Schabarum Won’t Seek Reelection : Politics: Race for county supervisor’s seat thrown wide open. Decision paves way for settlement of redistricting lawsuit.

In a decision that could dramatically reshape Los Angeles County’s political landscape, veteran County Supervisor Pete Schabarum chose Friday not to seek reelection--opening the door to settlement of a historic lawsuit seeking to increase Latino political clout.

Shortly after the 5 p.m. filing deadline, Registrar-Recorder Charles Weissburd said Schabarum did not file and cannot run for the office.

“He has not filed his papers,” he said. “The deadline has passed for him to file.”

However, the deadline for other candidates is extended automatically to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Weissburd said Schabarum, who had kept his election plans secret, was required to appear personally at the registrar’s office to file or send a representative to file for him.

Schabarum could not be reached immediately for comment. The supervisor scheduled a news conference for Monday.

Ending an 18-year reign on the county board, Schabarum, the blunt, sometimes cantankerous senior member of the board’s conservative majority, refused to divulge his plans right up until the deadline, not even to his staff.

Anne Stevens, a secretary in his office in the County Administration Building, said, “He hasn’t been here all day.” She said she had no word about his whereabouts.

Schabarum’s colleagues said they were shocked at the decision and the unusual way he let the word out.

“I can’t believe it,” said Supervisor Deane Dana. “He’s really fixed them all good,” he said about possible successors who will have little time to make their own decision about whether to run for the vacated seat.

But he said, “It’s typical Pete. He always does things a little bit differently.”

Supervisor Ed Edelman said, “I’m absolutely shocked.” He said Schabarum’s decision not to run for reelection could make it easier to reach a settlement in the redistricting suit against the county. “It will make it much easier to carve out a (predominantly Latino) district,” he said.

Weissburd’s announcement followed a confusing sequence of events at the registrar’s office.

Schabarum’s chief deputy, Tom Hibbard, arrived at 4:30 p.m., half an hour before the deadline, refusing to answer questions from reporters.

Hibbard then had a private meeting with the registrar and emerged about 5 p.m. He left without talking to reporters. Weissburd later said Hibbard only wanted to see who had filed by then for Schabarum’s seat.

Schabarum’s decision could lead to reopening of settlement talks in a federal redistricting trial in which the Justice Department and civil liberties groups accuse the county board of violating the voting rights of Latinos.

Last year, the board was close to settling the suit by approving a new redistricting plan that would have forced Schabarum to run in a new, predominantly Latino district.

But settlement talks collapsed after Schabarum put pressure on fellow conservative supervisor Dana to withdraw his support for the plan. Schabarum contended that the plan could hurt his reelection chances.

Richard Fajardo, an attorney with the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, one of the plaintiffs in the redistricting suit against the county, said he does not expect Schabarum’s decision to lead to a settlement.

“The judge had indicated when we started the trial that he was not going to entertain any settlements,” he said. “I don’t see anything derailing the trial.”

The political ramifications of Schabarum’s move were uncertain as well Friday, as potential challengers scrambled to see whether they should enter the race.

Latino candidates are expected to be more cautious than they would have been had the seat been redrawn to encompass more Latino neighborhoods. Under current conditions, with the district still mostly white, Latinos would be hard-pressed to win, community leaders have said.

The redistricting trial is also likely to add uncertainty to the mix of candidates.

“They (Latino candidates) are still skittish in terms of the manner in which the lines are drawn,” Fajardo said.

“I don’t know how many want to run in a district where the lines may change next month.”

A spokesman for Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre, one of those considering a supervisorial bid, echoed Fajardo’s caution.

“Obviously, he’s very interested in the seat and going to take the next five days or so to make a decision,” said Alatorre’s deputy, Al Avila.

“The more important issue is the whole redistricting issue. This is an excellent opportunity for the parties involved to come together and settle the lawsuit.”

Whether Schabarum’s departure will shift control of the powerful board from conservatives to liberals is still likely to depend on the outcome of the court case.

Schabarum’s existing 1st District, which encompasses the San Gabriel Valley, usually elects Republicans. As of Friday, only one candidate, Jim Mihalka, a Los Angeles city paramedic from Glendora, had filed to run for the office. Among those who have expressed interest in running for the seat is Sarah Flores, an aide to Schabarum.

In recent years, Schabarum, a 61-year-old wealthy land developer, has acknowledged some weariness after 18 years on the county board. He has traveled to Washington, unsuccessfully courting presidential appointments to Cabinet posts.

He recently undertook an initiative drive to limit the terms of state officeholders.

Schabarum, a former San Francisco 49ers halfback and three-term state assemblyman, was appointed to the board in 1972 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan.

He was a frustrated maverick on a liberal-dominated board. But in 1980, he was catapulted to leader of the board’s conservative majority after the election of Mike Antonovich and Dana.

But the combative Schabarum, who regularly sneers at fellow supervisors in public session, has increasingly found himself isolated from his conservative colleagues.

During his tenure, Schabarum has championed private contracting of county services. He has incurred the wrath of county labor unions, AIDS activists and advocates for the poor because of his tight-fisted fiscal policies and sometimes abrasive style.

Schabarum’s term ends Dec. 3.

In other races, Supervisor Ed Edelman, with a $1-million campaign fund, drew one little-known challenger, Gonzalo Molina, a schoolteacher, in the 3rd District. The district covers East Los Angeles, Hollywood, the Westside and parts of the San Fernando Valley.

In potentially the hottest county race, one-term Assessor John Lynch drew six opponents, including his former secretary, the president of the Los Angeles Taxpayers Assn. and an assessor’s employee named Kenneth P. Hahn. Hahn is no relation to veteran County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, who has endorsed Lynch.

Filing to oppose Sheriff Sherman Block was Roland Biscailuz, a detective in the Lennox sheriff’s station and second-cousin of the late Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz.

Times staff writers Cathleen Decker and Ashley Dunn also contributed to this story.