Mayor’s Race Endorsements Issued : Election: The Valley’s congressmen split along partisan lines. Berman remains undecided.

The Valley’s congressmen have split along partisan lines in their endorsements in the Los Angeles mayoral race, with only Rep. Howard L. Berman still on the sidelines.

The contest’s competitive nature and the sharp ideological contrast between Richard Riordan, a wealthy conservative businessman, and Michael Woo, a liberal Los Angeles city councilman, have prompted the lawmakers to take sides in the nominally nonpartisan election.

Reps. Anthony C. Beilenson of Woodland Hills and Henry A. Waxman of Los Angeles are backing fellow Democrat Woo; Reps. Carlos J. Moorhead of Glendale and Howard P. (Buck) McKeon of Santa Clarita are supporting fellow Republican Riordan.

Berman, usually the most politically active of the representatives, reiterated Tuesday that he remains undecided about an endorsement. He is reportedly being courted by Riordan as well as Woo. Democrats close to Berman said that he was concerned about which candidate would be best for his economically distressed Northeast Valley district.

Woo’s spokesman, Garry South, declined to discuss Berman’s decision. He said, “We have talked with a very large number of people and will continue to do so.”

Even as Woo, in particular, seeks to define the race as a partisan showdown in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, it remains unclear how much impact endorsements have. Most analysts say they are likely to mean little in such a high-profile municipal race where voters have so much information on which to make an independent judgment.

“The absence of endorsements is sometimes an indicator of soft support among key groups in the community, but the endorsements themselves don’t typically translate into direct public support,” said Thomas E. Mann, director of governmental studies at the Brookings Institution.

Woo is trying to line up as many Democratic endorsements as he can to persuade President Clinton to engage the White House’s political muscle on his behalf. The involvement of Clinton and members of his Cabinet could yield much-needed campaign money and a sense of energy to Woo’s campaign. Clinton has not made a decision, sources said.

Beilenson said he has known Woo for many years and has followed his career with respect.

“The city needs a lot of pulling together and I think Mr. Woo would be particularly good at that,” Beilenson said. “I just think he’ll be more successful at reaching out to different parts of the city and different people in it.”

Waxman, who appeared with Woo in Hollywood on April 30 to announce his backing, said, “He understands the diversity of our community and how we have to have leadership for jobs, to fight crime and to heal the wounds that we’ve suffered in recent years.”

Waxman and Beilenson said they do not expect to help Woo raise money.

Moorhead said that he usually doesn’t endorse but expects to back Riordan.

“Mr. Riordan’s experience and his administrative abilities are necessary at a time like this when Los Angeles is struggling,” Moorhead said. “He’s in a better position to bring new businesses and industries into the city.”

McKeon, a wealthy businessman who was first elected to Congress in November, said that he, too, was impressed with Riordan’s background in the private sector.

“My personal feeling is that we need business people to get involved in politics instead of professional politicians,” McKeon said.

In a May 8 letter to Riordan, McKeon wrote: “Your experience as a successful businessman and a dedicated public servant will allow you the best opportunity to forge a productive public-private partnership that will offer genuine solutions to the problems of crime, overcrowded schools and an overburdened business community.”