Holden Says He Won’t Run for Mayor

Saying he lacks the time and money to run a campaign and that he fears his candidacy could divide the city, Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden announced Monday that he has reluctantly decided not to enter the race for mayor.

But Holden, an outspoken City Hall maverick who ran unsuccessfully in the last two mayoral contests, promised to continue his frequent attacks on Mayor Richard Riordan and his administration.

“The selling of our city must come to a halt. Unless there’s some change made, the city will become Third World and as poor as East St. Louis,” Holden said, stopping short of endorsing state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles), who filed papers Monday declaring his intent to run. “Mayor Riordan should not by any circumstances have a free ride--I would have thrown myself in front of a train rather than let him have a free ride. I’m glad the mayor will not go unchallenged. He has a major opponent facing him.”

Although Holden is sitting out the spring election, 92 candidates have declared their intentions to run for mayor, city attorney, city controller, eight City Council slots, three seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District board and three Los Angeles Community College board posts in this spring’s election. To get their names on the April 8 ballot, candidates must return nominating petitions with signatures of at least 500 registered voters in their district--or voters citywide for mayor, city attorney and controller candidates--by Feb. 3.

Political experts said Monday that Holden’s decision not to enter the mayoral contest probably will help Hayden by consolidating whatever anti-Riordan sentiment is out there behind one candidate. But a one-on-one contest also means that Hayden has to rally voters by April 8, the primary, unless the no-name candidates get enough support to deny either major candidate a majority, triggering a June 3 runoff.

“It’s good news for Hayden,” said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the Claremont Graduate School, noting that Holden was recently exonerated in a sexual harassment lawsuit. “It’s almost as though somebody talked to Holden, or Holden sat down and did the inevitable list and decided that if he truly wanted to give Riordan a scare, it did not help to divide the anti-Riordan vote. [Holden] doesn’t have the money, he does have the baggage, and Hayden has a jump on him.”

Hayden’s spokesman Rocky Rushing agreed that Holden’s backing out “simplifies the choice,” especially for African Americans.

“Nate Holden votes would be anti-Riordan votes, and we’re confident we can get those votes,” Rushing said. “It’s a Hayden plus.”

Riordan campaign consultant Bill Carrick also welcomed the news.

“I’d rather have one-on-one than multiple candidates,” he said. “Let’s get to April 8th and get it over with. It’s probably better for the city that you don’t drag this out.”

As the deadline for taking out candidate papers passed Monday, most of those on the wannabe list appeared to be perennial longshots, little-knowns and incumbents facing weak or no opposition. A total of 19 candidates tossed their hats in the ring for the city’s chief executive job, ranging from a bus driver to an actor to a railroad worker, though only two are considered contenders.

But the top of the ballot promises head-to-head battles: Hayden versus Riordan, and former Airport and Planning Commissioner Ted Stein, an Encino lawyer-developer, against City Atty. James K. Hahn. Hayden and Hahn have applied for government matching funds for their political contributions, which limits the total amount of money they can raise as well as the amounts they can donate personally, and requires them to debate opponents. Riordan and Stein have not applied for the funds.

Stein--who, like the mayor, is a millionaire--said he was unsure how much of his own fortune he would invest in the race. But he said he would probably need to surpass the $300,000 primary spending limit to overcome Hahn’s name identification, which traces back to his father, longtime county Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.

“In order for me to get my message out . . . it’s necessary to spend a sufficient amount of money to communicate with the voters,” Stein said. “I don’t think that the taxpayers of the city of Los Angeles should be paying for political campaigns when we have the structural deficit in the city budget which, in effect, takes police officers off the street.”

Otherwise, the most competitive race probably will be in the Westside’s 11th District. City Councilman Marvin Braude is retiring after three decades at City Hall. Some political observers believe that this will be a fight between former City Hall staffers Georgia Mercer and Cindy Miscikowski, although seven others have filed papers, including Mark Isler, a television commentator; homicide Det. Ed Hale; Craig Steven Bloom, who listed himself as a Pennsylvania lawyer; and Russ Cook, who was kicked off the Animal Regulation Commission last year after repeated blowups with his colleagues, one of which resulted in Cook getting hit with a water bottle at a public meeting.

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The race could be expensive: Miscikowski said she has already raised $166,000, Mercer says she has $100,000. The campaign has been going on quietly for months.

On Monday, Miscikowski challenged Mercer to run “an honest and fair campaign” and to promise not to mention the name of any other candidate; Mercer responded with a challenge of her own, asking Miscikowski to sign a pledge to focus only on the issues.

Though all the council races are being contested, the incumbents are mainly being challenged by perennial candidates or people little-known in local politics. Richard Alarcon and Mike Feuer have one opponent, while Laura Chick has two, Jackie Goldberg and Mike Hernandez have three, and Rudy Svorinich Jr. and Rita Walters face four challengers.

City Controller Rick Tuttle also faces two potential opponents, health care worker Virginia Garza and businessman Michael D. Margolin, for the $107,877-a-year post charged with writing city checks and auditing government departments.

For the school board, which sets policy for the 670,000-student LAUSD and controls its $5-billion budget, incumbents Victoria Castro and Julie Korenstein are expected to dominate their races; only Korenstein faces opposition, with three opponents.

The third seat is being vacated by Mark Slavkin, who has decided to seek a better-paying job in the private sector. That race is expected to be dominated by attorney Kenneth Sackman, a district parent; former mayoral aide and teacher Valerie Fields, and Diana Dixon-Davis, a San Fernando Valley activist who backed the breakup of the sprawling district.

The three Community College District seats have attracted a total of 24 candidates, including two incumbents, a civil engineer, a military officer, a children’s social worker and a City Council deputy, a police lieutenant and a graduate student.

Times staff writers Hugo Martin and Amy Pyle contributed to this story.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Key City Races

Ninety-two candidates filed declarations before Monday’s deadline for entering municipal races. Some key candidates:

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Mayor

City Attorney

11th Council District

Former City Hall staffers Georgia Mercer and Cindy Miscikowski are among those hoping to replace Marvin Braude, who is retiring.

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City Controller

Incumbent Rick Tuttle will be challenged by businessman Michael D. Margolin, as well as health care worker Virginia Garza.

* Full list of candidates, B3

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Los Angeles City Campaign ’97

Here is a list of those declaring their intention by Monday’s deadline to run in Los Angeles municipal elections. Candidates have until Feb. 3 to collect a minimum of 1,000 signatures of registered voters in their district--or citywide for mayor, city attorney and controller candidates--or pay a $300 filing fee and collect 500 signatures. Descriptions are the candidates’ own.

Mayor

Stanley Franklin Allen, manager real

property

Phillip Asmallah, engineer and architect

Martin Luther King Aubrey, government employee

Sandra G. Baker, county employee

John E. Bishop, not listed

Kwame A. Boateng, consultant, paralegal

James P. Dunlap, clerk, actor, writer

Derek Armand Fuchs, inventor,

astrologist, musician

Tom Hayden, senator, author, teacher

Craig A. Honts, railroad worker

G. Juan Johnson, legal researcher

Candido Marez, business owner, volunteer

Orleans Victor McFoy, attorney

Sandra Noble, civil rights activist

Andre Ruben Perez, transit bus operator

Richard J. Riordan, incumbent

Leonard Shapiro, newspaperman,

community volunteer

Stephen Staats, entertainment

industry representative

Warren D. Williams, community planner,

organizer

City Attorney

James Kenneth Hahn, incumbent

Ted Stein, attorney

City Controller

Virginia Garza, health care worker

Michael D. Margolin, businessman

Rick Tuttle, incumbent

City Council District 1

Gilbert Carrasco, association

executive director

Jean “El Negro” Marie Durand, businessman

Mike Hernandez, incumbent

Rose Marie Lopez, retired council deputy

City Council District 3

Laura Chick, incumbent

Mort Diamond, small business advocate

Peter Ireland, administrator open-space agency

City Council District 5

Mike Feuer, incumbent

Elijah Rosenberg, real estate management

City Council District 7

Richard Alarcon, incumbent

Ollie M. McCaulley, businessman

City Council District 9

Floyd Ray Frazier, resource consultant

Addie Miller, human rights activist

Peter Torres, LAPD officer

Ben Veal, contractor

Rita D. Walters, incumbent

City Council District 11

Craig Steven Bloom, attorney, instructor

Russ Cook, real estate broker

Doug Friedman, public servant, administrator

Ed Hale, Los Angeles homicide detective

Mark Isler, businessman,

television commentator

Georgia Mercer, businesswoman, educator

James Watt McCormick, businessman

Cindy Miscikowski, community

planning advocate

Scott D. Wagenseller, businessman

City Council District 13

Jackie Goldberg, incumbent

Ted Neubauer, public relations specialist

Patricia Jean Parker, legal secretary

Jacqueline (Jacquie Lucky) Shabel,

entertainment industry executive

Gale Ellen Shangold, garment worker

City Council District 15

Mujahid Abdul-Karim, minister

Desiderio (DC) Chavez, community advocate

Diana Elizabeth Contreras, executive assistant

Dennis Kortheuer, university instructor,

activist

Rudy Svorinich Jr., incumbent

Board of Education District 2

Victoria M. Castro, incumbent

Board of Education District 4

Diana Dixon-Davis, demographer, community activist

Valerie Fields, educator, businesswoman

Debra Greenfield, small businesswoman

Kenneth J. Sackman, attorney, parent

volunteer

Board of Education District 6

Ethel Barnes, founder, law school

Billy Bauman, family rights advocate

Julie Korenstein, incumbent

Jeff Tung, businessperson, education

volunteer

Community College Board District 2

Charles Bergson, civil engineer

Elizabeth Garfield, incumbent

Andrew Kim, attorney, community advocate

Community College Board District 4

Kelly Candaele, community college teacher

Marilyn Grunwald, businesswoman,

education activist

Lewis Lester, City Council deputy

John Millhone, student youth advisor

Ross Moen, Los Angeles police lieutenant

Patrick K. Prinster, professor, businessperson,

attorney

Ron Alfonso Ramirez, not listed

James C. Regan, attorney, military officer

Tim Reuben, attorney

Marc Winters, academic trustee, businessman

Richard Yanez, children’s social worker

Community College Board District 6

Althea Baker, incumbent

Stephen C. Brecht, estate planner, author

Sonia Capadocia, teacher, educator

Roberto N. Galvan, graduate student,

educator

Eli Green, oil worker

Khalil Khalil, engineer

Lewis Lester, City Council deputy

Sirlord R. Morse, educator

Nancy Pearlman, community college

instructor

Charles Robert Sutton, attorney at law