Race Issue

Since the introduction last week of Sonia Sotomayor, Republican senators wary of attacking the first Latino Supreme Court nominee have lashed out at conservatives in their party who branded the would-be justice a racist and have even predicted a smooth confirmation.

A college dean at an elite Vermont university confronts her own racist leanings in "Spinning Into Butter," a drama that will work or not largely depending if you thought "Crash" was revelatory or risible. This film adaptation of Rebecca Gilman's play has taken a circuitous route to the screen, despite Sarah Jessica Parker's headlining presence. Completed in 2006, the film finally arrives months after Americans have elected their first black president.

Following are answers to questions posed by The Times to the candidates in the June 5 Republican primary in the 36th Assembly District. Contenders Assemblyman Tom McClintock, 33, (R-Thousand Oaks) was first elected in 1982 at age 26. He is the lead Republican on the Judiciary Committee. He has been a newspaper columnist and administrative assistant to state Sen. Ed Davis (R-Santa Clarita).

A look at the key issues in the race for the governor: Immigration Illegal immigration was seized on early by Wilson as a central issue of his reelection, and it has been a key battleground of the gubernatorial campaign. The incumbent governor supports Proposition 187, which would cut off non-emergency health care and public education from illegal immigrants, and would require medical and educational personnel to report those suspected of being in the country illegally.

Tired of the same old pancakes and waffles in California's U. S. Senate race? Fed up with getting to know Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston and his Republican challenger, Rep. Ed Zschau, through slick television ads? How about some televised debates in which the issues of the day could be discussed "in the tradition of . . . Lincoln-Douglas"? That is what Zschau proposed Wednesday as he announced that he is disappointed with the first month of his battle with Cranston.

Following are edition-time results of state elections across the country Tuesday. The results have been compiled from Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters and the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service: ALABAMA MONTGOMERY--Democratic Sen. Howell Heflin, 69, the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, rolled over Republican challenger Bill Cabaniss to win a third term. With 86% of the precincts reporting, Heflin had 61% of the votes to Cabaniss' 39%.

Orange County voters on Nov. 5 will consider potentially historic change at Santa Ana City Hall, more than $804 million in school bond measures and a host of other decisions that will affect everything from their tax bills to the location of the next South County Home Depot. Mayors in Irvine, Garden Grove and Westminster are seeking reelection, and in Anaheim a former state lawmaker and two council members are competing in a tough mayoral race.

More than 100 Southern California high school students, including some from eight Westside schools, will meet in the San Bernardino Mountains Sunday to discuss race relations, sexism and homophobia. The weeklong camp, called Brotherhood/Sisterhood USA, is sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Students from about 30 Southern California high schools will address racial stereotypes, gender issues, homophobic attitudes and cultural differences that can cause tension.

Six years ago, when Harvey Gantt first tried to wrest Jesse Helms' Senate seat away from him in North Carolina, he lost, many said, because of the color of his skin. Helms unleashed a barrage of racially inflammatory television commercials as the close contest came to an end and defeated Gantt by 6 percentage points. Now Gantt is trying again to unseat Helms, the Senate's 74-year-old paragon of hard-line conservatism.

The Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, the city agency taking the lead in trying to defuse tensions at a San Fernando Valley elementary school, is also the subject of a new report concluding that the agency lacks focus and has done little more than produce a calendar and an essay contest.