Cunningham Warns Council Not to Tamper With His 10th District

Los Angeles City Councilman David Cunningham, who announced his resignation last week shortly after council members had approved a new redistricting plan, warned Monday against any attempts to tamper with his council district boundaries.

Cunningham, in his first formal news conference since submitting his resignation, joined officials of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored people in vowing to fight any efforts to sidetrack the new redistricting plan, which was adopted Friday when the council voted to override Mayor Tom Bradley’s veto.

Cunningham, who plans to leave office Sept. 30, told reporters that any move by his colleagues to redraw district lines and slice into his 10th Council District in Southwest Los Angeles would be fiercely opposed.

Raymond Johnson Jr., president of the NAACP in Los Angeles, agreed.

Prepared to Act

“The voters in this protected district can rest assured that the NAACP will do whatever is necessary to protect their interests. We will go into court, we will fight any attempts, we will also fight on the City Council floor if that should become necessary,” Johnson said.

Councilmen Ernani Bernardi and Joel Wachs, who were on the losing end of Friday’s 11-3 vote, are seeking ways to overturn the council action, either through an initiative proposed by Bernardi or in a plan by Wachs to draw new lines.

Although Wachs himself has expressed dim hopes about succeeding, Cunningham and Johnson promised an all-out fight against any changes that would affect not only Cunningham’s district--with its 44% black population--but other council districts with heavy minority populations.

Effect on Valley

In adopting the new redistricting plan, the council agreed to do away with the northeast San Fernando Valley’s 1st District--despite fierce opposition by Valley residents--and split the territory between Bernardi and Wachs. In the process, the council took away from both councilmen areas where each had enjoyed strong support.

Under a last-minute plan suggested Friday by Wachs but rejected by the council, new boundary lines would have cut into Cunningham’s 10th District. Wachs deputy Mark Siegel said Monday that Wachs’ plan would conform to the Voting Rights Act by increasing the percentage of blacks in the 10th District to 53%. Cunningham said the plan actually would diminish the influence of minorities in the city.

Siegel said Wachs probably will “informally go around” to council members today and see if there is an interest in his plan. “It’s probably going to be a situation where he runs it up the proverbial flagpole and sees if there’s any interest,” Siegel said.

Unless a council member from the victorious side calls for reconsideration, however, Friday’s vote will stand.

Cunningham, whose rumored departure had been a subject of intense speculation for days, submitted his resignation Friday only hours after the council vote overriding Bradley’s veto of the redistricting plan.

But on Monday, he refused to acknowledge reports that he had delayed his resignation until the redistricting matter was settled in order to protect his district.

“I’m not hooked on it,” Cunningham said of public life. “It’s been great. I’ve tried to do what I could. I came from private life, and I’m going back to private life.”

Considering Job Offers

Cunningham said he is weighing various job offers, and he told reporters he is “unequivocally, unalterably opposed to an appointee” to succeed him in his council post. When asked if he would endorse anybody in an election, Cunningham answered: “Time will tell. We’ll wait and see, right?”

Cunningham said some political hopefuls have spoken to him about the job, but he would not identify them.

Later, Bradley, who once represented the 10th District, said he also was not ready to endorse anyone for the seat.

“I think, just as they did when I was elected, there ought to be a community organization that will reach a consensus as to who the candidate will be,” he said.

Asked who was his favorite, Bradley joked: “I may run for it.”