‘Never Say Never,’ Bradley Says of Governorship Race : Sees Large Party Role in Future

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, happy and confident the day after his reelection victory, declined to rule himself out as a 1986 candidate for governor today, saying, “I will never put myself in the position of saying never.”

“Times change, circumstances change,” Bradley told a City Hall press conference after his fourth-term victory over City Councilman John Ferraro.

Bradley declined to commit himself to a return match against Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, who narrowly defeated him in 1982.

“No, I’m not planning on running for governor,” he said, repeating what he had often said during the campaign when defending himself against Ferraro’s charge that he was more interested in running for governor than being mayor.

Position in Party

But he made it clear that he considers himself a dominant figure in the Democratic Party today--just as he did before his victory over Ferraro.

Asked about complaints by Bradley detractors in the party that he would be a sure loser against Deukmejian and should give way to a new face in 1986, Bradley said, “I didn’t agree with (those) statements made before.”

To another questioner, who wondered if his landslide victory would reaffirm his party power, Bradley said, “I never thought I was down.”

As the questions on the governorship continued, Bradley said jokingly, “Someone last night said I should set my sights higher, run for national office. But it’s too early to talk about that, with President Reagan sitting in his office.”

No Need for Bitterness

Bradley made it clear he was putting his bitter campaign exchanges with Ferraro behind him.

“The campaign is over,” he said. “As far as I am concerned, that is behind us.”

Nor did he express unhappiness at Ferraro’s campaign plan, which went after Bradley in a tough fashion that prompted several Bradley advisers to say Ferraro was just a front for Republicans trying to weaken Bradley for 1986.

“I don’t feel bloody and I don’t feel soft,” he said, when asked if he believed Ferraro was trying to “bloody him up or soften him up.”

Bradley said that while he was happy with his victory, it does not rank as high in his memory as the 1973 election that made him mayor, which was a difficult victory over Sam Yorty after a 1969 loss to Yorty.

This win, he said, “didn’t have the same flavor, the same touch.”