Katz Plans to Run for State Senate

Former Assemblyman Richard Katz ended months of speculation about his career plans Friday by saying he wants to run for the state Senate seat currently occupied by Herschel Rosenthal (D-Van Nuys).

Katz, an influential Democratic legislator who once served as his party’s Assembly leader, confirmed that the Clinton administration had offered him a post heading the Federal Highway Administration. But he said he declined the offer in order to seek the Senate seat.

“The idea of living on the East Coast was just not attractive to me,” he said. “The Valley is where my family is.”

A federal appellate court is currently reviewing term limits for state officials. But if the limits are upheld, Rosenthal would be forced out of office when he finishes his current term next year.

Those same term limits forced Katz to leave the Assembly after 16 years, just after he helped mastermind the return of Assembly control to the Democrats.

Katz’s announcement ends months of uncertainty over his future. Toward the end of his last term in office, Katz said he was not sure what the future held for him.

A month after leaving Sacramento, Assembly Speaker Cruz Bustamante named Katz to the California Medical Commission, a job that pays $75,600 a year--the same salary he earned as a lawmaker.

Political observers and Katz’s colleagues had said he was holding out for a transportation post in the Clinton administration. As an assemblyman, Katz headed the Transportation Committee and was known as an expert in the field.

But when the White House offered him the job replacing Rodney Slater as head of the Federal Highway Administration, Katz said he declined because he wanted to stay closer to home.

To return to Sacramento, however, Katz may have to go head-to-head with his old friend, Los Angeles Councilman Richard Alarcon, who has also expressed interest in the Rosenthal post.

Katz said facing Alarcon would not deter him. “It wouldn’t bother me,” he said.

For his part, Alarcon said he would have to evaluate the competition, as well as other matters, before deciding whether to run for the Senate seat.

“I expect there to be another candidate,” Alarcon said. “But what is important is what the community wants.”

If the two were to be in a match, political pundits predict a hotly contested race that could strain their friendship.

“‘It’s going to be a war,” said political consultant Rick Taylor. “There will be a lot of negative mail.”

The 20th Senate District represented by Rosenthal is considered a Democratic stronghold. It stretches as far north as Sylmar, south to North Hollywood and west to Canoga Park.

The 39th Assembly District previously represented by Katz covers about half of Rosenthal’s district, mostly in the northeast Valley. In contrast, Alarcon’s 7th City Council District in the northeast Valley takes up about a quarter of the Senate district.

Political observers say Katz--who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1993--has stronger name identification than Alarcon and can use his Sacramento contacts to raise more campaign funds.

“I have to figure going in that Richard Katz has the name recognition and a broader fund-raising base,” said political consultant Larry Levine.

But Levine said the outcome of an Alarcon-Katz race may hinge on whether courts uphold Proposition 208, a tough new campaign finance law approved by voters in November. Without the new spending limits, Levine said Katz would “spend Alarcon blind.”

Another unknown element in the race is who Bustamante will support. The powerful speaker credits Katz for putting Democrats in power in the Assembly.

But pundits say Bustamante may also want to support Alarcon to help build up the growing ranks of Latino lawmakers in Sacramento.

Said Taylor: “I think the dynamics will be fascinating.”

If term limits are thrown out by the courts, Katz and Alarcon may face another strong contender: Rosenthal himself. The 78-year-old lawmaker would consider running for another term if the term limit law is eliminated, his staff said.