Council’s Braude Won’t Run Again

Los Angeles Councilman Marvin Braude, a 31-year council veteran who fought vehemently against oil drilling off the coast, smoking in restaurants and the urbanization of the Santa Monica Mountains, announced Thursday he will not seek a ninth term in office.

Braude, whose announcement caught his own staff by surprise, said that at age 76, he decided he didn’t want to spend the next four years mired in the day-to-day turmoil of City Hall.

“A point came when I really had to ask myself and search my own soul . . . about what I wanted to do for the next four years,” he said. “‘When I faced up to that and asked myself, I realized there were a lot of other things that I wanted to do.”

Braude, the council’s senior member, said he plans to spend his days reading, writing, campaigning for government and election reform and “just plain thinking.”

A wealthy former businessman, Braude took office in 1965 and is one of the few remaining members of the council’s old guard. He has lived in Brentwood since 1952.

Braude had been campaigning for reelection until last week, and he insisted that he would have won easily, even though political observers said he faced a tough battle in April.

Braude’s announcement gave a boost to the two candidates vying for his post, both of whom said he would have been difficult to unseat.

“It would not have been wonderful running against someone who you respect so much,” said Georgia Mercer, a former aide to Mayor Richard Riordan, who is seeking the post. The district includes parts of Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills and Pacific Palisades.

Another candidate, Cynthia Miscikowski, who served as Braude’s chief of staff for 17 years, declined to comment on the race but praised Braude for his “distinguished career.”

“His name in City Hall is synonymous with integrity,” she said.

Braude said he has not decided whom, if anyone, he will endorse as his successor.

Allies and former opponents praised Braude for fighting to preserve the environment long before such issues were trendy.

“Before people knew how to spell environment, Marvin was worrying about it,” said Joe Cerrell, a longtime City Hall lobbyist who represented Occidental Petroleum in its fight to drill for oil off the coast of Pacific Palisades.

Braude co-authored the successful Proposition O in 1988 to prevent the drilling. Although the battle was hard-fought on both sides, Cerrell said Braude was always a gentleman.

“He beat us,” he said. “At one point he asked me: ‘How can such a nice liberal man support oil drilling?’ ”

Braude began more than 15 years ago to champion legislation outlawing smoking in elevators, restaurants, markets, theaters and sports arenas.

It was in that endeavor that he probably made the most enemies, particularly among restaurant owners who said the ban on smoking hurt their business.

For his work, Braude has received honors from the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Assn.

In 1986, he successfully promoted Proposition U, which dramatically reduced the permitted density of buildings on commercial streets.

Mayor Riordan called Braude a “Renaissance man who has invested three decades of commitment and energy to public service.”

“His legacy is one of integrity and accomplishment, especially with regards to environmental issues,” said council President John Ferraro, who joined the council a year after Braude was elected. “He has stayed true to his agenda. He has represented his constituents well.”

Braude counts as his greatest accomplishment the preservation of the Santa Monica Mountains, which lie in the middle of his district. He co-founded and led the Santa Monica Mountains Regional Park Assn., which first proposed a large park in the mountains.

Council aides and others attribute Braude’s political longevity to his staff’s hard work in addressing the day-to-day problems of his constituents, such as fixing potholes and trimming trees.

“I think he works hard on the district,” Cerrell said.

Braude’s extensive financial portfolio allowed him to pursue political life. Much of his wealth came from the Scientific Data Systems company, which he helped establish. It was later sold and became the computer division of Xerox Corp.

Because of his wealth, Braude had promised, if reelected, to donate $426,000 from his council salary over the next five years to improvements in his district. That would have represented most of his salary of slightly more than $100,000 a year.

Braude acknowledged that he may be leaving some endeavors unfinished, such as his plan to have private funding pay to remodel the earthquake-damaged Van Nuys Civic Center. But he said he hopes his successor and his council colleagues will carry on his campaigns.

As he made his announcement during a City Hall news conference, Braude’s entire staff looked on. Several wiped away tears as he cited a list of his accomplishments.

Members of his staff said they had only learned about his decision that morning and had no idea what they would do after Braude’s term ends July 1.

“It’s like the passing of an era,” said Mary Misono, a Braude council aide who has worked with him since 1965.

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Profile: Marvin Braude

Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection. He was voted into office in 1965.

* Age: 76

* Career highlights: Fought oil drilling off the coast, smoking in restaurants and the urbanization of the Santa Monica Mountains.

* Hobby: Bicycling

* Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Chicago

* Professional history: Founded Capital for Small Business; served as founding board member of Scientific Data Systems, which later became the computer division of Xerox Corp.

* Family: Married to Marjorie Braude for 48 years; two daughters.