Congressional District

In an abrupt turnabout, the man whom retiring Democratic Rep. Edward R. Roybal had handpicked as his successor said Tuesday he was dropping out of the race because of family considerations. Henry Lozano, Roybal's 58-year-old chief of staff, said he made his decision last weekend and called friends and supporters to tell them that he was not running for the 30th Congressional District seat.

Wealthy congressional contender Sang Korman has pumped an additional $200,000 of his own money into his drive to capture the Republican nomination in a new district that includes the west San Fernando Valley, adding to an already large fund-raising lead over eight rivals.

Democrat Henry A. Waxman of Los Angeles, the incumbent in the 24th Congressional District, is in another matchup Nov. 6 with Republican John N. Cowles, whom he easily beat in 1988. A dedicated liberal and environmentalist, Waxman has been a leader in the battle to extend the Clean Air Act. As chairman of the House subcommittee on health and the environment, he has led a legislative attack on smoking and is pressing legislation to restrict tobacco advertising in print and on billboards.

In many ways, the race for the 36th Congressional District is a classic, big-bucks confrontation between a conservative and a liberal, both of them strong-minded candidates, with voters making their decisions on flash-point issues. But because two women are waging battle, the race for the newly drawn coastal district is as different from past politics as the district itself.

As their hotly contested congressional race enters its final, three-week stretch, U. S. Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) and his GOP challenger, Rich Sybert, are nearly matching each other dollar for dollar in campaign fund raising. Campaign finance reports released Tuesday show that the Beilenson campaign had $207,593 on hand as of Sept. 30, while Sybert had $203,840 for their showdown in a district that includes most of Thousand Oaks and portions of the San Fernando Valley.

Is the race for the South Bay's 36th Congressional District an exclusively Republican affair? Citing their voter registration edge, Republicans argue that it is. But Democrats predict that they can pull off a surprise win in the newly created district, which runs from San Pedro to Venice, embracing Torrance, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the beach cities.

Assemblyman Tom McClintock leads fund-raising efforts in the newly created 24th Congressional District, collecting more than either of his two main rivals for the Republican nomination, both of whom are veteran candidates known for spending lavishly, federal reports show. And in fund-raising among Republicans in the 25th Congressional District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, Santa Clarita Councilman Howard (Buck) McKeon is well on his way to amassing a hefty war chest.

The Ventura County Commission for Women denounced Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) for trying to undermine the gains of women with a bill that would abolish the state Commission on the Status of Women and divert its funding to state prisons. McClintock is seeking the Republican nomination, in a June 2 primary, to represent a congressional district that includes parts of Encino, Woodland Hills and other portions of the southwestern San Fernando Valley. Stacey B.

Republican congressional candidate Jim Salomon of Beverly Hills appears well-positioned for at least a victory of sorts on Nov. 6: He could be one of the few challengers nationwide to outspend an incumbent lawmaker. That may be small consolation, however. His opponent, Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Los Angeles), remains heavily favored to retain the 23rd Congressional District seat he has held since 1977. And the veteran lawmaker's followers insist that Salomon's dollars haven't made a dent.