Hayden Vows to Run Again for Assembly : Politics: The Santa Monica Democrat may lose his district because of reapportionment. But he calls the prospect an invigorating challenge.

Despite legislative action that jeopardizes his political future, Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) has vowed to seek reelection next year.

Hayden’s announcement came as the Legislature last week approved two reapportionment plans that would drastically change the coastal character of his Santa Monica-based district and probably force him to run against a liberal Democratic colleague.

But Hayden, declaring he’s “a born fighter,” is attempting to turn the threat to his career into a call to arms for his supporters among West Los Angeles Democrats, environmentalists and progressives.

The five-term lawmaker, portraying himself as an independent, reform-minded Democrat, said he would campaign against what he called “developer control of politics,” especially along the coast.

A leader of protests against the Vietnam War, he maintained that “strangely enough” he is happy with his present situation, telling reporters on Thursday: “Tom Hayden fighting against the system. It’s got a comfortable sound.”

The exact shape of Hayden’s district remains very much up in the air. The Legislature is expected to reconvene sometime this week to attempt to override an anticipated veto from Gov. Pete Wilson of all the proposed remapping plans. The matter may ultimately be decided in the courts.

In the once-a-decade redrawing of boundaries, each of the state’s 80 Assembly districts is designed to have 372,000 people. In addition to Assembly lines, the Legislature is redrawing state Senate and congressional districts.

During Thursday’s Assembly debate, Hayden was the only Democrat who voted against three Democratic-sponsored Assembly plans. Two of the plans would collapse his district, but a third proposal--with little prospect of winning an override vote--would keep intact Hayden’s district, which now stretches from Malibu to Venice and inland to Century City.

Hayden declined to say which district he would campaign in.

In the two more far-reaching proposals approved by the Legislature, Hayden would give up Malibu and Pacific Palisades to Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), whose district now is entirely in Ventura County. It is unlikely Hayden would contest McClintock for that strongly Republican 36th District.

More likely, Hayden would choose among three newly drawn Democratic districts, which would be given parts of his current 44th District. They are:

* The 43rd District, now represented by Democrat Terry B. Friedman, which would add Hayden’s Santa Monica base.

* The 49th, now represented by Democrat Gwen Moore, which would pick up parts of West Los Angeles.

* The 45th, now represented by Democrat Burt Margolin, which would add Century City.

Margolin is raising money to run for Congress, and Assemblywoman Barbara Friedman (D-Los Angeles) is expected to run for his seat because of changes proposed in her Silver Lake district’s configuration.

The 50th District of Assemblyman Curtis Tucker (D-Inglewood) would stretch from the South Bay into Venice, but Hayden is less likely to seek that seat, which is farther outside his political base.

Hayden, who has sought to clean up pollution in Santa Monica Bay, was especially upset about losing stretches of the coastline. In talking to reporters, Hayden said he would push to “end the appointment of developers to the Coastal Commission who then rape the environment.”

Hayden said he became expendable, in part, because he has been a thorn in the side of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, differing with him on environmental issues, the use of the initiative process and other matters. In addition, Hayden said Brown wanted to maintain good relations with the West Los Angeles Democratic political organization of Rep. Howard Berman (D-Panorama City), who is helping to draw congressional boundaries. Berman denied any involvement in the Hayden matter.

Brown said he understands Hayden’s emotions, saying that the Santa Monica Democrat is among those lawmakers whose chances of returning to Sacramento are slim.

“Mr. Hayden is in that position and whatever Mr. Hayden says I would clearly understand it,” Brown said. “I know it comes from a profound disturbance surrounding what may be a career-ender for him. You’ve got to understand that and you’ve got to appreciate his anger.”

But Hayden said that instead of anger, he is feeling more invigorated than he has in five or six years.

He said the proposed splitting up of his district has given him “an opportunity to be myself fully, to be unfettered of any obligations to anyone. . . .”