ELECTION: CITY COUNCILS : Latino Empowerment Among Top Issues : Voting: Residents in 19 Southeast cities will go to the polls April 14. Large number of seats vacated by departing incumbents assures some wide-open races, possible political realignments.

Dozens of Latinos have stepped forward to run for city council seats in area cities in April, bolstering predictions that some traditionally Anglo-run cities of Southeast Los Angeles County are poised for dramatic political change.

The turnout of Latino candidates--many of them first-time challengers--combined with the decision of 10 incumbents to bow out of elections, sets the stage for some hard-fought races during the city council election season.

One exception will be in Bell, where the election was canceled because no one challenged the incumbent candidates. Incumbent Councilman George Cole said he thinks that no one ran against him because people believe he and fellow incumbent Ray Johnson are doing a good job.

In all, 19 Southeast cities will have council races on the ballot in the April 14 municipal elections. Many of the contests are likely to focus on bread-and-butter issues such as gangs, crime, education, youth and senior activities and social services. However, in Whittier, Maywood, South Gate, Huntington Park and Pico Rivera, the council races are expected to turn into rough-and-tumble battles over such issues as Latino representation, redevelopment and slow growth.

One of the most widely watched elections will no doubt be in Bell Gardens, where three council members who were recalled in December will battle a field of 11 other candidates to regain their seats.

The ouster of the four Anglo council members by a mostly Latino group of residents, property owners and business people was labeled by some as a sign that Latinos in Anglo-run city governments of southeast Los Angeles county are finally demonstrating their political might. Many Latino activists predicted that the recall would encourage Latinos throughout the Southeast to demand greater representation. At first glance, that prediction seems be coming true. In Maywood and Cudahy, an unprecedented number of Latinos are seeking office for the first time, and in Huntington Park, four of the six candidates are Latino.

“I guess you could say (Bell Gardens) was the spark that lit the fire,” said Maywood City Council candidate Jose Ceja, a teacher’s assistant who is running for the first time. “Last time no one here ran against the incumbents, this time with what happened in Bell Gardens, people are inspired to go out there because they know they can make a difference.”

However, some candidates and city officials say that while Bell Gardens may have jump-started things a bit, political change was occurring anyway.

“It’s an evolution rather than a revolution,” said Cudahy City Manager Jack Joseph. “As the older Anglos fade away, they will be replaced by the younger generation, which is overwhelmingly Latino.”

Despite the absence of a single challenger in the Bell race, Los Angeles attorney Carlos de la Fuentes, who is leading a massive voter registration drive in several Southeast cities, says he is not discouraged.

“You know, this is an area in which there has been no Latino infrastructure, no Latino leadership, and it’s amazing that so many Latinos have come out to run in spite of that,” he said.

City Council races at a glance:

Artesia

Two incumbents and three others will vie for three seats. Incumbents Ronald Oliver, 59, and Robert Jamison, 69, are seeking reelection. Also running are Isidro Menezes, 52, a real estate and insurance agent; businessman Bob Thornton, 55, and Tony Lima, 46, a real estate broker. Councilman Glenn Hutchinson, who was appointed about a year ago, is not running.

Bell Gardens

The Latino-led group that forced the recall of four City Council members in December will try to prevent three of the ousted council members from winning back their seats. Ousted members Letha Viles, Douglas O’Leary and Allen Shelby say they were not recalled for good reason, and have placed their names on the ballot, along with 11 candidates. Their fiercest opponents are likely to be Rodolfo Garcia, Josefina Macias, Frank Duran and George Deitch, who helped lead the successful recall. Other candidates are self-described preacher and actor Oliver Aubrey, cabinetmaker Talt Coldiron, community activist Victor Vaillette, retired police officer Richard Webb, real estate consultant John Sanchez, housewife Yolanda Quintana and pest-control technician Danny Rico.

Bellflower

Some people here are still fuming over the City Council’s 11-month-old ban on smoking in restaurants, not to mention its decision to give auto dealer Pete Ellis $700,000 in loans and grants. Ellis closed the dealership a few months later, and now the city is suing him to recover the money. Both decisions are likely to be raised as incumbent Randy Bomgaars, 41, who is seeking his second term, and Joseph E. Cvetko, 65, who is seeking his third term, campaign to keep their seats. Their challengers include Ken Cleveland, 59, a former city councilman and developer; John Butts, 45, a roofing contractor; Art Olivier, 34, an engineer; Ruth Gilson, 38, a homemaker; Mary Jane McIntosh, 28, a transportation company owner, and Rick Royse, 43, a nursery owner.

Cerritos

The city’s 1986 voter initiative, which imposed a limit of two consecutive terms for council members, has forced incumbent Daniel K. Wong to bow out of the race this time. This guarantees that at least one of the six challengers will win a place on the council. Incumbent Mayor Paul Bowlen, 51, is seeking his second term. His challengers include Prestell F. Askia, 43, an aerospace manager; Thomas Swailes Brachko, an administrative assistant; Grace Hu, 46, a business owner; Michael Polak, a financial analyst; Angel L. Soto, 55, an aircraft technician, and Marshall H. Story, 55, an airline crew chief.

Commerce

Councilmen Ruben C. Batres, 59, Robert Cornejo, 57, and Art Navarro, 41, are running for reelection. Batres and Navarro are seeking their second term, and Navarro is campaigning for a third term in office. They will face two challengers, Jesus M. Cervantes, 46, a garment cutter, and Regina Cruz, 31, a retail sales manager.

Cudahy

A tiny town known for its down-and-dirty races, Cudahy is bracing for a tough contest between incumbents John O. Robertson and Joseph Fregeau, who are political enemies. Fregeau, 73, was appointed three years ago and is seeking his first elected term; his colleague, Robertson, 53, is seeking his fifth term. Three other candidates, all of whom are Latino, are running for the first time. Robertson has endorsed marketing representative Lawrence Galvan, who is leading a drive to force the council to repeal a 4% utility users tax. Other challengers are Michael Borrego, 22, a detention services officer, and David M. Silva, 41, a precious-metal plater and planning commissioner. Silva has been endorsed by councilman Alex Rodriguez.

Hawaiian Gardens

Incumbents H.M. (Lennie) Wagner and Esther Flores, 42, are seeking second terms, but Mayor Rosalie Sher is retiring. The challengers are teacher Alan Calcote, mechanic Grant Winford, building contractor Don Schultze, businesswoman Virginia Lee, former council member Lupe Cabrera, display designer Randal Black, retired Army Staff Sgt. Robert Canada, school district employee Robert Prida, homemaker Mary Corrales and homemaker Valerie Gaxiola.

Huntington Park

Councilman Thomas Jackson is seeking his seventh term in office, and Richard V. Loya, who was appointed last September, is running for his first elected term. The challengers are George E. Fair, 62, a retired painter; Manuel V. Avila, 51, a social worker; Agustin Delgadillo, 55, a restaurant owner; and Carlos E. Aldas, 55, a real estate broker.

La Habra Heights

Councilwoman Judy Hathaway-Francis is running for another term, but her colleagues, John Wible and M. Jay Collins, are retiring. The challengers are Catherine Montford, a marketing associate/high school instructional aide; John G. Powers, 35, an attorney; Kassen W. Klein, 28, a banker, and George B. Cooke , 61, a business executive.

La Mirada

Incumbent Bob Chotiner, 51, a business owner, is seeking his second term, and incumbent Dave Peters, 49, a Biola University professor, is running for a fifth term. Challengers are Dale Shinn, a telephone-equipment repairman, and Peter Dames, a businessman.

Lakewood

Three seats are open, but longtime councilmen Robert Wagner, 53, Marc Titel, 42, and Wayne Piercy, 60, face only two challengers. Wagner is seeking his fourth term. Titel and Piercy are both seeking their third terms. Their challengers are Patrick English, 36, a public administrator, and Sydney Chambers, 24, a Long Beach City College student.

Maywood

Elections in this pint-size community tend to pass before anyone notices. Two years ago things were so quiet that no one even ran against the incumbents, and the elections were canceled. Not this year. Incumbents Henry Santiago Jr., 31, who is seeking his third term, and William Hamilton, 73, who hopes to win a fifth term, are facing nine challengers, some of whom say the incumbents are out of touch with the community. Challengers are guaranteed to win one of the three seats on the ballot because incumbent Betty Lou Rogers is retiring after serving eight years. The challengers are Dorothy Ramirez, 38, a loan service officer; Robert Paltz, a retired peace officer; Tomas Martin, 56, a food attendant; Dr. John Tallman, 51, chiropractor; Nicholas Rosiles, 21, a teacher’s assistant; Jose Ceja, also a teacher’s assistant; loan officer Michael Bueno, 26; schoolteacher Salvador Contreras, and homemaker Marla Cano Tietze.

Norwalk

Incumbent Bob White, a fixture in the city, is retiring after 24 years on the council. Councilman Michael (Mike) Mendez, is seeking his second term. Challengers include Judith Brennan, a business owner; Louie B. Marin, a plant manager; Gordon F. Stefenhagen, a real estate broker; Robert D. Stock, a retired manufacturing engineer; John Wehrly, a journeyman plumber, and Chuck Wittman, a truck driver.

Paramount

Incumbents Esther (Corona) Caldwell, an educator and author, and Gerald Mulrooney, a businessman, are seeking their fourth terms in office. Their challengers are Donald (Jack) London, planning commission chairman; Don Plunkett, Paramount Journal publisher; Mike Pete Delivuk, accountant; Kitty Reiff, regional manager of Golden State Mobile Home Owners League, and John K. Musgrove, a stockbroker.

Pico Rivera

Last October, the Pico Rivera City Council was forced to back down on a large-scale redevelopment plan after thousands of residents signed a petition demanding a referendum. Now, some opponents of the redevelopment plan have tossed their hats into the campaign ring. Two leaders of the Pico Rivera Concerned Citizens’ Committee, which circulated the petition, are among five residents who have stepped forward to challenge incumbent Garth G. Gardner, 69, a real estate appraiser, who is seeking his sixth term. Fellow incumbent James M. Patronite is retiring after four terms. The challengers for the two seats are Beatrice Proo, 53, a businesswoman; Frank Millan, 56, a union representative; Concerned Citizens’ Elpidio (Pete) Ramirez, 53, a police sergeant; Nancy C. Smith, 47, businesswoman, and Concerned Citizens’ Ofelia C. Rodriguez, 56, a businesswoman.

Santa Fe Springs

In the Southeast area no other council member has served as long as Betty Wilson. She lived in Santa Fe Springs before it was a city and was nothing but oil derricks. In 1957, she was elected to its first council, became its first female mayor and has been on the council since. In April, she is hoping to win her 10th term in office and is bracing herself for criticism from her challengers that she has served too long already. For that reason, Wilson politely declines to give her age, but says she believes that with the economy in a downturn, the city needs her experienced hand to guide it. Her fellow incumbent, Albert L. Sharp, a businessman, is seeking his third elected term, and councilman Amat Barcelon, who was appointed in 1990, is running for his first elected term. The challengers include educator Victoria Aguilera; business executive James F. Burton, businesswoman Mercedes Diaz, administrator James W. Hogan Jr. and truck driver George Minnehan.

Signal Hill

Incumbents Jessie Blacksmith, Richard Ceccia and Louis A. Dare are seeking third terms. Their challengers are Billy L. Miller, 50, property manager; George Papadakis, 64, retired elementary school principal; Sara Dodds Hanlon, designer; and Michael Noll, 50, businessman.

South Gate

Incumbents Gregory W. Slaughter and Robert A. Philipp are expected to take some heat for their support of an ill-fated measure to bring a card casino into town. The meaure took a beating at the polls. Their challengers are former Councilman Herbert W. Cranton; business owner Dale A. Robertson; legislative field representative Albert T. Robles; and budget controller Jerry M. Garcia.

Whittier

Slow-growth advocates have their first opportunity in years to seize control of the council. With incumbents Myron Claxton and Thomas Sawyer bowing out, council members Bob Henderson and Helen McKenna-Rahder need only one ally who shares their vision of controlled development and the preservation of the Whittier Hills. Incumbent Robert F. Woehrmann is seeking his second term. The other candidates for the three seats are Planning Commissioner Larry Haendiges; retired horticulturist/engineer Eugene Orrico; hot dog vendor Charles Edwin Burt Jr.; consultant Lee A. Strong; Los Angeles Floors owner Michael Sullens; writer/artist/lecturer Walt Dinger; Southern California Edison planning assistant Allan Zolnekoff; commmunity activist Joseph E. Marsico; Whittier Seventh-day Adventist Church deacon Arthur Harry Rock, Jr.; and student Scott Paul Connolly.