Pubdate: Wed, 04 Nov 1998
Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat (CA)
Contact:  707/546-2020
Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/index.html
Copyright: 1998, The Press Democrat
Author: Mike Geniella, Press Democrat Bureau

VROMAN PULLS OFF UPSET IN MENDOCINO

UKIAH -- Mendocino County voters Tuesday elected Norman Vroman, a lawyer
who has twice filed for bankruptcy and served a federal prison term for
failing to pay income taxes, as the county's new District Attorney.

Lt. Tony Craver, who with Vroman during the campaign called for the
decriminalization of marijuana, won by a 58-42 percent margin over
challenger Lt. Phil Pintane.

Although early returns had the two veteran officers in a dead heat to
succeed retiring Sheriff Jim Tuso, Craver racked up big margins on the
coast and in outlying rural areas to take the race easily.

Vroman's 52-48 percent upset victory seemingly ended the political career
of Susan Massini, who suffered a crushing loss in 1996 at the polls when
she ran for Superior Court judge. Public Defender Ron Brown beat Massini
then by a 59-41 percent margin.

Despite that setback, Massini, one of the county's longest-serving district
attorneys and president-elect of the California District Attorneys
Association, decided to seek a fourth term.

On Tuesday, Vroman clung to a 927-vote margin out of more than 26,000 cast
in Tuesday's voting to defeat Massini.

"I'm very gratified in the trust and confidence that the voters of
Mendocino County have given me,''Vroman said early this morning.

Vroman, who contended all along that county voters would overlook his tax
and personal finance problems, pledged "not to betray them, nor violate
their trust.''

Tuesday's outcome stunned Massini and her supporters, who had been
bolstered by her strong performance in the June primary.

Massini then was the top vote-getter in a three-way race, capturing 44
percent of the vote compared to Vroman's 30 percent. Massini, who
positioned herself as the middle-of-road candidate, was expected to pick up
much of the support that went to conservative third primary candidate Al
Kubanis, who grabbed 26 percent of the vote.

Massini took an early lead in Tuesday's voting, as ballots from the inland
region were counted. But as coastal returns poured in, Massini fell behind
and never recovered the lead.

"I congratulate Mr. Vroman, and wish him well,'' Massini said early this
morning.

Massini said she was proud of her record, and her accomplishments during
her 12-year tenure as the county's top prosecutor.

Vroman served a nine-month prison term after being found guilty by a
federal jury of failing to pay federal income taxes. In addition, Vroman
piled up $1.3 million in tax liens, and filed for bankruptcy twice, most
recently in 1994.

But during his 18-month quest for district attorney, Vroman championed
himself as a "tax rebel,'' an image popular in a county where independence
from government regulation is prized. His stance in favor of
decriminalization of marijuana also proved popular in rural areas, where
the illicit weed remains the county's biggest cash crop.

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