Cory Makes It Official; Race Is On for His Job

SACRAMENTO — Veteran state Controller Kenneth Cory officially announced his retirement from public office Thursday, touching off a game of political musical chairs as at least a half-dozen Democrats were considering running for the job, a possible steppingstone to the governorship.

“Contrary to the common perception that public officials have an insatiable lust for public office, I believe most of us struggle with this decision each time we are faced with it,” Cory said in a prepared statement announcing that he would not seek a fourth term.

Cory quietly left the state early Thursday for a business meeting in New York, leaving the statement and his top aides to answer questions about his surprise decision to retire from the office he has held for 11 years.

Cory said he weighed several factors including “some important family business” and his desire to finish his term “without the distraction” of a campaign.

He contended that public opinion polls “strongly indicate” that he would win reelection, but he added that “other considerations” figured more prominently in his decision to step aside.

Dan Stanford, a GOP candidate for controller and former Fair Political Practices Commission chairman who has charged Cory with a long list of improprieties, likened Cory’s exit to the flight of former Philippines President Ferdinand E. Marcos. “He intends to slip out of government with his ill-gotten gain,” Stanford charged during an early morning news conference.

In the state Capitol, more people were concerned with the vacancy and who will fill it than with the circumstances of Cory’s retirement.

With today being the deadline to officially file for the June 3 primary, Cory’s sudden decision caught almost everyone by surprise, except Democratic Assemblyman Gray Davis of Los Angeles, who huddled briefly with Cory on Wednesday and reportedly won the support of such influential Democrats as Assembly Speaker Willie Brown of San Francisco and state Treasurer Jesse M. Unruh.

That powerful support, however, did not clear the field for Davis, and by Thursday afternoon a number of other Democrats said they were at least considering a run in the only statewide race this year without an incumbent.

Those announcements in turn were expected to touch off a desperate scramble among political hopefuls on the local level for seats those officials might abandon in their quest for the controller’s job.

State Sen. Art Torres (D-South Pasadena), who said he was leaning “very strongly” toward running for controller, found himself the subject of much discussion for his potential to become California’s first Latino statewide officeholder in this century. Sen. Rose Ann Vuich (D-Dinuba), the first woman elected to the Senate, was being touted as a draw for women voters.

Others who said they were considering the race included Sen. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), who ran second to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley in the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary; Sen. Daniel E. Boatwright (D-Concord) and Assemblyman Alister McAlister (D-Fremont).

Elsewhere, Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said he is thinking about running. Sen. William Campbell of Hacienda Heights, who was at home recuperating from gall bladder surgery, scheduled a press conference today to announce if he will add his name to the list of Republicans vying for the controller’s job.

Generally, it was a day for political posturing as politicians who days ago were content to run for reelection to their own seats suddenly saw an opening they could not resist.

Boatwright, the first to take out papers for the race, got the ball rolling with a blast at Davis. He vowed to make an issue of Davis’ former job as Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s chief of staff during the time when Brown appointed California Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird to the state Supreme Court.

“I think Gray Davis is going to be saddled with the image of Jerry Brown,” Boatwright told reporters. “He has endorsed Rose Bird. Basically, if you liked Jerry Brown, you’ll love Gray Davis.”

Davis, who has more than $1 million in campaign contributions, said he will not make a final decision on running until some time today. Contending that it would be “premature” to respond to Boatwright’s criticism, Davis, however, said: “If I do enter the campaign, I hope it can be conducted on a little higher plane.”

Torres, who has been mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate, is the only senator expressing an interest in the controller’s race who would have to give up a seat to run.

But Torres said he does not consider that an important factor, adding that he already has a commitment of support from Mayor Bradley, who is running in the Democratic primary for governor. Torres said he also was encouraged to run by Speaker Brown.

“It may well be time to test the waters in California and see where the Democratic Party really stands on Hispanics,” Torres said, noting that no Latino has held statewide office in California in recent history.

Cory, whose career has been peppered by controversy, gave no indication of his future plans in his statement Thursday. Nor did he respond to charges lodged by GOP candidate Stanford that he had illegally pocketed $300,000 in campaign contributions.

Stanford, however, took credit for driving Cory out of office and said he will continue to focus his campaign on the incumbent controller even though he is not running for reelection.

Cory has weathered a variety of political storms since he was elected controller in 1974 as “the man the oil companies fear most.” He was criticized for appointing relatives of major campaign donors to lucrative jobs, for advocating questionable pension fund investment deals and for his ties to major campaign backers.

In his statement, however, Cory pointed to his accomplishments, including settlement of a longstanding suit against the Bank of America that could return as much as $80 million to the state and the recovery of $190 million in oil price overcharges.

The scramble is on for Gray Davis’ Assembly seat in the affluent 43rd District. Part II, Page 1.