Watson Joins Race for Supervisor; Vows to Turn Spotlight on Sheriff

Formally declaring her candidacy for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, state Sen. Diane Watson on Friday pledged, if elected, to bring the Sheriff’s Department under greater scrutiny.

The Los Angeles Democrat kicked off her campaign for the non-partisan 2nd Supervisorial District seat at a church rally before about 100 supporters, including a number of prominent political and religious leaders in South Los Angeles.

Watson is the first big name to jump into the June election to succeed retiring 10-term Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.

Former Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, an African-American who was appointed to the board in 1979 but lost her seat in 1980, said she is leaning toward running. Reps. Maxine Waters and Julian Dixon bowed out of the race Thursday. Filing does not open until February.

“I run because the Sheriff’s Department is out of control,” said Watson, voicing a more critical view of the department than did Hahn, who has been a staunch defender of Sheriff Sherman Block. Watson, however, avoided any direct criticism of the popular Hahn.

Because of the demographics and past voting patterns of the district, it is likely the race will produce the county’s first black elected supervisor.

One Watson supporter, Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, a black and a critic of Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, said: “It would be good to have someone who looks like me standing up strong on the county side dealing with Sheriff Block.”

Besides greater scrutiny of the Sheriff’s Department, Watson cited as campaign issues improved health care for the poor, better programs for the homeless and the mentally ill, and greater accountability over county spending.

“Los Angeles County is changing in front of our eyes every day,” Watson told the crowd. “The demographics say that the Board of Supervisors can no longer represent one race. It must be reflective of those who make up Los Angeles County.”

The Board of Supervisors was an all-white, all-male enclave until earlier this year when Gloria Molina was elected as the board’s first Latina in this century.

Watson, who turns 58 on Nov. 12, was the first black woman elected to the Los Angeles school board--in 1975--and to the state Senate in 1979.

Among those announcing support for Watson were the Rev. Cecil Murray of First AME Church; Bishop E. Lynn Brown of Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; former Councilmen Dave Cunningham and Bob Farrell and school board member Barbara Boudreaux.

Watson has hired former City Council aide Rick Taylor as her political consultant and Marcela Howell, who ran Councilwoman Ruth Galanter’s successful 1987 campaign, as her campaign manager.