GADDI VASQUEZ BOWS OUT : Constituents Saddened but Not Surprised

Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez’s decision to not seek reelection in 1996 was greeted by people in his district with an air of inevitability and a sense of disappointment over a promising political career stymied by the county bankruptcy.

Few elected officials or friends expressed surprise by Vasquez’s announcement. Many agreed that the 40-year-old former Orange police officer and onetime GOP rising star would have faced an uphill election fight.

“He’s realistic. He knows seeking another term would be futile,” said Bob Bennyhoff, an Orange political activist and newsletter publisher who has followed Vasquez’s career since he become the city’s youngest officer at 19. “I think the handwriting is on the wall.”

Vasquez will leave a mixed legacy on the district he represented for eight years. Supporters credit him with effectively dealing with land-use and environmental issues in the district, which covers Yorba Linda, Brea, Orange, Fullerton and La Habra.

But detractors have long complained that Vasquez is indecisive and unwilling to take stands on controversial issues. “Gaddi who? That’s what we say in our city,” said Yorba Linda Councilwoman Barbara Kiley. “He’s not been a very strong force in this district.”

Kiley and other critics hailed Vasquez’s decision, saying it will usher in a new leadership for the county.

“I think this is the prudent choice for the district. We need new representation,” she said. “Up until the ship sank, he did a great job.”

Still, others saw Vasquez’s decision as an unfortunate setback in what until six months ago appeared to be a promising future in politics.

“He was a young guy moving up. Gaddi was on his way,” Bennyhoff said. “Then he hit an iceberg.”

That iceberg was the county’s Dec. 6 bankruptcy filing, which occurred after the Orange County investment pool lost nearly $1.7 billion. The losses were caused by the risky investments by then-Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron, but the Board of Supervisors has also come under fire for what some view as inadequate oversight of Citron and the investment fund.

In announcing his decision not to seek another term, Vasquez said he was becoming fatigued by the long hours his job requires and wanted to spend more time with family and friends. He stressed his decision was not related to the financial crisis.

Many observers predicted a rough reelection fight for Vasquez and other supervisors. Sensing Vasquez’s vulnerability, Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange) announced in February that he was going to challenge the supervisor next year.

“I think it was a difficult decision. But I think Gaddi places a higher value on his family,” said Orange Councilman Mike Spurgeon. “Next year’s campaign would have exacted a heavy toll on them.”

In his Orange neighborhood, residents took differing views Wednesday of Vasquez’s political fortunes.

Winifred Peak, a longtime friend who has lived across the street from Vasquez for eight years, said she remains fiercely loyal to her neighbor.

“It saddens me because of what happened,” said Peak, 48, of Vasquez’s decision not to seek another term. “As a politician, he’s honest, scrupulous, ethical and moral.”

But neighbor Hannah Moore, 69, said that because of the bankruptcy, she could no longer vote for Vasquez.

“I’ve always voted for Gaddi; I would never vote for him again,” she said. “He’s a wonderful person with a lovely family. But that doesn’t excuse what happened.”

Elected officials and activists also differed on Vasquez’s legacy and future.

Spurgeon praised the supervisor for guiding the county during the “dark days” immediately following the bankruptcy filing.

“Gaddi has always been supportive of our needs in the city of Orange,” he added. “It’s awfully early to write his career obituary. As time goes on, I’m sure he will chart a course that will benefit him and his family.”

But others took a more critical view of Vasquez’s career.

Arturo Montez, head of the League of United Latin American Citizens, complained that Vasquez hasn’t been responsive to the needs of the county’s Latino population even though the supervisor has been hailed as one of the most prominent Latino elected leaders in the state.

“I don’t think we will see in our lifetime in Orange County a Latino able to win in a white-dominated district the way Gaddi did,” Montez said. “Gaddi had an opportunity to bring about change and show that minority groups could take leadership roles and bring about reform.”

Others expressed disappointment that the bankruptcy has impeded Vasquez’s political career, which many considered bright. Vasquez was Orange County’s first Latino supervisor and spoke to national audiences at the 1988 and 1992 Republican National Conventions.

“He’s always been an onward and upward kind of person,” Bennyhoff said. “He’s always been on the rise.”

Times staff writer Tina Nguyen contributed to this report.

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Vasquez Story

A profile of Orange County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez.

* Age: 40 (born: Jan. 22, 1955)

* Party affiliation: Republican

* Home: Orange

* Personal: Married, one son

* Teen years: Joined Orange Police Department’s Explorer Scouts at 13; elected governor at annual California Boys State Convention at 17; won 33 of 37 speech contests on West Coast at 17

* Education: Bachelor of arts in public service management from University of Redlands

* Career highlights: Orange police officer, 1975-1979; executive assistant to Orange County Supervisor Bruce Nestande, 1980-1984; aide to Gov. George Deukmejian aide, 1985-1987; appointed to Orange County Board of Supervisors by Deukmejian, 1987; elected to four-year terms as supervisor in 1988 and 1992

* Distinctions: Youngest police officer in Orange city history at 19; highest-ranking elected Republican Latino in California at 33

Source: Times reports