Braude Ends Run for 9th Council Term

Los Angeles City 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 that he will not seek a ninth term in office.

Braude, whose announcement caught his own staff by surprise, said that at age 76 he has decided he doesn’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 most senior member, said he plans to spend his days reading, writing, campaigning for government and electoral reform and “just plain thinking.”

A wealthy and successful former businessman, Braude took office in 1965 during the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson and represents one of the few remaining members of the council’s old guard.

Due to term limits, Council President John Ferraro will be the only current member who can match Braude’s longevity at City Hall.

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

Braude’s announcement gave a boost to the two candidates vying for his job, both of whom acknowledged that 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 council 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’s “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 as well as former opponents praised Braude for defending 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 Los Angeles.

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?’ ”

More than 15 years ago, Braude began to champion legislation that outlawed 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 claimed the ban on smoking hurt their business.

Yet for his work, Braude has been honored by the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Assn.

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

Upon Braude’s announcement Thursday, Riordan called the lawmaker 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 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, things like fixing potholes and trimming trees.

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

Although he doesn’t look the part, Braude is a wealthy man whose extensive financial portfolio allowed him to pursue political life. Much of his wealth came from the firm Scientific Data Systems, which he helped establish. It was later sold and became the computer division of Xerox Corp.

Because of his wealth, Braude promised in April to donate $426,000 from his salary over the next five years for improvements in his district if he were reelected.

Braude acknowledges that he may be leaving certain endeavors unfinished, such as his plan to have the earthquake-damaged Van Nuys Civic Center remodeled with private funds. But he said he hopes his successor and his 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 tears from their eyes as he cited a list of his accomplishments.

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

Said Mary Misono, a council aide who started with him in 1965: “It’s like the passing of an era.”

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Marvin Braude

Marvin Braude, a Los Angeles city councilman since 1965, announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection.

* Age: 76

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

* Education: Bachelor’s in political science from U. of Chicago

* Professional history: Founded Capital for Small Business; served as founding board member of Scientific Data Systems, later acquired by Xerox Corp.

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