Voters Are Ready, Bono Says--He May Run for Senate in 1992

Declaring himself a “follow-the-yellow-brick-road kind of guy,” Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono announced Tuesday that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 1992 unless a panel of advisers persuades him to “forget it.”

Bono, best known for his role on the erstwhile “Sonny and Cher” television show, said last week’s poor election turnout suggests that Californians are weary of the status quo and ready for “a guy from the streets, somebody like me.”

“I’m not the slick, articulate talker that most politicians are, but what I say, I mean and . . . I mean from my heart,” Bono, 55, said during a press conference at his swank Palm Springs restaurant. “I think that’s what the public is searching for more than anything today.”

Dressed in a desert-casual tan suit accented by a red power tie, Bono said he has been encouraged to run for higher office by assorted Republican Party officials. The mayor declined to name those supporters, however, and conceded he would be viewed as a “maverick” in the race for one of two Senate seats that will be up for grabs in California two years from now. One is the seat that will be vacated by Gov.-elect Pete Wilson, the other now belongs to Sen. Alan Cranston, who has announced he will not seek reelection.

Still, Bono predicted his down-to-earth, “solution-oriented” leadership style would strike a chord with the state’s electorate: “I feel confident that the public is ready for a non-politician politician,” he said.

Before making a final decision about his candidacy, Bono said he will hire a team of political advisers to evaluate his chances and form a committee to begin fund raising. While he believes “instinctually” that the time is right for a Senate bid, Bono said he wants professionals to explore his ability to both attract money and “create that momentum we would need to go forward.”

Elected mayor of Palm Springs in April, 1988, Bono’s freshman term has been a stormy one. Early in his tenure, critics called his style imperious, prompting some to dub him “Sonny Bonaparte.” There have also been two recall movements, which fizzled but brought a dose of negative publicity to the image-conscious tourist mecca.

Recently, Bono seems to have found his footing at City Hall, converting former enemies into allies and pushing an ambitious downtown revitalization program for the aging desert resort.

On Tuesday, Bono called the task of being mayor of Palm Springs “one of the hardest jobs there is” and argued that his 31 months of local government experience provide ample preparation for the post of U.S. senator. Others, he said, appear to agree.

“I’ve been to (Washington) D.C. a few times, I’ve been to the White House,” Bono said. “Nobody fell over backwards when I said I would like to try to go for the Senate, and there have been words of encouragement at every level.”

The mayor added that his hopes were boosted when he greeted Vice President Dan Quayle at a fund-raiser and was invited for a ride in Quayle’s car: “That was kind of a thrill and I did see it as some sort of recognition,” Bono said.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, state Republican Party Chairman Frank Visco called Bono “a likable” and “sincere” person but said it’s too early to gauge whether his candidacy might have merit.

“Any time you have name identification, it can obviously be a plus, and his record in Palm Springs isn’t too bad,” said Visco, who said Bono has consulted him about a Senate bid. “But he’s going to have to look at the polling data to determine what people think of him as a potential candidate. If it looks positive, he surges forward. If not, I’d suggest he do something else.”