who is and is not legal, is a misguided attempt at solving that problem."
JOHN LEONARD (R) District 33 (East Central Los Angeles)