ELECTIONS / L.A. MAYOR : Katz Promises to Make His Name Better Known

Assemblyman and mayoral candidate Richard Katz said Saturday he would step up efforts to make his message, or at least his name, known to Angelenos, following publication of a poll that showed many in the city did not know who he was.

“Our campaign is going to be run between now and April 20,” Katz said, referring to the primary election. “There will be a media campaign, there will be mail, and there will be walking and talking, all designed to get my name out and let people know why I’m running.”

Katz (D-Panorama City) made the remarks in an interview after a candidates forum sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Democratic Club in Northridge. Katz’s speech did not address his standing in the poll, but he told the audience of 150 that he will strengthen his efforts to reach voters beyond the Valley.

The Times poll published Friday indicated that about 53% of those surveyed recognized Katz’s name, ranking him fifth among the top 11 candidates in name recognition. Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo had the highest name recognition, 89%.

Former ambassador and school board member Julian Nava, who also spoke at the forum with Katz and Tom Houston, had a rating of 45%. Houston, an environmental attorney, had a rating of 27%.

Katz noted that the poll also showed that almost seven of every 10 Valley voters recognized his name. The poll indicated that only 4% of Valley voters were inclined to vote for Katz, but he said that Woo’s support was still “thin” and that Woo has as many detractors in the Valley as he has supporters.

The Valley has about 40% of the city’s registered voters and several candidates have said they will campaign heavily in the area.

With a pack of 52 candidates to choose from, about 42% of voters citywide polled said they were undecided. Katz said he will make a run for those votes in a still-young campaign and wrest votes away from other contenders.

Although he never mentioned Woo by name during the forum, Katz appeared to attack the councilman indirectly. Katz said that he would not waver from his campaign platform, playing off criticisms that Woo flip-flops on issues to appease disparate audiences.

“If voters think you’re a panderer or afraid to take a stand on an issue, they’ll know you’re not tough enough to be mayor of this city,” Katz told the crowd.

“While Woo’s been talking, I’ve been getting things done,” he said after the forum, mentioning several job-creation bills he introduced in the Assembly.

Woo’s camp dismissed the comments. “The city faces a lot of serious problems. The voters want to hear candidates talk about how well they can build up L.A., not see how well they knock each other down,” said Vickey Rideout, Woo’s campaign manager. “Mr. Katz has had a lot of bad news in the polls recently, and this is how he’s reacting.”

During the forum, Katz, who has ties to labor and environmentalists, reiterated the message that he has presented to voters since he entered the mayor’s race: more jobs, less crime, a cleaner city and better education.

Katz called for more money to be allocated for mass transit and highways and police protection. He was not specific on where the money might come from, although he took a swipe at the City Council for its spending decisions.

Nava and Houston also reiterated what have become steady campaign themes. Nava touched on ways to revive the local economy, endorsing the North American Free Trade Agreement as a means toward that goal. Like Houston and Katz, he also said the city must work harder to combat crime.

Houston complained that it is too easy for criminals to obtain guns and repeated his call for the deportation of gang members who are illegal immigrants.