Questioned About Famous Father : Hope Launches Campaign for Congressional Seat

Just as Tony Hope strode into a hotel conference room Thursday to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for a San Fernando Valley congressional seat, his spokesman, Milan Radovich, noted that the candidate had been worried that the news media would not show up.

“But I told him with a name like Radovich, we’d draw them in,” the spokesman shouted above the noise of TV cameramen setting up their equipment.

It was a joke, perhaps the most fitting way to start the campaign of a 45-year-old attorney who happens to be the son of comedian Bob Hope.

Tony Hope, who was joined at the podium by his wife, Judith, his two teen-age children and his mother, Dolores, was asked almost as many questions about his father as he was about political issues.

Seeks Fiedler’s Seat

A San Fernando Valley native, Hope recently left his job in Washington, D.C., as a partner at Touche Ross & Co., a major national accounting firm. He said his father and other family members helped him decide to seek the seat being vacated by Rep. Bobbi Fiedler, who is running for U. S. Senate.

Hope recalled with a smile that, when he asked his father for support, the comedian responded: “How much will it cost me?”

Hope said he replied that, by law, his father must limit campaign contributions to $1,000.

When asked if the entertainer would campaign for him, candidate Hope said his father would encourage financial support from friends and acquaintances.

“I’ve found in business and law, and in Washington and here, all my life, having a famous father is an asset,” Hope said. “It will get me through the door, but what I get out of a situation is what I bring through the door.”

Reagan Supporter

During the press conference, Hope, who identifies himself as a conservative, voiced support for Reagan Administration policies. He endorses a strong defense policy and the so-called “Star Wars” initiative. He favors balancing the federal budget by cutting waste, not by increasing taxes. He supports the Administration’s policy in Nicaragua.

The candidate also agreed with Fiedler’s opposition to Metro Rail. “I think Metro Rail as it finally ended up is a disaster,” he said. “I think, quite frankly, it won’t work.”

Hope is running against Assemblyman Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley Mayor Elton Gallegly for the Republican nomination for the 21st District, which includes parts of the western San Fernando Valley, the Sunland-Tujunga area, eastern Ventura County and Santa Catalina Island.

Former Valley Rep. Barry Goldwater Jr. is considering entering the contest.

Hope, who has hired political consultant George Young as his campaign manager, predicted: “It’s going to be a tough race.”