Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS : POLITICS : March 17 Election Called to Fill Carpenter’s Senate Seat

With former state Sen. Paul B. Carpenter (D-Cypress) moving over to the State Board of Equalization, a special election has been called for March 17 to fill the vacancy left in the 33rd state Senate District that includes parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Gov. George Deukmejian, who called the special election, said a runoff election will be held May 12 if no candidate receives a majority in the March primary.

The race is expected to be a hotly contested one and is important to Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles), who does not want to see his Democratic majority in the Senate slip. Last week, Roberti endorsed Norwalk City Councilman Cecil N. Green in the race.

Before calling the special election, Deukmejian met privately with the top Republican contenders for the seat and reportedly urged them to decide among themselves who should bow out to avoid a costly and divisive race.

But both contenders--Don Knabe, the mayor of Cerritos and chief deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana, and Assemblyman Wayne Grisham of Norwalk--said they intend to remain in the race despite the unusual appeal from the governor.

In the March primary, all candidates will be listed on a single ballot, and voters of any party can vote for any candidate. If no one gets 50% plus one vote, the top vote-getters of each party will face off in the May general election.

Orange County voters in the 33rd District include residents of Buena Park, La Palma, Cypress and Los Alamitos.