L.A. ELECTIONS / CITY COUNCIL : As Runoff Battles Begin, One Loser Celebrates : 10th District: Happy spoiler Ross heads for a Santa Barbara getaway. Holden, Sanders plan new campaign strategies.

Kevin Ross was among the losers in Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council races, but while other also-rans may have spent the morning after sulking, the 31-year-old political newcomer was planning a celebratory excursion.

“The car’s loaded with food, books and magazines, and my wife and I are going to Santa Barbara,” a beaming Ross said.

The reason for his good mood was that his surprisingly strong showing in the 10th District race played a major role in forcing a runoff between incumbent Nate Holden and lawyer J. Stanley Sanders, two much better-known and funded politicians.

Now Ross, a deputy district attorney who ran his campaign with no staff and almost no money, could find himself an unlikely power broker. “Both (Holden and Sanders) know my decision on who to support will affect the outcome of the runoff,” he said.

Ross’ 11% share of Tuesday’s votes kept first-place finisher Holden (who got 46%) and runner-up Sanders (with 43%) from the majority needed to win the seat outright, and the two now need to pick up Ross voters to win the June 6 runoff.

But beach-bound Ross wouldn’t say which way he’s leaning. “I promised my wife we won’t deal with politics until we get back,” he said.

While Ross basks in the sun and in his status as a spoiler, Holden, 65, and Sanders, 52, will continue their heated battle. Both men spent much of the primary race attacking each other personally, and both say the sniping may have driven frustrated voters to Ross.

Partly as a result, each plans a different tack now. “I’m not going to have any more attacks. We’re cheating the people by not addressing the issues,” Holden said.

And Sanders spokesman Felicia Bragg said her candidate “will be talking to neighborhood groups very specifically about the issues they’re interested in. We’re going to be forcing the dialogue back on the district and its concerns.” Even if the two move away from negative campaigning, other events could divert them from the issues. Holden is scheduled to go to court on April 24 to face charges from a former staffer of sexual harassment.

Observers of the district say the case could hurt Holden by reminding voters of an issue that was largely overlooked during the primary. “It was kind of under a cloud and most people weren’t paying attention to it. But if it’s in the paper every day it could really hurt,” said political consultant Richard Lichtenstein.

But Holden said he has no plans to settle the suit, even if it means going to court during the campaign. “I’m pushing to go to court. If I had anything to hide I would have settled it by now,” he said.

Sanders said he believes that most Ross supporters will naturally join his camp. “Kevin worked very hard on my mayoral campaign (in 1993), and we have similar positions on many issues,” he said.

Before leaving town Wednesday, Ross said he hadn’t spoken at length to either Sanders or Holden about backing one of them. He said, however, that his work on Sanders’ previous campaign does not mean he will support Sanders in the council race.

“The way they both behaved during the campaign made me lose respect for both of them. I may not support either one,” Ross said.

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Even as Ross sought to flex some newfound political muscle, some expressed skepticism about his ultimate clout.

“Ross won’t be able to deliver voters to a candidate. He doesn’t have that kind of constituency,” consultant Lichtenstein said.

Indeed, Ross has no network of campaign workers or string of endorsements to pass on.

Ross spent about $8,000 in the primary, while Holden and Sanders each spent close to $300,000. Ross sent out no mailers, instead relying on a flyer he passed out door-to-door and debate appearances to build recognition.

Lichtenstein speculated that The Times’ endorsement of Ross provided him with a big boost. “That probably brought him up from four to 10%,” Lichtenstein said.

Ross was vague Wednesday about his long-term political future. Asked if he plans to use his showing this week as a springboard for another run for the council seat four years from now, he said, “I don’t want to define myself as a politician. I hope to have kids by then and may want to do other things.”