Alatorre Vs. Snyder: Title Match to Settle Old Scores

It may not make the world forget Dempsey vs. Tunney, but there’s a political brawl shaping up on Los Angeles’ Latino Eastside that could be a classic.

In one corner is City Councilman Arthur K. Snyder, 52, the colorful and controversial Anglo who has represented the 14th District for 17 years. He has beaten all his Latino challengers in four regular elections and two recall votes, earning a reputation as the toughest politician in City Hall.

In the other corner is Assemblyman Richard Alatorre, 41, the colorful and controversial Latino who has represented the same area for 13 years in the California Legislature, where he has earned a reputation as one of the toughest politicians in Sacramento.

These two formidable foes had co-existed peacefully for almost a decade while representing closely aligned districts that include the communities of Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park and Eagle Rock. (Snyder’s territory extends further south into Boyle Heights; Alatorre’s includes South Pasadena and a small part of Pasadena.)

The one other time that they came close to meeting head on was in 1975. Alatorre helped a bright, young Latino aide to Rep. Edward R. Roybal--the senior member of the city’s Latino political Establishment--run against Snyder that year. When Snyder dispatched him as easily as he had other Latino challengers, an uneasy but effective truce was declared between the Anglo councilman and the Latino Establishment.

The uneasy truce lasted until 1983, when a political neophyte with little money, city planner Steve Rodriguez, stunned Snyder by almost forcing him into a runoff election. Rodriguez could not deliver a knockout punch, but he rocked Snyder back on his heels and made him look vulnerable.

Fearing that the highly visible council seat might fall into the hands of a political upstart, Alatorre moved to take advantage of the situation. When Rodriguez organized a recall campaign against Snyder last year, forcing him into a special election, Alatorre encouraged Louis Moret, a former aide, to run also.

Unfortunately for Alatorre, Snyder regained his form and easily defeated both Moret and Rodriguez. But the fight took something out of Snyder. And the latest Snyder controversy--allegations that he molested his 9-year-old daughter several years ago--also has taken its toll.

At the start of this year Snyder stunned City Hall by suddenly announcing that he had wearied of the constant stress and controversy of his job and would resign July 1. It was hard to believe that he would give up so easily, but the scramble to claim his seat began almost immediately--just in case.

Rodriguez announced his candidacy within days. Several other Latino officeholders and community activists also began assessing their chances. But most of that activity screeched to a halt two weeks ago when Alatorre announced that he wanted Snyder’s job.

Some observers speculated that Alatorre’s announcement was just a bluff, designed to frighten away upstarts like Rodriguez who might be tempted to claim a prize that presumably belongs to the Latino Establishment. But I am convinced that Alatorre is serious.

The assemblyman has begun a methodical campaign to dissuade potential rivals from running for the council seat, and to mend his fences with politicians and activists with whom he has feuded in the past, including farm labor leader Cesar Chavez and U.S. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Los Angeles), who controls the potent Berman-Waxman political machine on the city’s Westside.

Alatorre is heavily lobbying the council, hoping to persuade at least eight of its 15 members to appoint him to finish Snyder’s term. In case the council decides to fill the vacancy through a special election, he is raising money for a vigorous campaign.

Like a boxer in training, Alatorre is gearing up for a shot at the 14th District title. With his reputation and experience he looks like a sure-fire winner, and the city’s Latino activists are, with few exceptions, rallying to his support, convinced that they must unite behind a single candidate if a Latino is to be elected to the council for the first time in more than 20 years.

But what if Snyder doesn’t resign? I am among the skeptics who would not be surprised if he changed his mind. Certainly the petitions conveniently being circulated in the 14th District, asking him to stay on, would give him a handy reason to do so.

If that happens, Alatorre can of course remain in the state Assembly. But things are never that simple in Latino politics. For, by staking his claim to Snyder’s seat publicly, Alatorre has raised expectations among the city’s Latino activists. They see the 14th District seat finally within their grasp. Alatorre will have to follow through on his pledge to win it--if not this year, then in 1987, when Snyder runs for reelection--or risk losing their respect and possibly even their support.

Both Snyder and Alatorre like their reputations as macho politicians, and they earned them. But they also have been smart enough to avoid taking each other on, until now.

Whatever Snyder’s motives may have been, when he said that he would leave office he let down his guard for a moment--just long enough to tempt Alatorre to try to grab his title as heavyweight champ of the Eastside. Now Alatorre is committed to that challenge, even if Snyder decides to stay in the ring.

The Eastside’s two macho politicians may have stumbled into the fight that neither wanted.