Tuesday’s Election in Los Angeles County : Keysor and Lynch Vie in Heated Clash

In the closing days of a heated campaign for Los Angeles County assessor, former state Assemblyman Jim Keysor is hanging his victory hopes on a massive mail blitz, party-line loyalty and a questionable claim of being a “deputy assessor.”

Employing an unusual strategy in his battle with John J. Lynch, businessman Keysor has promoted himself as a top official in the assessor’s office on the strength of an appointment a few months ago as an unpaid, part-time adviser to Assessor Alexander Pope. Pope, a fellow Democrat and leading Keysor supporter, is leaving the office after an unsuccessful bid in June for the state Board of Equalization.

Lynch, a deputy assessor for 14 years, has labeled Keysor a “counterfeit.” But he has had to defend his qualifications to head the $45-million-a-year, 1,200-employee agency, which establishes the official taxable value on 2.1 million parcels of land in the county.

Keysor has attacked Lynch’s claim that he has the management experience necessary for the job. Keysor has characterized Lynch as an “entry-level” employee. He notes that despite Lynch’s tenure in the department, he is a low-level property appraiser who has not been given any management responsibility.

After months of challenging each other’s qualifications and integrity, the candidates have focused in the final days on reaching likely supporters.

Although the race is nonpartisan, Keysor, a Democrat, has picked up support from traditionally Democratic groups, including labor unions. His campaign aides note that Democrats make up nearly 57% of the county’s voters and that Keysor’s name will be carried on Democratic slate mailers going out to about 2 million households countywide.

“We expect to hold most of the Democrats and get some of the (independents) and Republicans,” said Steve Afriat, a Keysor campaign aide. Keysor, 58, is vice president of a family-owned plastics firm. He served several years in the state Assembly representing the east San Fernando Valley before being ousted in 1978 by a Republican challenger, J. Robert Hayes. He is stressing his legislative and management experience.

Has Spent Own Money

Most of the more than $360,000 that Keysor has spent pursuing the assessor’s job this year, including about $150,000 in a runoff election, has been his own money or personally guaranteed bank loans.

Lynch, a Republican, has spent about $100,000, including $44,000 in the runoff. He has received support from GOP groups and prominent fund-raisers, as well as several fellow deputy assessors.

Lynch said he hopes that a limited combination of mailers and radio commercials will help him repeat his surprise showing in the June primary election, when he topped a field of 12 candidates and won a runoff election slot against Keysor. Using the slogan, “Lynch the Assessor,” his message will be carried on about 300,000 pieces of mail and a spate of last-minute radio commercials, according to his campaign manager, Jack MacLean.

MacLean said attacks on Keysor will not be featured in the commercials. “We don’t even know who he is anymore,” he said.

Lynch, 49, a part-time attorney, is stressing his tenure in the assessor’s office and his endorsement by tax crusader Howard Jarvis, who died earlier this year.