Ferraro Considers Entering Mayoral Campaign in 1993 : City Hall: The 26-year council veteran says he may run as a one-term, pro-business Democrat. He says he hopes Bradley will not seek a sixth term.

Los Angeles City Council President John Ferraro is cautiously exploring a race for the mayor’s office next year, saying he might run as a pro-business Democrat pledged to serving one term and dedicated to making “tough decisions” for a city in trouble.

Ferraro, a 26-year council veteran whose district includes North Hollywood and much of Studio City, also said Friday that he hopes Mayor Tom Bradley will not seek a sixth term next spring.

“I’m not definitely running, but I’m not saying definitely I won’t be running,” said Ferraro, who would still retain his council seat even if he lost a bid for the city’s top elected office.

Ferraro had been eyeing the mayor’s office even before news reports said Bradley would pass up another term to join an international law firm.

Ferraro challenged Bradley in 1985, scoring 30% of the vote when Bradley’s popularity was at its peak after the hugely successful 1984 Olympics. Ferraro’s strongest support in that election came from San Fernando Valley precincts.

Ferraro said Friday that he has been amazed by the number of people who have urged him to run but that he wants to see scientific polling data that tests his name identification and popularity before deciding whether to campaign.

Ferraro has not retained a pollster but said he was hoping that his expression of interest would prompt independent pollsters to test his name and provide him with the results.

“I want to see if this thing is superficial or not,” said Ferraro, who has served as council president for the past five years and was its top official four other years.

“John would love to be mayor,” one longtime friend of the veteran lawmaker said. The friend said he doubted, however, that the 68-year-old Ferraro will run in a race that will be physically demanding and dominated by younger candidates. In July, Ferraro had a quadruple bypass operation and a defibrillator installed to regulate his heart beat.

But other City Hall observers say a Ferraro candidacy would offer the type of seasoned leadership attractive to moderates, Republicans, senior citizens and the business community--all frequent voters.

“He’s perceived as a stabilizing influence at City Hall,” one government-watcher said. “Look how he runs the council.”

“I do think I could step in and be mayor far more easily than anybody else in the city,” Ferraro said Friday, noting that as council president he frequently serves as acting mayor when Bradley is out of town.

Ferraro also believes he could fill a political gap better than other potential candidates, many of them his council colleagues. “I don’t see any candidates out there who are pro-business,” he said. “And it’s business we’re going to have to rely on for jobs.”

To date, Councilmen Michael Woo, Nate Holden and Joel Wachs and state Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) have filed the papers required to begin raising funds for the costly campaign.

Bradley has still not said if he will seek a sixth term. Many, however, believe the 74-year-old mayor will not run.

Ferraro also said his doctors have advised him that he is fit enough to enter a grueling mayoral contest.

Ferraro said his doctors have told him that “when they got done with me I’d be in perfect shape.” Ferraro added that he felt quite healthy as he puffed on a long cigar in his fourth-floor office at City Hall.

“I’m a lifelong Democrat who went to Harry Truman’s inauguration,” Ferraro said. “But I’m a sensible Democrat who believes a lot of our problems are because we’ve been too liberal, given too many things away without paying for it.

“I’d make tough decisions as mayor,” he continued. “And I would not be worried about being reelected because I wouldn’t serve but one term. I’d just concentrate on the city of Los Angeles, not running for another office, and hope to bring the city out of its doldrums.

“It used to be we were on top,” he said. “But now we’re a favorite target, with comedians slapping us around all the time.”

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