A GUIDE TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RACES: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA

Population (1994): 31,431,000 (up 5.6% from 1990), 12% of U.S. total

Voting-age population: 23,225,000; 1994 turnout, 34%

Median age: 31.5 years

Median household income: $35,331 ($3,067 above U.S. median)

Unemployment: 7.6% (2.0% above U.S average, March 1996)

Last presidential election: Clinton (D): 46% Bush (R): 33% Perot (I): 21%

Congressional delegation: 29 Democrats, 25 Republicans

California is a monster state, in geography, population–and political influence. If it were a country, it would be the seventh largest in the world. One in eight U.S. residents, and one in eight members of Congress, is a Californian. Though it may have a reputation for being liberal and laid-back, the state–with a Republican governor–remains a battleground on issues from abortion to welfare.

MICHELA ALIOTO (D) District 1 (Northern Coast–Eureka)

BORN: April 29, 1968, San Francisco EDUCATION: UCLA, B.A., 1992 FAMILY: Single RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: White House aide; presidential-campaign aide POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 1333 Jefferson Street, Napa 94559. Tel.: 707-259-9450

Alioto, 28, is a campaign manager’s dream. The granddaughter of former San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto has worked as an aide to Al Gore, spent $200,000 of her own money on the primary and has overcome great physical adversity. If she wins, she will be the youngest Congresswoman in history.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NR 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: “Since [the day I broke my back], I have heard people tell me what I couldn’t do. Most have found that I don’t accept ‘no’ easily.”

FRANK RIGGS (R) District 1

BORN: Sept. 5, 1950, Louisville, Ky. EDUCATION: Golden Gate U, B.A., 1980 FAMILY: Wife, Cathy Maillard; three children. RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: Army, 1972-75 OCCUPATION: Police officer; real estate developer POLITICAL CAREER: Windsor School Board, 1984-88; U.S. House, 1990-92, 1994- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 590, Windsor 95492. Tel.: 707-259-0895

In a district where ecologists go toe-to-toe with loggers, Riggs champions job security. But the G.O.P. was worried enough about Riggs’ own job prospects this fall that it funded a new veterans’ hospital in his district.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays NR Bosnia NR NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Federal agencies have used the [Endangered Species Act] to literally shut down healthy and productive timberlands based on false assumptions and dubious science.”

ROBERTS BRADEN (D) District 2 (North and East–Chico; Redding)

BORN: June 12, 1930, Golden, Colo. EDUCATION: California State U at Fresno, B.A., 1964; Radford U, M.S., 1968; U of Arkansas, Ed.D., 1971 FAMILY: Wife, Beverly RELIGION: Baptist MILITARY: Army, 1951-71 OCCUPATION: Professor; educational consultant POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1525, Chico 95927. Tel.: 916-895-1804.

A concerned citizen who reached the end of his patience over an “uncivil and ugly” Congress, Braden is riding to the rescue in the name of mainstream Americans. As a combat veteran–he served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars–he backs a strong national defense but also wants to crack down on inefficient Pentagon spending. His most dramatic proposal: to deprive the President and Congress of their full salary should they fail to pass a budget by Oct. 1 each year.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES 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: “The litmus test for government generosity should be to help the needy, not the greedy.”

WALLY HERGER (R) District 2

BORN: May 20, 1945, Sutter County EDUCATION: American River College, A.A., 1967; California State U, 1968-69 FAMILY: Wife, Pamela Sargent; eight children RELIGION: Mormon MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Rancher; small-businessman POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly, 1981-86; U.S. House, 1986- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1500, Chico 95927. Tel.: 916-894-6567

A confident incumbent seeking a fifth term, Herger represents his ranchers and loggers–in the state’s least populated district–against what they view as the encroachment of environmentalists and Big Government. On economic issues, he is a by-the-book conservative and has opposed attempts to convert private land to national parks.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “[The American people] want their elected officials to represent their priorities and their values, not Washington values.”

VIC FAZIO (D) District 3 (North Central Valley)

BORN: Oct. 11, 1942, Winchester, Mass. EDUCATION: Union College, B.A., 1965 FAMILY: Wife, Judy Kern; four children RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Journalist, cofounder of California Journal POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly 1975-78; U.S. House 1978- ADDRESS: 426 First Street, Woodland 95695. Tel.: 916-668-2400

Fazio became a Congressman in 1978 when he replaced an incumbent who was discovered to have two wives. Though he remains a moderate, he has seen his base of support erode at home–he claimed 70% of the vote in 1986 and 50% in 1994–as his influence in the House has increased. In trying to stem the flow, Fazio talks more these days about fiscal responsibility, including support for a balanced-budget amendment.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO* Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “By targeting those with the most yet to give, our children, and those who have made the greatest sacrifice–our seniors–the Republicans are undermining a fundamental, moral obligation.”

TIM LEFEVER (R) District 3

BORN: Feb. 17, 1961, Sacramento EDUCATION: U of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1983; U of California (Hastings), J.D., 1986 FAMILY: Wife, Amy Karol; three children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Real estate broker; aide to lieutenant governor POLITICAL CAREER: California Republican Party Central Committee, 1993-; Republican nominee for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1348, Dixon 95620. Tel.: 916-678-1994

The possibility of knocking off the third-ranking Democrat in the House–LeFever came within three percentage points of defeating Vic Fazio in 1994–is making G.O.P. mouths water. Dan Quayle stopped by in July to lend support. LeFever’s platform is bread-and-butter Republican: reduce the size of the Federal Government, balance its budget and keep it away from private landowners.

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: “I can’t think of anything more frightening than congressional Democrats deciding they are going to help the American family.”

JOHN DOOLITTLE (R) District 4 (Northeast Central)

BORN: Oct. 30, 1950, Glendale EDUCATION: U of California at Santa Cruz, B.A., 1972; U of the Pacific, J.D., 1978 FAMILY: Wife, Julie Harlow; two children RELIGION: Mormon MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: California Senate, 1981-90; U.S. House, 1990- ADDRESS: 4220 Rocklin Road No. 5A, Rocklin 95677. Tel.: 916-632-7442

The three-term Doolittle, a solid conservative, is an active member of the Agriculture Committee and steadfast ally of the Farm Bureau. As a member of the Resources Committee, he is a stubborn opponent of federally funded environmental-protection bills.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “It is one thing to talk about [environmental protection] in theory. It is another to be the private-property owner and have the big hand of government holding a gun pointed at your head.”

KATIE HIRNING (D) District 4

BORN: April 13, 1947, Los Angeles EDUCATION: California State U, Sacramento, B.S., 1979; Golden Gate U, M.B.A., 1985 FAMILY: Husband, Dennis; three children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Business consultant; software-company executive; hospital business manager POLITICAL CAREER: Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 730, Diamond Springs 95619. Tel.: 916-642-1577

Battling again for the seat she tried to win in 1994, Hirning may benefit this time around from the lost luster of the Republican revolution–and California’s recovering economy. She cites 25 years’ experience in business and hospital administration as reasons for her political and fiscal pragmatism: balanced budgets but not at the expense of health care and education; rein in government regulation, but “without throwing regulations out the window.”

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: “Our representatives become a burden to us when they fail to legislate with civility, integrity and compromise.”

ROBERT DINSMORE (R) District 5 (Sacramento)

BORN: March 15, 1935, Omaha, Neb. EDUCATION: Princeton U, A.B., 1957; Stanford U, Ph.D., 1961 FAMILY: Wife Irina; two children RELIGION: Presbyterian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Computer-software developer; bookstore owner POLITICAL CAREER: Republican nominee for U.S. House, 1992, 1994 ADDRESS: 2160 Royale Road, No. 24, Sacramento 95815. Tel.: 916-929-1930

Though defeated by Robert Matsui by a wide margin in the past two elections, Dinsmore hasn’t given up his quest to make principle, not partisanship, the basis for political behavior. Those principles, he believes, dictate the need for a flat tax (“a type of wealth tax parallel to the property tax”) and abolishing the deficit (“the unfair shifting to future generations the obligation to pay for programs that benefit current citizens”). A 59% Democratic registration in the Fifth makes it unlikely that this third time will be the charm for Dinsmore.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NR Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The liberals confuse compassion with fairness.”

ROBERT MATSUI (D) District 5

BORN: Sept. 17, 1941, Sacramento EDUCATION: U of California, Berkeley, A.B., 1963; J.D., 1966 FAMILY: Wife, Doris Okada; one child RELIGION: Methodist MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: Sacramento City Council, 1971-78; U.S. House 1978- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1347, Sacramento 95806. Tel.: 916-441-3895

An 18-year incumbent, Matsui is a no-nonsense legislator who mixes grass-roots values (in 1988 he sponsored legislation to give financial compensation to Japanese Americans interned during World War II) with progressive economics (he is a renowned free-trader and gets much of the credit for the passage of NAFTA). Voters in the Fifth District will find few reasons not to send him back to Washington.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: [On the 1996 G.O.P.-sponsored Welfare Reform Bill] “That’s what this bill is all about: politics to hurt America’s children.”

DUANE HUGHES (R) District 6 (Northern Bay area; Sonoma and Marin counties)

BORN: Oct. 28, 1945, Glendale EDUCATION: Orange Coast College, A.A., 1978 FAMILY: Wife, Sharon Ann; two children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: Naval Reserve, 1966-67; Army, 1968-70 OCCUPATION: Natural-gas-company executive; corporate-training-firm executive POLITICAL CAREER: Sought Republican nomination for California Assembly, 1992; sought Republican nomination for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 750755, Petaluma 94975. Tel.: 707-769-9595

Hughes is a straight-arrow Republican in a district where that may be a liability: the countercultural Sixth, home to well-heeled nonconformists, has voted Democratic in the past two presidential elections. And with moderate Lynn Woolsey having proved herself a tough legislator, the conservative Hughes will be hard-pressed to find an opening here.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The Federal Government taxes excessively, spends too freely and regulates our lives and business too intrusively.”

LYNN WOOLSEY (D) District 6

BORN: Nov. 3, 1937, Seattle EDUCATION: U of Washington, 1955-57; U of San Francisco, B.S., 1980 FAMILY: Divorced; four children RELIGION: Presbyterian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Personnel-service owner POLITICAL CAREER: Petaluma City Council, 1985-92; U.S. House 1992- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 750176, Petaluma 94975. Tel.: 707-763-7013

As the first former welfare mother elected to the House, Woolsey has told her story often: as a young, newly divorced and unemployed mother of three in the early ’70s, she went on the dole. And though she is an active supporter of tough environmental regulations, not surprisingly, trying to keep the G.O.P. from gutting welfare has been one of her major concerns.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: “Let me remind you, I was educated, I was healthy, my children were healthy, and you know I was aggressive and assertive. I was on welfare for three years.”

GEORGE MILLER (D) District 7 (Northeastern Bay Area)

BORN: May 17, 1945, Richmond, Va. EDUCATION: San Francisco State U, B.A., 1968; U of California at Davis, J.D., 1972 FAMILY: Wife, Cynthia Caccavo; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: Democratic nominee for California Senate, 1969; U.S. House, 1974- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 5864, Concord 94524. Tel.: 510-229-9113

A spirited, combative lawmaker who came to Washington in the post-Watergate congressional housecleaning, Miller has made a career championing the causes of children and the environment. Though Republican power has diminished his clout–he lost the chairmanship of the powerful Natural Resources Committee–his enthusiasm for Democratic causes has not waned.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: “People sent me to Congress to kick ass and take names, and I’m not going to roll over.”

NORMAN REECE (R) District 7

BORN: June 27, 1941, Detroit EDUCATION: Solano Community College, 1971-84; San Francisco Baptist Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1980 FAMILY: Wife, Jeanine McGee; five children RELIGION: Baptist MILITARY: Navy, 1959-72; Naval Reserve, 1972-93 OCCUPATION: Teacher; electronics mechanic POLITICAL CAREER: Sought Republican nomination for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 7902, Vallejo 94590. Tel.: 707-647-9596

Norman Reece is an antiabortion candidate; his campaign posters feature the tiny feet of a 10-week-old fetus. An elder and deacon at his church, he promotes “Principles over Politics,” his campaign slogan. Reece’s principles are orthodox conservative, with heavy emphasis against “meddlesome government.” His base of support is solid, but probably not deep or wide enough to win this overwhelmingly Democratic district.

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: “Everyone is pro-life, I’m antiabortion. I don’t apologize for that.”

NANCY PELOSI (D) District 8 (San Francisco)

BORN: March 26, 1940, Baltimore, Md. EDUCATION: Trinity College, B.A., 1962 FAMILY: Husband, Paul; five children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Public-relations consultant POLITICAL CAREER: California Democratic Party chairman, 1981-83; U.S. House 1987- ADDRESS: 1 Bush Street, 11th Floor, San Francisco 94104. Tel.: 415-788-8600

Pelosi’s father served four terms in the House and was mayor of Baltimore for 12 years; her brother was mayor for four. And she has done all right on her own: her district, which includes the largest percentage of Asian Americans (28%) outside Hawaii, has given Pelosi 80% majorities the past two elections.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Uncle Sam…has now become our deadbeat uncle, because across the country as we all sat down to our Christmas dinners and the start of a new year, many federal workers were deprived of their pay, even those who were working.”

JUSTIN RAIMONDO (R) District 8

BORN: Nov. 18, 1951, White Plains, N.Y. EDUCATION: Franconia College, 1970-71 FAMILY: Single RELIGION: None MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Writer POLITICAL CAREER: Libertarian nominee for U.S. House, 1982 ADDRESS: 1440 Clay Street, No. 9, San Francisco 94109. Tel.: 415-885-5021

Raimondo says he’s not a single-issue candidate, but his only reason for running against Nancy Pelosi is her vote to send U.S. troops to Bosnia. “Nothing but a prelude to war,” he called the deployment. Even his attacks on Pelosi’s stands on medical care and budget cuts are framed by the Bosnia debate. Raimondo does oppose NAFTA and affirmative action, however, without reference to Bosnia.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The monstrousness of the idea that the U.S. is morally obligated to police every border, to solve every ancient tribal feud, to act as a global Solomon–this is what drove me to throw down the gauntlet and take on an opponent who enjoys every advantage.”

RONALD DELLUMS (D) District 9 (Alameda County–Oakland; Berkeley)

BORN: Nov. 24, 1935, Oakland EDUCATION: San Francisco State College, B.A., 1960; U of California, Berkeley, M.S.W., 1962 FAMILY: Wife, Leola (“Roscoe”) Higgs; three children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: Marines, 1954-56 OCCUPATION: Psychiatric social worker POLITICAL CAREER: Berkeley City Council, 1967-70; U.S. House 1970- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 29164, Oakland 94604. Tel.: 510-893-3950

Dellums was swept into office as a ’60s radical and, after 26 years in the House, has become an Establishment defender of minority causes. His constituents seem to have mellowed only slightly in that time. And Dellums, with a perfect 100 rating from both the liberal Americans for Democratic Action and the AFL-CIO, has not let them down.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: [On defense spending] “How much more money can it conceivably take to be ‘ready’ in a world in which the U.S. already spends as much as all other nations combined?”

DEBORAH WRIGHT (R) District 9

BORN: Nov. 19, 1950, Oklahoma City, Okla. EDUCATION: Los Angeles City College, A.A., 1971; California State U at Long Beach, B.A., 1972 FAMILY: Husband, Durwin; one child RELIGION: Christian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Education-foundation administrator; systems engineer; social-services administrator POLITICAL CAREER: Republican nominee for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 11346, Oakland 94611. Tel.: 510- 339-0774

Wright is not only a Republican running in a traditionally Democratic district, she is also running against a 26-year veteran of the House. Hoping voters believe the U.S. is in decline, she is proposing a “Revitalization of America” platform: use government to increase the district’s private enterprise with tax and regulatory incentives for small businesses.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Our civil rights are under attack. I believe that criminals and mentally unstable people should not have guns, but I oppose any general attempt to bridge the right to own guns.”

BILL BAKER (R) District 10 (Eastern Contra Costa and Alameda counties)

BORN: June 14, 1940, Oakland EDUCATION: San Jose State U, B.S., 1963 FAMILY: Wife, Joanne; four children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Coast Guard Reserve, 1957-65 OCCUPATION: Budget analyst POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly, 1981-92; U.S. House 1992- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 4544, Walnut Creek 94596. Tel.: 510-938-1996

As a Contra Costa newspaper columnist, Baker made a reputation as “the angry taxpayer” and in Congress has made government downsizing a priority. With a near perfect conservative voting record and effective lobbying for local projects like the bart-San Francisco Airport extension, he solidly won two back-to-back victories in the most Republican Bay Area district.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “For years families have gotten too little attention from policymakers in Washington. This is simply wrong: families are the cornerstone of American life and deserve to be at the center of the decision-making process on Capitol Hill.”

ELLEN TAUSCHER (D) District 10

BORN: Nov. 15, 1951, Newark, N.J. EDUCATION: Seton Hall U, B.A., 1974 FAMILY: Husband, William; one child RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Child-care-screening executive; investment banker POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 1711 Almond Avenue, Walnut Creek 94596. Tel.: 510-945-8515

Underdog status never bothered Tauscher. The first in her family to attend college, she also became one of the first women to work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in 1975. In California, after giving birth to a baby with respiratory ailments and a dislocated hip, she started a successful day-care-registry company. A moderate, Tauscher will have to win some crossover votes in this district where Republicans have a 3% voter-registration edge.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NR Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “When I first got on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange…all [the] men would come up to me and say, ‘How did you get here?’ I always had to tell them: ‘I took the subway.'”

RICHARD POMBO (R) District 11 (Parts of San Joaquin and Sacramento counties; Stockton; Lodi)

BORN: Jan. 8, 1961, Tracy EDUCATION: California State Polytechnic, Pomona, 1979-81 FAMILY: Wife, Annette Rena; three children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Rancher POLITICAL CAREER: Tracy City Council, 1990-92; U.S. House 1992- ADDRESS: 7527 West Linne Road, Tracy 95376. Tel.: 209-836-9496

Pombo, a two-term Republican with a stellar conservative voting record, still doesn’t see himself as a politician. But even as a rancher member of the Agriculture Committee, he consistently opposes proposals he believes favor the environment over the rights of private-property owners and wants to freeze all federal purchases of land for five years. Farmers feeling threatened by development and environmental regulation in this largely agricultural district have a friend in Pombo.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I’m not going to fit in too well, because I’m anything but politically correct.”

JASON SILVA (D) District 11

BORN: Nov. 15, 1970, Tracy EDUCATION: U of California at San Diego, B.A., 1994 FAMILY: Single RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Public-relations consultant POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 2544, Rancho Cordova 95741. Tel.: 209-858-1173

A fifth-generation resident of San Joaquin County, Silva, 25, has good ties to both the business and ranching communities of the district. He will need them in this blue-collar, conservative area as he attempts to forge links between competing agricultural, environmental and development interests with a platform that includes opposition to mandatory school prayer, more education funding and support of both a balanced budget and abortion rights.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES 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: “We need to get together and compromise. We can’t act like little kids and cry and cry and nothing gets accomplished.”

STORM JENKINS (R) District 12 (Most of San Mateo County; southwest San Francisco)

BORN: Dec. 16, 1960, San Francisco EDUCATION: U of California at Davis, 1978-80; U of California at San Francisco, 1984-90 FAMILY: Single RELIGION: NR MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Businessman POLITICAL CAREER: Republican nominee for California Assembly, 1992 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 27308, San Francisco 94127. Tel.: 415-681-1996

Jenkins knows his chances of beating an eight-term incumbent are slim, but he hopes his underdog–and understated–campaign can at least reach a few voters dissatisfied with the status quo. But even that may be difficult, since Jenkins rarely answers his phone or speaks to reporters.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion NR Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I am in the race as a very clear alternative to the status quo. After 16 years, the incumbent still doesn’t get it. So it’s time we got a new incumbent.”

TOM LANTOS (D) District 12

BORN: Feb. 1, 1928, Budapest, Hungary EDUCATION: U of Washington, B.A., 1949; M.A., 1950; U of California, Berkeley, Ph.D., 1953 FAMILY: Wife, Annette Tillemann; two children RELIGION: Jewish MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Professor pOLITICAL CAREER: Millbrae Board of Education, 1958-66; U.S. House, 1980- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 611, Burlingame 94011. Tel.: 415-342-0300

A Hungarian native who fought the Nazis as a teenager, Lantos now fights totalitarianism from Capitol Hill. A founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, he was a supporter of the Gulf War and a U.S. role in Bosnia. But Lantos also takes care of his district, a key reason why he is an eight-term incumbent.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: [On China as host of the summer Olympics]: “Do we really want to give the hundreds of millions of people across this globe the magnificent image of the Olympics 2000 unfolding in Beijing, to have the memory of Tiananmen Square totally obliterated?”

JAMES FAY (R) District 13 (East Bay–Oakland; Hayward; Santa Clara)

BORN: Sept. 4, 1941, New York City EDUCATION: Georgetown U, B.A., 1963; New School for Social Research, M.A., 1967; U of Michigan, Ph.D., 1973; U of California (Hastings), J.D., 1980 FAMILY: Wife, Stephanie Wasielewski; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Army, 1963-65 OCCUPATION: Professor POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 22470 Foothill Boulevard, No. 32, Hayward 94541. Tel.: 510-558-9696

Although Fay knows he’s a longshot, he believes the Republican sweep in 1994 proves that anything is possible. Fay still stands behind the Contract with America, Medicare limits, NAFTA and–something relative to his 12-term opponent–term limits. As he likes to point out, “first-class postage was 8[cents] when [Pete Stark] took office.”

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The time has come to roll up our sleeves and take on the biggest single problem facing the government…the bloated and inefficient education bureaucracy that takes so much from and returns so little to society.”

PETE STARK (D) District 13

BORN: Nov. 11, 1931, Milwaukee, Wis. EDUCATION: M.I.T., B.S., 1953; U of California, Berkeley, M.B.A., 1960 FAMILY: Wife, Deborah Roderick; five children RELIGION: Unitarian MILITARY: Air Force, 1955-57 OCCUPATION: Banker POLITICAL CAREER: Sought Democratic nomination for California Senate, 1969; U.S. House 1972- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 121, Hayward 94543. Tel.: 510-887-4077

Though a member of the Establishment, Stark was swept into office during the heyday of the antiwar movement. (He once installed an 8-ft. neon peace symbol over his bank in Walnut Creek.) Still outspoken, Stark ruffled Democrat feathers in 1993 when he called Clinton’s health-care czar a modern-day Rasputin and last year called Congresswoman Nancy Johnson a “whore” for the insurance industry. So far, voters haven’t penalized him for such bluntness.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: “As a society, we should care for certain groups…who can’t care for themselves–the poor, the elderly, the disabled. It is simply the right thing to do.”

BEN BRINK (R) District 14 (Southern San Mateo and northern Santa Clara counties)

BORN: Oct. 7, 1952, Boston EDUCATION: Stanford U, B.S., 1974, M.S., 1980; Harvard U, M.B.A., 1982 FAMILY: Wife, Janet; one child RELIGION: Presbyterian MILITARY: Navy, 1975-77; Navy Reserve, 1977- OCCUPATION: Electronics executive POLITICAL CAREER: Republican nominee for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 7701, Menlo Park 94026. Tel.: 415-853-1994

In Silicon Valley Brink boasts of waging the “first virtual campaign” in 1994, when he ran for the House via the Internet, America Online, Compuserve and fax. High tech didn’t help him against a strong, equally cyber-savvy incumbent. This year Brink hit the Net again, joining MTV’s Rock the Vote campaign and calling for free enterprise and a balanced budget.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare NR Defense YES Abortion NR Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “We need a Congressman in Washington who will cut costs rather than bribe us with pork, who will cut spending rather than raise taxes and who will cut the deficit.”

ANNA ESHOO (D) District 14

BORN: Dec. 13, 1942, New Britain, Conn. EDUCATION: Canada College, A.A., 1975 FAMILY: Divorced; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Legislative aide POLITICAL CAREER: San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, 1982-92, president, 1986; Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 1988; U.S. House, 1992- ADDRESS: 530 Howard Street, Suite 250, San Francisco 94105. Tel.: 415-495-4910

With a resume lined with lobbying successes for high-tech constituents, Eshoo will be tough to beat. A member of the Commerce Committee, which oversees bills relating to electronics and biotechnology, she drafted the Online Parental Control Act of 1996. A further irritant to Ben Brink’s online challenge, Eshoo won this year’s Semiconductor Industry Association’s Congressional Leadership Award.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The parents may send us to Congress; they are the ones who cast the votes. But the children are the ones we need to remember as we shape their future.”

TOM CAMPBELL (R) District 15 (Santa Clara County –San Jose)

BORN: Aug. 14, 1952, Chicago EDUCATION: U of Chicago, B.A., M.A., 1973, Ph.D., 1980; Harvard U, J.D., 1976 FAMILY: Wife, Susanne RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Law professor POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House, 1989-92; California Senate, 1993-95; U.S. House, 1995- ADDRESS: 100 North Winchester Boulevard, Suite 376, Santa Clara 95050. Tel.: 415-856-6274

A well-educated moderate (like his opponent), Campbell, who once represented the 12th District before redistricting in 1992, votes independently and is often at odds with his party on social issues–he voted for the National Interest Act of 1995, which guarantees education to the children of illegal immigrants. But in his support of individual freedoms, he differs significantly from Lane, who believes in substantial federal involvement.

THE ISSUES

Budget No Medicare yes Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Our country, and our state, would be so much better if we paused and asked, Do we really need to interfere with individual freedom?”

DICK LANE (D) District 15

BORN: March 20, 1938, Portland, Ore. EDUCATION: California State U, Los Angeles, B.A., 1960, M.A., 1969; U of Southern California, Ph.D., 1975 FAMILY: Wife, Valerie; seven children RELIGION: Eastern Orthodox MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Professor POLITICAL CAREER: Sought Democratic nomination for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 2368, Santa Clara 95055. Tel.: 408-744-9207

Lane hopes to jump-start the Democratic revival attacking some G.O.P. sacred cows: the problem isn’t Big Government; it’s Big Gridlock. He proposes a New Deal-like program for America’s crumbling infrastructure that he says will create jobs for Americans living below the poverty level. It’s an issue he can get mileage out of, but probably not enough to beat a strong incumbent.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NR Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “There is not one problem facing our society that is limited to the boundaries of a single state or even region. Logic demands national answers for national problems”

ZOE LOFGREN (D) District 16 (Santa Clara County)

BORN: Dec. 21, 1947, Palo Alto EDUCATION: Stanford U, B.A., 1970; Santa Clara U, J.D., 1975 FAMILY: Husband, John Collins; two children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer; professor POLITICAL CAREER: Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, 1981-94; U.S. House, 1994- ADDRESS: 701 Miller Street, Suite 216, San Jose 95110. Tel.: 408-287-9001

Lofgren, a truck driver’s daughter voted one of the 10 most influential people in San Jose by the Mercury News, continues a 34-year Democratic run in her district, where she has become something of a local guardian angel, defending children and the elderly against poverty, disease and violence. Lofgren heads a group that provides housing for low-income families and last year successfully sponsored legislation designed to punish crimes against children and the elderly.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “No one deserves to be a victim of crime, but crimes against a child, the frail or other vulnerable persons deserve the highest societal sanctions.”

CHUCK WOJSLAW (R) District 16

BORN: July 27, 1940, McAdoo, Pa. EDUCATION: U of California, Berkeley, B.S., 1966; Santa Clara U, M.S., 1969; U of San Francisco, Ed.D., 1991 FAMILY: Wife, Toni Maria; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Navy, 1958-62 OCCUPATION: College professor; engineer POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 302 Toyon Ave., Suite F-239, San Jose 95127. Tel.: 408-923-7775

Wojslaw, an anti-welfare Republican, matches his Democratic opponent in the modest-roots department: his father was a coal miner and his mother a seamstress. From them he learned, he says, never to take handouts, to rely on hard work. Like Lofgren, he wants better education for children, but goes further than his opponent by supporting a voucher system to spur competition among schools.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I’m running for Congress for selfless reasons. I think Congress should serve the country rather than have the country serve it.”

JESS BROWN (R) District 17 (Monterey and San Benito counties)

BORN: Oct. 7, 1954, Long Beach EDUCATION: U of California at Riverside, B.A., 1976 FAMILY: Wife, Laura RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Farm Bureau executive POLITICAL CAREER: Republican candidate for U.S. House, 1993 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 2246, Santa Cruz 95063. Tel.: 408-688-1304

A moderate with appeal to the district’s Democratic majority, Brown seems to have made good on his pledge to put leadership above partisanship. He founded food, a local charity that gets fresh produce to 70,000 people each month, and organized aid for victims of the 1989 earthquake and 1994 floods. His “less government” message appeals to his Bay Area business supporters. On drugs, Brown is less moderate: death to pushers.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The people of our district are remarkably committed to helping one another. Government has a role, but it is people helping people that makes the real difference.”

SAM FARR (D) District 17

BORN: July 4, 1941, San Francisco EDUCATION: Willamette U, B.S., 1963 FAMILY: Wife, Shary Baldwin; one child RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: State legislator POLITICAL CAREER: Monterey County Board of Supervisors, 1975-81; California Assembly, 1981-93; U.S. House, 1993- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 122, Monterey 93942. Tel.: 408-373-4607

With White House help, the low-key Farr won Leon Panetta’s old seat in a 1993 special election. Perhaps to repay the debt, Farr quickly changed his NAFTA stripes and voted for the Clinton-backed agreement. The nine-time California Legislator of the Year took his political skills to Washington. When the military closed Fort Ord, Farr got part of the base converted to an environmental-science center for the state’s public universities. The seat may be Farr’s for keeps if he can hold off Jess Brown again.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Campaigns ought to be about ideas, not money.”

GARY CONDIT (D) District 18 (Central Valley–Modesto; Merced)

BORN: April 21, 1948, Salina, Okla. EDUCATION: California State U at Stanislaus, B.A., 1972 FAMILY: Wife, Carolyn Berry; two children RELIGION: Baptist MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Public official POLITICAL CAREER: Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, 1976-82; California Assembly, 1982-89; U.S. House, 1989- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1710, Modesto 95353. Tel.: 209-576-2697

An incumbent who won two-thirds of the vote in his past three elections, Condit has even been endorsed by a chapter of the Building Industry Association of Central California, of which his opponent is an officer. His success comes in part from a fearless ability to cross party lines: he voted with the G.O.P. 80% of the time during this Congress.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare NO* Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I have taken it as a personal responsibility to amend bills or amendments that impose unfunded mandates so that our local jurisdictions will not be saddled with financing further federal dictates.”

BILL CONRAD (R) District 18

BORN: May 22, 1957, Orange EDUCATION: U.S. Military Academy, West Point, B.S., 1980 FAMILY: Wife, Karen; one child RELIGION: Christian MILITARY: Army, 1980-89; Air National Guard, 1989- OCCUPATION: General contractor POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 576413, Modesto 95357. Tel.: 209-549-8573

The Republican National Committee has high hopes for this election despite Conrad’s inexperience: the 18th is one of 86 Democrat-represented districts the committee lists as “Republican performing.” The National Rifle Association has also helped, donating $4,950 to Conrad’s campaign. But this Christian conservative and former Green Beret has a bigger challenge distinguishing himself from his high-profile opponent, a conservative-leaning Democrat.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia NR NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I believe in limited government, individual freedom, personal responsibility and the rights of hard-working Americans.”

PAUL BARILE (D) District 19 (Central Valley–Fresno; Madera)

BORN: May 17, 1918, Groton, Conn. EDUCATION: California State U at Fresno, B.A., 1975 FAMILY: Widowed; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Army, 1942-45 OCCUPATION: Printer POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 6751 North Blackstone, No. 274, Fresno 93710. Tel.: 209-435-8712

Barile, a feisty 78-year-old, figures that if Bob Dole can run, so can he. Unlike the former Senate majority leader, however, this retired newspaper printer can cite an unsuccessful run for Fresno freeholder in the 1950s as his only political credential. Nevertheless, Barile says he is fed up with the Republicans. He calls George Radanovich a “nice fella” but charges his well-known opponent with blindly following Newt Gingrich: something Barile can be counted on not to do.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NR Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “In 1994 the country voted in a whole set of boys whose purpose was to destroy everything we had laboriously built up over the past 75 years.”

GEORGE RADANOVICH (R) District 19

BORN: June 20, 1955, Mariposa EDUCATION: California State Polytechnic U, B.S., 1978 FAMILY: Single RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Vintner POLITICAL CAREER: Mariposa County Board of Supervisors, 1989-92; sought Republican nomination for U.S. House, 1992; U.S. House, 1994- ADDRESS: 2037 West Bullard, No. 240, Fresno 93711. Tel.: 209-251-3512

President of the famous freshman class of 1994 Republicans, Radanovich is a dynamic young incumbent expected to beat an elderly Democratic opponent few have heard of. Even with his Speaker’s decline in popularity, Radanovich is sticking with the horse he rode in on. Nor has he given up on the Contract with America–though he’s created his own “Vision for America”–or the fight against Big Government.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “You can’t expect the American people to follow unless you tell them where you want to take them.”

CAL DOOLEY (D) District 20 (Parts of Kern, Kings and Fresno counties)

BORN: Jan. 11, 1954, Visalia EDUCATION: U of California at Davis, B.S., 1977; Stanford, M.A., 1987 FAMILY: Wife, Linda Phillips; two children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Farmer POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House, 1990- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1367, Visalia 93279. Tel.: 209-733-2037

A fourth-generation farmer and former aide to popular State Senator Rose Vuich, Dooley is a Democrat with a serious conservative tilt: of more than 100 different House votes in the 104th Congress, he took the Republican party line 86% of the time, voting with his party mostly on social issues–which is good since the 20th District bears the burden of the Valley’s urban and rural poor.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO* Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I don’t think my voting record detracts from my ability to build support within the Democratic Party … Most people accept that my district is fairly conservative, and my record reflects that.”

TRICE HARVEY (R) District 20

BORN: July 15, 1936, Paragould, Ark. EDUCATION: Taft College, A.A., 1957; Fresno State U, B.A., 1964 FAMILY: Wife, Jacque; two children RELIGION: Mormon MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Public-health inspector; pharmaceutical salesman POLITICAL CAREER: Kern County Board of Supervisors, 1977-87; California Assembly, 1987- ADDRESS: 1550 Skyway Drive, Suite 210, Bakersfield 93308. Tel.: 805-399-1996

As chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, Harvey is sometimes accused of favoring agribusiness over environmental concerns–critics cite his support for the ozone-unfriendly fumigant methyl bromide–but he has also lobbied for stricter toxic-waste-disposal rules. A champion of California’s “three-strikes” law and Proposition 187, he faces an opponent as conservative as he is.

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: “Something must be done about laws that place more value on creatures and plant life than on people and business.”

BILL THOMAS (R) District 21 (Kern and Tulare counties; Bakersfield)

BORN: Dec. 6, 1941, Wallace, Idaho EDUCATION: San Francisco State U, B.A., 1963, M.A., 1965 FAMILY: Wife, Sharon Lynn Hamilton; two children RELIGION: Baptist MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Professor POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly, 1974-78; U.S. House, 1978- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 395, Bakersfield 93302. Tel.: 805-322-2225

Thomas may coast to a 10th term after winning two-thirds of the vote in the past two elections. He has used his chairmanship of the House Oversight Committee to push campaign-finance reforms that would cut the maximum donation for pacs. Thomas was also a key opponent of the Clinton health-care plan in the last Congress. He calls his philosophy “pragmatic conservatism,” and it seems to be popular in the 21st.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “We are trustees for the American people, and our job is to do something. Our job is to make decisions. Our job is to move forward.”

DEBORAH VOLLMER (D) District 21

BORN: Jan. 15, 1948, Bethesda, Md. EDUCATION: Clark U, B.A., 1970; U of Maryland, J.D., 1973 FAMILY: Single RELIGION: Unitarian Universalist MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 1992; sought Democratic nomination for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: 1706 Chester Avenue Suite 354, Bakersfield 93301. Tel.: 805-322-8655

They say the third time’s the charm, but Vollmer’s prospects aren’t much brighter than in her first two attempts. Proudly a die-hard liberal, she supports greater socialization of health care when most pols seek cuts. Vollmer gets little media attention in this Republican-leaning district and no money from the national party, but she soldiers on, styling herself, appropriately, as a defender of the underdog.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES 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: “I’m all for eliminating the budget deficit, but you don’t have to cut the meat out of essential programs. If something has to go, it should be the tax cut.”

WALTER CAPPS (D) District 22 (Santa Barbara; Santa Maria; San Luis Obispo)

BORN: May 5, 1934, Omaha, Neb. EDUCATION: Portland State U, B.S., 1957; Augustana Theological Seminary, B.D., 1960; Yale U, S.T.M., 1961, Ph.D, 1965 FAMILY: Wife, Lois Grimsrud; three children RELIGION: Lutheran MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Professor POLITICAL CAREER: Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 91429, Santa Barbara 93190. Tel.: 805-730-7605

Capps learned something in his 1994 run against Andrea Seastrand: campaigning helps. The University of California at Santa Barbara religious-studies chairman continued to teach during that race and lost by just 1,563 votes. This year he was sent to the hospital by a drunk driver. But the unflappable Capps is making the election a referendum on Newt Gingrich and sees his own political naivete as a plus.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NR Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “We must begin restoring confidence in our ability to govern ourselves, integrity in the political process, and dependable individual and community values.”

ANDREA SEASTRAND (R) District 22

BORN: Aug. 5, 1941, Chicago EDUCATION: De Paul U, B.A., 1963 FAMILY: Widowed; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Teacher POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly, 1990-94; U.S. House, 1994- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 14002, San Luis Obispo 93406. Tel.: 805-594-1996

Incumbent Seastrand faces a spirited challenge from Walter Capps in this moderately Republican district. As a G.O.P. freshman she pushed for welfare reform, including a two-year limit on benefits and, as part of her Personal Responsibility Act, complete prohibition on welfare to minor mothers. Seastrand, a devout Christian, is ardently pro-life and anti-gay and sometimes spices her politics with fire and brimstone, once calling California’s quakes, floods and fires “God’s wrath.”

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “It’s time for the government to do what every American family does–live within its means.”

ELTON GALLEGLY (R) District 23 (Most of Ventura County; Oxnard; Ventura; Simi Valley)

BORN: March 7, 1944, Huntington Park EDUCATION: California State U, Los Angeles, 1962-63 FAMILY: Wife, Janice Shrader; four children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Real estate broker POLITICAL CAREER: Simi Valley City Council, 1979-80; Simi Valley mayor, 1980-86; U.S. House, 1986- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 3789, Simi Valley 93093. Tel.: 805-522-4487

Gallegly used to take a lot of heat for his hard line against illegal aliens. Now that the state budget is straining under the enormous costs of their education, health care, welfare and unemployment benefits, that tough talk has made his political reputation. His congressional proposals for strict immigration reform have made his sixth race for the House one of his easiest.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I think about the kids who are here legally and their quality of education. I’m not saying throw anybody out, I’m just saying don’t reward anybody for coming here illegally.”

ROBERT UNRUHE (D) District 23

BORN: Sept. 12, 1923, Kansas City, Mo. EDUCATION: U of Southern California, A.B., 1948, M.A., 1951 FAMILY: Wife, Virginia; five children RELIGION: Methodist MILITARY: Army Air Force, 1942-45 OCCUPATION: Teacher POLITICAL CAREER: Culver City Council, 1956-60, 1962-66 ADDRESS: 530 El Sol Avenue, Ojai 93023. Tel.: 805-646-1026

Old age is a time for new challenges, says Unruhe, a retired high school teacher who is running on behalf of the 90,000 seniors who live in Ventura and the immigrants who harvest its crops. On the flashpoint issue of immigration, Unruhe supports stricter legislation and enforcement, but not the extreme sanctions his opponent proposes, which include deprivation of education and health benefits for children. Unruhe may be tilting at Ventura windmills, but he is undaunted by the challenge.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “In changing immigration policy, we must be sure we don’t create new problems through simplistic proposals.”

HOWARD MCKEON (R) District 25 (Northern Los Angeles County; Lancaster; Palmdale)

BORN: Sept. 9, 1939, Los Angeles EDUCATION: Brigham Young U, B.S., 1985 FAMILY: Wife, Patricia Kunz; six children RELIGION: Mormon MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Clothing-store owner POLITICAL CAREER: Mayor of Santa Clarita, 1987-90; U.S. House, 1992- ADDRESS: 27225 Camp Plenty Road, Suite 5, Santa Clarita 91355. Tel.: 805-251-0420

Incumbent “Buck” McKeon took a conservative’s distrust of government with him to Congress, but federal aid to his district after the 1994 earthquake softened that position. With a seat on the National Security Committee, McKeon is also an active proponent of more funding for the B-2 bomber, produced, not coincidentally, by companies in his district.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Congress must regain the trust of the American people by living under the same laws it imposes on the private sector.”

DIANE TRAUTMAN (D) District 25

BORN: Aug. 10, 1954, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. EDUCATION: Broward Community College, A.A., 1976; California Institute of the Arts, B.F.A., 1980 FAMILY: Husband, Allan; two children RELIGION: Unaffiliated MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Homemaker POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 801084, Santa Clarita 91380. Tel.: 805-297-1121

Running against a popular incumbent in a heavily Republican district, Trautman has her work cut out for her. Though she moved into the Valley only three years ago, she has gained visibility as a political columnist for the local paper and an active member of the Democratic Club. She decided to run because it was time to “walk my talk”: that economic success depends on education and training. Employers are resources, she says, not disposable commodities.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Republicans are moving too hard and fast–proposing massive cuts in programs that are proved successes.”

ROBERT CONAWAY (D) District 40 (San Bernardino County–Redlands)

BORN: Aug. 21, 1952, Huntington Park EDUCATION: California State U at Fullerton, B.A., 1974; Western State U, J.D., 1984 FAMILY: Wife, Jacquese; three children RELIGION: Christian MILITARY: Marines, 1973 OCCUPATION: Lawyer; insurance adjuster POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 8754 Hollister Road, Phelan 92371. Tel.: 619-244-9007 A part-time farmer who raises Galloway cattle and alpine goats on a 10-acre plot in Phelan, Conaway is an outspoken advocate for workers’ pensions and Medicare, racking up endorsements from the Committee on Political Education, California Federation of Teachers and United Auto Workers in his improbable mission to unseat nine-term incumbent Jerry Lewis.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion YES Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “The signers of the Contract [with America] are breaking their promise to the people who elected them and are attacking the people with the least ability to fight back–the disabled and the elderly.”

JERRY LEWIS (R) District 40

BORN: Oct. 21, 1934, Seattle EDUCATION: UCLA, B.A., 1956 FAMILY: Wife, Arlene Willis; four children, three stepchildren RELIGION: Presbyterian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Insurance executive POLITICAL CAREER: California Assembly, 1969-78; Republican nominee for California Senate, 1973; U.S. House, 1978- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 247, Redlands 92373. Washington Tel.: 202-225-5861

Once the G.O.P.’s No. 3 man in the House–current House majority leader Dick Armey defeated him in 1992–Lewis still retains enough seniority and power as a high-ranking member of the Appropriations Committee to bring his district generous funding for earthquake relief, water projects, highway improvements, a medical center and airport repairs.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: “It is long past time that we recognized the need to put Uncle Sam on a diet.”