LOCAL ELECTIONS / L.A. MAYOR : Death of Riordan’s Mother May Alter Race

The volatile race for mayor of Los Angeles has encountered one of the few unexpected events--a death in the family--that could change the dynamics of the campaign, if not its vitriolic tone, during the final days before the election.

Richard Riordan flew to New York on Wednesday for the funeral of his 101-year-old mother and announced he was suspending campaigning until late Saturday.

Strategists on both sides face a quandary: How to sustain the momentum of a campaign that has relied heavily on personal attacks without violating the public’s sense of what is appropriate.

It is a particularly risky time for City Councilman Michael Woo, who has fought his way back into contention by raising questions about Riordan’s character. A recent Los Angeles Times poll showed Woo pulling even in the race as he hammered away at Riordan’s recently disclosed record of three alcohol-related arrests from 1964 to 1975.

With the release of a new television commercial Wednesday, it was clear that Woo was not about to tone down the rhetoric of what has been a vitriolic campaign on both sides.

The ad features newspaper headlines about Riordan’s arrests and says: “By now, you’ve heard about Dick Riordan’s arrests for drunk driving. Everyone makes mistakes. But there is a bigger issue--of trust. When asked about his police record, Riordan failed to mention that he was arrested a third time, at age 45. Riordan admits that he tried to erase his criminal record before he ran for mayor. And now Riordan refuses to open up his criminal files so we can judge the facts for ourselves. The more we hear about Dick Riordan, the more we have to wonder.” Images in the ad include a picture of Riordan and a shot of hands on a steering wheel with a flashing police emergency light in the background.

(Riordan initially said he was arrested twice, then disclosed the third arrest two days later, saying he had inadvertently “melded” it with one of the earlier incidents. As for Woo’s charge that Riordan tried to erase his record, Riordan has said he believes he tried to expunge his record but was unclear on the particulars. It is legal for a criminal defendant who has finished probation to ask a judge for permission to withdraw a guilty plea and receive a pardon.)

The same day he began airing the ad, Woo sent a note of condolence to Riordan and released a statement that reads: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dick Riordan’s mother. . . . Family is what sustains us all and especially at a time like this. . . . Our hearts are with Mr. Riordan today.”

The Riordan campaign reacted quickly to the new TV ad.

“It is now clear that Mike Woo will take the low road through Election Day--a tactic certain to repel voters and divide the city,” said Joe Scott, Riordan’s director of communications. “Has he no decency?”

Campaign consultant Harvey Englander, who managed City Councilman Joel Wachs’ unsuccessful bid in the mayoral primary, said that Woo may be able to get away with attacking Riordan through ads. But if he does it himself he could get in trouble with voters, Englander said.

“If Woo continues to stand in front of the cameras and attack Dick Riordan, he will lose votes. Voters will see it as kicking a man when he is down and they won’t go for it.”

As for Riordan, Englander said, “getting out of town for a few days won’t hurt” because it will shift the focus away from his embarrassing arrest record.

Independent campaign consultant Rick Taylor put it another way. “Those of us in this business sometimes kid around that we need to send our candidate to Hawaii for a few days.”

A family funeral is hardly a trip to Hawaii, Taylor was quick to add. But, he said, “it’s a chance for the Riordan campaign to change the emphasis.

“When he’s not there, it is harder to hit him on the character issue,” said Taylor, who believes Woo had been making headway with his attacks on Riordan.

On Wednesday morning the Woo campaign also stepped up its advertising on KNBC Channel 4 and KABC Channel 7. In all, the Woo campaign plans to spend more than $300,000 on TV ads on two of Los Angeles’ most heavily watched stations--channels 4 and 7--during the final days of the campaign. The Riordan campaign has purchased about $200,000 in advertising on the stations between Wednesday and next Tuesday’s election, and has inquired about the possibility of buying more.

Riordan’s absence has led to the postponement of what would have been the first televised debate of the campaign. Scheduled for Saturday, the debate on KTTV Channel 11 has been reset for Monday at the request of the Riordan campaign, according to station representatives. The debate will air from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, the day before the election but up against the Los Angeles Kings hockey game. Scheduling of the other televised debate is unchanged; it will be held Sunday from 9 to 10 p.m. on KCOP Channel 13.

Riordan’s political consultant, Clint Reilly, said the candidate’s absence is of little consequence to the campaign’s advertising strategy. “Our media strategy was pretty much set through Tuesday, and the money that we have to spend we’ve already spent,” Reilly said. “We’re pretty much on automatic pilot at this moment in terms of the paid media portion of the campaign. So there will be very little change or adjustment because of this development.”

However, the campaign faces the challenge of finding stand-ins for Riordan who will be able to sustain voter enthusiasm while Riordan is out of town.

“In Riordan’s absence, the campaign will move forward with a full-scale surrogate and field operation to convey the candidate’s message of change--safety, jobs and education,” said campaign manager Jadine Nielsen.

On Wednesday, attorney Stan Sanders, the leading black candidate in last month’s primary, stood in for Riordan at a news conference in front of Reseda High School to accuse Woo of advocating giving a second chance to students caught with guns on campus. Sanders was joined by Margaret Ensley, whose son, Michael, was shot to death by a classmate at the high school in February. The mother also appears in a new Riordan ad that began running Wednesday.

“Students who bring guns to school should be jailed, not given a second chance,” Ensley said. “I’m endorsing Dick Riordan because Dick has taken great interest in the issues of school security.

“To the extent that Mr. Woo believes that children who bring guns to school should get a second chance, I have but this to say: My son, Michael, will never be given a second chance.”

When Riordan brought up Michael Ensley’s killing during a debate last week, Woo responded that Ensley was killed by a Saturday night special--a type of cheap gun that Woo has sought to ban.

During the primary campaign, Woo, in an appearance at Hollywood High School, mentioned giving warnings to students who bring guns to school, but his campaign insisted the comment was part of a “Socratic discussion” with students. Woo has insisted that he favors boot camp for students caught with weapons on campus.

Riordan heard about the death of his mother Tuesday night during a fund-raiser at Bob Hope’s house. He left the party immediately and boarded a plane to New York on Wednesday.

Riordan had last visited his mother, Geraldine, on Mother’s Day. “According to Dick, she was not in failing health. This illness came up suddenly,” Reilly said.

In another development, a poll of 500 likely voters commissioned by Spanish-language KVEA-TV and La Opinion echoed findings in a Times poll that showed the mayor’s race is a dead heat. A separate sampling of 250 Latinos, taken May 23-26, also found that County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s endorsement of Woo is considered “very important” by 55% of the respondents, while City Councilman Richard Alatorre’s backing of Riordan was viewed as very important by 35%.

Times staff writer Frederick M. Muir contributed to this story.