The final showdown over President Clinton’s impeachment probably won’t be fought in Washington, but in Glendale and the eastern San Fernando Valley during the coming race to represent the 27th Congressional district.

Already leading the nation in campaign donations, the battle between U.S. Rep. James Rogan, R-Glendale, and state Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, is destined to become one of the nation’s most closely watched contests. Yet even though the primary is over, the candidates have hardly started campaigning and shaking hands with voters.

Rogan was one of 13 managers on the House Judiciary Committee who voted to impeach the president last year, and has been outspoken about his role.

“Part of what is going on (in the race) is Rogan’s role in the impeachment,” said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political consultant and professor at Claremont McKenna College. “Democrats are angry, and Republicans want to support him.”

That attention has given a boost to both campaigns.

“There are really two races going on,” said Schiff. “One is in the district for the hearts and minds of the constituents, and the other was primarily initiated by Rogan at the conclusion of the impeachment trial, with him cashing in as a house manager and turning what should be a local race national.”

Rogan counters that it was the media that placed the race in the national spotlight.

“Sure, impeachment is going to come up during the campaign,” he said. “My opponent jumped in to ride the tidal wave of opposition (by Democrats) against me.”

Judging by campaign contributions, Rogan still has plenty of support. As of Dec. 31, he had raised $2.96 million for his campaign, with more than 30 percent coming from outside the district. Meanwhile, Schiff reported collecting $1.13 million as of Dec. 31.

Both candidates ran unopposed in last week’s primary, with an eye toward going head-to-head in the November general election.

Changing district

Schiff was an assistant U.S. attorney when he beat Republican Assemblywoman Paula Boland in 1996 for the 21st Senate district seat. He helped author legislation aimed at HMO and education reform as well as a bill to complete the Blue Line light-rail extension to Pasadena.

Rogan spent years as a deputy district attorney, Municipal Court judge and assemblyman before winning the congressional seat in 1996. He has been aided in his reelection bid by Republican fund raising aimed at helping House impeachment managers caught in tight races.

While most managers are based in Republican-safe districts, Rogan and a couple of others come from districts fairly evenly divided along party lines, putting them in a more vulnerable position as the GOP tries to hold onto its House majority.

The race has also become a priority for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is gunning to wrest six seats from GOP control and regain control of the House.

“It’s one of the No. 1 seats targeted,” said Art Torres, chair of the California Democratic Party, who once held the same state Senate seat as Schiff. “The Democratic challenger lost by just three (percentage) points in 1998. Registration is changing in the district, demographics are changing.”

Registration is now 45 percent Democrat and 39 percent Republican, with Democrats gaining another 1 to 2 percent each year.

Allan Hoffenblum, a former GOP strategist who publishes the Congressional Target Book, said Rogan was almost guaranteed to be a target for the Democrats because of those registration numbers.

“Rogan would be targeted even if he didn’t say anything,” Hoffenblum said. “He needs to run his campaign based on personality, style and charisma. He’s got a great story born on welfare, put himself through college and made it.”

Schiff, on the other hand, needs to campaign on impeachment and party issues, Hoffenblum believes.

Primary successes

Both sides characterized last week’s primary results as good news for their respective campaigns.

Schiff came away with a slight edge, pulling 49.1 percent of the overall vote compared to 47 percent for Rogan.

But a spokesman for Rogan said the fact that the congressman’s tally exceeded the district’s 39 percent Republican registration made it a good showing. With Rogan apparently picking up some conservative Democrats and independents, as he had hoped, it could be a tight race in November.

The Schiff camp also welcomed the primary results, pointing out that his edge in the results is even more impressive because the election drew more Republicans than Democrats.

Thus far, Schiff’s campaign has sought to paint Rogan as a right-wing Republican, comparing him to Bob Dornan, the former Republican congressman in Orange County.

Rogan said that despite the district’s demographic shift, issues like improving education, shoring up Social Security and attracting investors to economically disadvantaged areas are things that all voters support.

“The district has changed demographically, but the values don’t change,” he said.”