Inner Tensions of Mayoral Race in a Post-Riot City

On Friday, three days before Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo announced for mayor, a small afternoon drama provided a revealing look at the intensity and complexity of next year’s mayoral campaign.

Appropriately enough, it occurred at a television studio, the kind of place that seems to produce all the political news these days. What a comedown for us print journalists. When my political writing predecessors at The Times ran this town, candidates considered themselves lucky to be granted an audience with one of the old reporters.

Oh well, there’s no time for nostalgia in a fast-moving campaign season.

The occasion was a taping of Century Cable’s “Week in Review.” Three of the panelists were potential mayoral candidates--County Supervisor Gloria Molina, transportation commission member Nikolas Patsaouras and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky.

On the show and in hallway conversations afterward, I could see the tricky currents in an election that may be noteworthy for who does not run. It is entirely possible that Tom Bradley will be absent from a mayoral ballot for the first time in more than 20 years.

On the show, Molina, a potentially hot candidate if she decides to run, continued to be coy about her future.

“I’d love to be mayor,” said Molina, when asked. “I’m not so sure I’d like to run for it.”

Molina held her head up imperiously, speaking in the firm, controlled manner of a person who enjoys being the boss. Her expression alternated between a warm smile and a look that said don’t mess with me.

Seated at the back of the studio, waiting his turn, Yaroslavsky watched his potential foe with interest.

Four years ago, Yaroslavsky was set to run for mayor under the guidance of campaign consultants Michael Berman and Carl D’Agostino, better known as BAD campaigns. Someone leaked a memo that the BAD consultants had written him, urging him to duck the press, avoid City Hall controversies and spend his time raising money from his supporters. The frank and irreverent tone of the memo was an embarrassment to Yaroslavsky and the consultants. The councilman eventually pulled out.

All the politicians and pundits said Yaroslavsky made a mistake by withdrawing. But maybe he was smarter than the experts. Rep. Mel Levine hired Berman and D’Agostino for his Senate campaign this year, followed BAD’s advice and finished third. If Yaroslavsky had stuck with BAD, he might have been out of politics by now.

Yaroslavsky is back where he was four years ago. Like Molina, he was coy when asked if he was running for mayor. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” he said.

Finally, there was Patsaouras, a businessman who has wanted to be elected to public office for many years. There’s not much coyness about Patsaouras. He’s hungry for the job, running as the outsider. He gently jabbed at Yaroslavsky and Molina.

A conversation in the hallway revealed more about the campaign’s inner tensions.

I had walked out of the studio with Yaroslavsky and one of the panelists, Cynthia McClain-Hill, an attorney and publisher of Focus 2000, a political newsletter directed at young black professionals.

We paused. McClain-Hill told Yaroslavsky that he had to run. Yaroslavsky said he didn’t know if he wanted to expose his family to the high pressure of a campaign. McClain-Hill ran down the list of candidates. When she came to Molina she was especially adamant in her opposition. No, she said, Yaroslavsky must run.

McClain-Hill’s words were noteworthy because they represent a concern among African-American leaders about what happens in the post-Bradley era.

Many black leaders are worried about growing Latino power, a feeling increasingly reflected in disputes over the distribution of government jobs. They fear that a Latino mayor--whether it is Molina or Councilman Richard Alatorre--might unfairly tilt the balance in favor of Latinos.

Latino leaders say this won’t happen, but the issue is explosive in a post-riot city.

At this early stage, the candidates are addressing the concern most carefully, trying to defuse it, seeking to bring ethnic groups together as Bradley did when he was first elected.

That explains a key phrase in Woo’s campaign opening statement Monday: “This campaign will not resort to the divide and conquer strategies that pit one region or one ethnic group in this city against each other. This campaign will not set minority groups one against another, fighting over crumbs.”