3 Latino Rivals for Supervisor Square Off : Election: The candidates tape a TV debate. Democrats Molina and Torres attack Republican Flores.

Three Latinos battling to become a Los Angeles County supervisor met face to face for the first time Thursday in a spirited exchange at a TV studio, with Democrats Art Torres and Gloria Molina uniting to attack Republican Sarah Flores in the nonpartisan race.

“I see the opposition as Sarah Flores,” said Molina at a taping of “News Conference” at KNBC-TV’s studio in Burbank.

Molina, a Los Angeles city councilwoman, contended that Flores’ election would preserve a conservative majority on the county board and would continue policies that are contrary to Latino interests.

Flores, a soft-spoken former aide to retiring Supervisor Pete Schabarum, complained that the board suffers enough from partisan infighting. She promised to bring a more cooperative spirit to the board.

But Molina said, “County government needs major reform. . . . You don’t need somebody who is status quo.” She added that what the county does not need is a “get-along kind of person.”

The debate grew so heated at times that all three candidates were speaking simultaneously.

Flores, Molina and Torres are among a large field of candidates expected to run in a special Jan. 22 election in the new court-drawn 1st District. Rep. Matthew Martinez (D-Monterey Park) also is a candidate, and there are several lesser-known hopefuls.

The new district boundaries--designed to help the first Latino in this century win a seat on the board--were approved by U.S. District Judge David V. Kenyon who ruled that the boundaries drawn by the all-Anglo board diluted the voting power of the county’s 3 million Latinos.

During the half-hour show, Flores contended that she is the best qualified to be supervisor by virtue of her 34 years of county service. “I have more experience when it comes to county government.”

But Torres interrupted, “It’s going to take more than that.”

“Unless you know the people in Sacramento . . . you can do all the talking you want,” Torres said. “You’re going to need somebody more than a field representative.”

Flores, in turn, blamed Torres and Molina, a former assemblywoman, for the county’s budget problems. County officials have blamed cuts in services on reductions in state funding.

Flores pointed out that the board includes two former assemblymen--Mike Antonovich and Pete Schabarum--”and it didn’t do any good” in helping the county obtain more money from Sacramento.

Molina joined Torres in attacking Flores for receiving support from conservative supervisors Antonovich and Deane Dana, who have voted to spend $5 million fighting the historic voting rights lawsuit.

“If I were there, that would not have happened,” Flores said, referring to the legal bills.

“So you’re going to ask Schabarum, Dana and Antonovich to take back that money and give it to health services,” Torres shot back. “Yes or no? You’re going to tell them I will not accept your endorsement unless you give that money back to health care. . . . Tell them, Sarah.”

Flores did not respond. Instead, she asked Torres, “Why weren’t you there, Art?” during the court hearing on the redistricting lawsuit.

Molina accused Flores of opposing the voting rights suit. Flores, however, countered that she did not oppose the lawsuit, but favored a different remedy--her November runoff against Superior Court Judge Greg O’Brien in the old 1st District. The runoff was canceled by the federal judge.

The spirited debate took on a humorous note when Torres, observing Flores’ political consultant, Ron Smith, waving from behind a TV camera to get his candidate’s attention, said, “Sarah, your promoters are telling you to smile more.”

The show will air at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on Channel 4.