Bradley Takes All of Valley for 1st Time in 6 Campaigns

For the first time in six campaigns, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, a black liberal, captured a majority of votes in every area of the San Fernando Valley, including the predominantly white, conservative northwest Valley, according to a breakdown of Tuesday’s election results.

Bradley, who got 68% of the vote citywide to win reelection to a fourth term, received 56%, or 108,694 votes of 195,835 cast in six City Council districts that take in all or part of the Valley.

In five previous campaigns, including an ill-fated run for governor in 1982, Bradley collected a majority of the Valley vote only once--against the weak opposition of former Mayor Sam Yorty in 1981. Bradley had never carried the 12th District, the Valley’s most conservative.

Supporters Surprised

This year in that district, however, Bradley edged out his chief opponent--Councilman John Ferraro, also a Democrat--by 17,196 votes (50%) to 16,378 (47%), with the remaining vote split among other candidates.

On Wednesday, political supporters of both Bradley and Ferraro said they were surprised by the vote in 12th District, represented by Councilman Hal Bernson.

“I’m surprised,” Bernson said. “Apparently, the Ferraro people didn’t get the message out, or people didn’t feel strongly enough about the issues.” Bernson, who was the only council member to endorse Ferraro, said Bradley’s victory in his district was a result of public perceptions that Bradley played an instrumental role in last summer’s staging of the Olympics.

Mike Gage, Bradley’s campaign manager, also said he also was surprised by the vote in the 12th District.

“I honestly didn’t expect to carry the 12th District,” Gage said. “It wasn’t because the campaign did anything (there).” Gage said campaign strategists concentrated in less conservative areas where the mayor has enjoyed stronger support.

Doris (Dodo) Meyer, Bradley’s Valley administrative coordinator, Wednesday called the mayor’s strong showing in the Valley a “major triumph.”

Considered Ferraro Turf

“This is where the enemy was coming to gather their troops,” Meyer said in an interview, noting that Ferraro had considered the Valley the most fertile ground for his campaign.

Meyer attributed Bradley’s strong showing in the Valley to “the strength of the candidate himself.”

“People believe he’s done a good job,” she said.

Rep. Bobbi Fiedler (R-Chatsworth), who also had endorsed Ferraro, said she was “extremely disappointed” that Bradley was reelected.

“But unfortunately we faced a situation where the opponent simply wasn’t able to articulate the issues well enough to persuade the public there ought to be a change,” she said.

Fiedler also said that Bradley’s strong showing in the Valley does not signal any change in the attitudes of Valley voters.

“Valley residents simply didn’t feel strongly about the election, and it takes a strong, competitive campaign to persuade the public at large to change an incumbent,” she said.

Several Valley council members suggested that Bradley simply worked harder to win the Valley vote than did Ferraro.

West Valley Councilwoman Joy Picus, a Democrat who was reelected Tuesday, pointed out that Bradley had made more personal appearances in the Valley than Ferraro.

“I saw Tom out here a lot,” she said, adding, “Ferraro’s campaign never managed to take shape.”

Bradley Better Known

Mid-Valley Councilman Ernani Bernardi also suggested that Bradley was better known in the Valley than Ferraro, who represents the Wilshire district.

Ferraro, interviewed at Wednesday’s council meeting, said, “I campaigned quite a bit in the Valley.

“You’ve got to give Bradley the credit,” he said. “He’s a very popular guy.”

Gage added that Bradley also had a greater number of volunteers calling on voters for support than Ferraro, who Gage said relied more on campaign mailers and television commercials.

Councilman Howard Finn, who represents the northeast Valley, said Valley voters were turned off by Ferraro’s campaign of “negativism” against Bradley.

‘Sick of Negativism’

“People are sick of negativism,” Finn said. “I think people wanted to see something positive, and I think the Bradley campaign was very positive.”

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Bradley declined to separate his showing in the Valley from other areas of the city.

“I have worked very hard for 12 years in every region of this city,” he said.

In other Valley districts, Bradley defeated Ferraro in the northeast Valley’s 1st District, represented by Finn, 14,606 (56%) to 10,531 (41%); in the West Valley’s 3rd District, represented by Picus, 18,601 (53%) to 15,030 (43%), and in the mid-Valley’s 7th District, represented by Bernardi, 14,501 (55%) to 10,513 (40%).

In Joel Wachs’ 2nd District, which takes in Sherman Oaks and Studio City and extends over the mountains to include areas outside the Valley, Bradley defeated Ferraro, 19,527 (60%) to 12,371 (37%).

Bradley also defeated Ferraro 24,263 (60%) to 14,398 (36%) in Marvin Braude’s 11th District, which includes areas south of the Ventura Freeway and west of the San Diego Freeway, but also extends across the mountains to other areas of the city.