COUNTY ELECTIONS / NEW FACES : 58TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT : Oil Spill Politics Powered Mays’ Ride to Victory

Thomas J. Mays was a rookie--he had only been mayor of Huntington Beach three months--when the oil tanker American Trader ruptured off the city’s famed shores.

The resultant oil spill on Feb. 7 thrust Huntington Beach into the news. In the process, Mays arose from obscurity to political stardom. He rode that fame into election last Tuesday as the new Republican assemblyman for the 58th District--a coastal area that extends from Long Beach to Huntington Beach.

To some Republican leaders in Orange County, Mays has always been well-known. Thomas A. Fuentes, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, characterized Mays as “an undiscovered gem who has long worked in the trenches of the party.”

“But as fate may have it, the occurrence of an oil spill has afforded him, finally, a proper public exposure,” Fuentes added.

Orange County Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, who has praised Mays’ leadership during the oil-spill crisis, said that it was “a situation for him to show that his actions belie his young looks.”

Upon meeting Mays the first time, many people remark on his boyish appearance. Tall and lanky, Mays looks more like a college grad student in his mid-20s than the 36-year-old business executive he actually is. He has a wide, engaging smile and a yen for surfing, both of which add to the aura of youthfulness.

During the oil spill, even his critics acknowledged that he showed strong, forceful leadership. The mayor made key decisions about use of city personnel and equipment, and he talked tough when he thought the city was getting the short end of the stick, including from Gov. George Deukmejian--a fellow Republican.

Mays was elected to the Huntington Beach City Council for a four-year term in 1986, after narrowly losing his first try for that office in 1984. He has also served as a field representative of Assemblyman Nolan Frizzelle, a Republican who represents a portion of Huntington Beach. His fellow council members elected him mayor--a one-year term--last Nov. 20.

Born in Los Angeles County, Mays grew up in Huntington Beach. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA, and his master’s from the University of Chicago, both in political science. He has been a systems analyst for McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach since 1978.

Mays’ critics accuse him of being a pawn of the big developers that have long been the most powerful influence in city politics. Mays’ record shows support for many controversial development projects, but he also has been a surprising swing vote on some building proposals, including one condo project last week on which he provided the decisive vote killing the controversial proposal.

Mays and his wife, Sydne, have two daughters, Kelsey and Lindsey. In addition to surfing, Mays’ favorite hobbies include snow and water-skiing, scuba diving, and trap shooting.