Assemblyman Bradley Has Cancer : Low-Key Legislator Undergoes Surgery, Won’t Run Again

Republican Assemblyman Bill Bradley of San Marcos, a low-key legislator perhaps best known for his persistent attacks on the California Coastal Commission, has been hospitalized with cancer of the colon and liver, an aide disclosed Thursday.

Bradley, 66, intends to complete his current term in the Legislature but will not seek reelection, Herb Williams said at a news conference.

Williams, a political consultant to Bradley, said the assemblyman underwent surgery last Friday at an out-of-state hospital and expects to return home after at least 10 more days in the hospital.

Although the cancer in Bradley’s colon was successfully removed, his liver remains diseased, Williams said. He said Bradley is undergoing treatment involving the implantation of a pump that provides direct chemotherapy to his liver.

Williams would not reveal the name of Bradley’s doctor or the location of the hospital. He said the doctor’s diagnosis indicates that Bradley will live “two or more years.”

30 Years of GOP Service

After the Legislature convenes again in January, Bradley will decide whether his health allows him to continue to represent the 76th Assembly District, which covers much of eastern and northern Sam Diego County and parts of southern Riverside County.

Bradley served on the Republican State Central Committee and the California Republican Assembly during more than 30 years of service to the party. He has also held a number of positions in city government, including city manager, city engineer and city treasurer of San Marcos and director of public works for Coronado.

Bradley was elected to represent the heavily Republican 76th District in 1982.

One of Bradley’s first losing battles was an attempt to eliminate the California Coastal Commission. But the next year he rebounded and won passage of a bill reducing the commission’s control over agricultural land in Carlsbad, a change he pursued at the behest of Carlsbad developers.

“It’s a personal thing with me,” Bradley said a year ago of his relentless criticism of the coastal panel. “Having been a former bureaucrat, I know how they think. They have no regard for private property. They have no regard for the cost of development.”