Expected to Battle Antonovich : Baxter Ward Ready to Run for Old Job

Baxter Ward, the former Los Angeles County supervisor who developed a reputation as a maverick during his eight-year tenure, wants his old job back.

At a press conference today, Ward is expected to announce that he will run in the June primary against Supervisor Mike Antonovich, the man who ousted him from office in 1980.

Ward, 68, a former long-time television broadcaster who lives in Tarzana, said he felt compelled to enter the race because he believes that Antonovich is allowing his numerous campaign contributors to influence his votes. Ward accused Antonovich of accepting countless contributions from developers in return for consistently voting in favor of construction projects, which Ward said only serves to further congest the county’s freeways, sewers and schools.

“I feel very strongly about the . . . influence of campaign contributions,” said Ward, who had disappeared from the political arena in recent years. “They are the greatest single evil in government on any level.”

The dangers of campaign contributions was an issue Ward raised frequently as a supervisor and ultimately it led to his political demise. While in office, Ward refused any contributions over $45 and said he accepted no money from developers.

Ward declined to change his tactics when Antonovich, a former school teacher and state legislator, buried him with a blizzard of aggressive television commercials in the 1980 campaign.

Ward said he will not accept any campaign contributions for the June primary race. He is the seventh candidate to file for the 5th District seat, all of whom say they are urged to do so by homeowner activists angry at Antonovich’s development policies.

In the other supervisorial races this year, incumbent Kenneth Hahn faces four prospective challengers so far, and Deane Dana has two opponents at the moment, according to Marcia Ventura, a spokeswoman for the county registrar-recorder’s office. None of these challengers is considered a likely winner so far.

The filing period continues until March 11, Ventura said.

The current annual salary for county supervisors is $81,505.