Bradley Announces for 5th Term on TV Talk Program

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley declared Friday night that he would seek an unprecedented fifth term in 1989, saying he would take out papers on Monday “to establish a committee to run for mayor again.”

The announcement on Joan Rivers’ syndicated late-night television show confirmed what the mayor has been hinting at since shortly after his defeat in the 1986 governor’s race. Bradley said then he was “damn close” to announcing another race for mayor.

Maureen Kindel, president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works and one of Bradley’s closest advisers, said the mayor will file papers with the city clerk that declare his intention to run, enabling him “to start raising money toward that end.”

“Frankly, I’m not ready to retire,” Bradley, 69, said on Rivers’ show. “I can’t give it up.”

Rivers, a Republican, told the Democratic mayor that she would vote for him. The mayor had planned the appearance on Rivers’ show months ago, his press aide Ali Webb said backstage, and he simply chose the opportunity to announce his candidacy because he and the comedienne are old friends.

The TV show hostess played a similar role after the broadcast, traveling several blocks down Sunset Boulevard from her Hollywood studio to co-host with Bradley a $250-a-plate dinner at Scandia to help pay off the nearly $1-million debt run up during his failed gubernatorial bid.

At Scandia, Bradley elaborated on his decision to announce for another term.

“For weeks, people have been asking me to run again, urging me to run again,” he said. “So I thought, ‘What the heck.’ I thought the show tonight would be a good occasion.”

Asked how his decision might affect others eyeing the mayoral post, Bradley replied: “I didn’t consult with anybody. I didn’t weigh the issue.”

In announcing that he will run two years from now, Bradley pointed to his role in the 1984 Olympics, the refurbishment of Los Angeles’ International Airport and the construction of a new international terminal, and the ground breaking for Metro Rail, the city’s mass transit system.

Boasts About Water

Bradley, who campaigned in part on environmental issues in his loss last year to Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, also boasted about Los Angeles’ water, handing Rivers a bottle of city tap water that the January issue of Consumer Reports called the “finest” in the nation.

While Bradley adopted the environmental issue during his previous campaign, he has also been heavily criticized for tainted water flowing from Los Angeles’ water treatment facility that is polluting Santa Monica Bay.

A Times study of November election returns showed that Bradley’s support among black and Jewish voters in Los Angeles--the core of his support--weakened significantly in his loss to Deukmejian.

Lost Some Jewish Support

Bradley lost support in heavily Jewish areas and failed to inspire voter turnout in many black areas. Despite a concerted campaign effort in Los Angeles’ black community to turn out a heavy vote for Bradley, that vote did not materialize in force.

The mayor has been trying to solidify his traditional base of support, which includes environmentalists who have grown increasingly wary of the mayor over his support of controversial projects.