Supervisor Hahn Launches Drive for His 10th Term

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, conceding that his health could become a reelection-year handicap, launched his campaign Thursday night for an unprecedented 10th term at a gathering of longtime supporters at a Century City fund-raiser.

Hahn’s appearance at the $300-a-plate Century Plaza dinner was his first public outing since he suffered a seizure Sept. 18, nine months after a stroke left him partly paralyzed.

“With God’s help and your support, I will serve better than ever,” Hahn told about 900 cheering supporters.

The dinner, featuring a guest appearance by singer Ray Charles and speeches by several prominent Democrats, was expected to net Hahn about $250,000 and raise the supervisor’s campaign treasury to $500,000, Hahn aide Dan Wolf said.

Hahn, 67, who won his first election 40 years ago--a seat on the Los Angeles City Council--said in an interview he expects no opposition, but will take nothing for granted and wage a full-fledged reelection campaign next year.

‘I Can Speak Out’

“The reason I didn’t want to retire and go into a convalescent home,” said Hahn, explaining his reelection decision, “is that (as supervisor) I can speak out on anything happening in the world. . . . I’m in a large urban area where the main social issues of America are debated.”

Hahn acknowledged that questions about his health may leave him vulnerable to campaign attack, but said, “Really, I don’t expect anybody to run against me.”

Hahn added: “If they’re going to knock me off, it’s going to be easier if (I have) one leg, one arm and (am) in a wheelchair.” Since his stroke on Jan. 11, despite months of therapy, Hahn’s left hand remains paralyzed and he has only limited use of his left leg. He is now taking medication that has prevented a recurrence of last month’s seizure.

Labor leader William Robertson, a longtime Hahn ally, said: “I haven’t heard any serious rumbles but when the sharks see blood out there, I wouldn’t be surprised if they build a case against him. But as long as Kenny Hahn can function, I see no serious threat to him being reelected.”

No Challengers

The veteran supervisor has been considered so politically invincible that not a single elected official has yet surfaced to challenge his domination of the heavily minority district that includes South-Central Los Angeles and the communities of Carson, Inglewood, Lawndale, Culver City, Hawthorne and Gardena. Since winning his supervisorial race in 1952, Hahn has won reelection eight times by margins averaging 85.3%. Hahn won reelection in 1984 with an 86.8% margin over three opponents.

Mentioned most prominently as a possible successor to Hahn, should the supervisor die in office or be forced to retire, is Rep. Julian Dixon (D-Inglewood). But Dixon, a lawmaker involved with the Westside political machine headed by fellow congressmen Henry Waxman and Howard Berman, is not seen by top county Democrats as someone willing to take on Hahn just yet.

“My observation of Julian would be that if Kenny would at some point leave office, Julian would aspire to that,” Robertson said. “I hear nothing about Julian opposing him.” Dixon could not be reached for comment; Hahn said that he and Dixon have not discussed the possibilities.

Others Democrats mentioned as possible Hahn successors have been state Sen. Diane Watson and Assemblywoman Maxine Waters, as well as Hahn’s son, James, now Los Angeles city attorney. The younger Hahn, 37, lives outside his father’s district.

Dixon, Watson and Waters are black, which would be an advantage in a district that is nearly half black. However, Hahn, who is white, has handily beaten black opponents over the years.

After his stroke, Hahn spent eight months either hospitalized or at home before returning to his office in early August for his first meetings since January. Six weeks later, Hahn suffered the seizure. He said he will return for his first board meeting since the seizure next Tuesday.