Hahn a Noticeable No-Show as Davis Flaunts Mayors’ Support

Taking an early swipe at Richard Riordan’s potential candidacy for governor, Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday trumpeted endorsements of the mayors of several major California cities. But the mayor of the state’s largest city, notably, was missing.

Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn was wrapping up a vacation. Unlike the mayor of Long Beach, who couldn’t attend the event outside the Capitol but did send a letter urging that Californians reelect Davis next year, there was no missive from Hahn.

“He has not endorsed anybody,” Hahn spokeswoman Julie Wong said. “At this point, he’s just staying out.”

It smacked to some, however, as more complicated than that. Earlier this year, Davis endorsed Antonio Villaraigosa’s losing campaign for mayor against Hahn.

“I hope that, down the road, Mayor Hahn will join us,” the Democratic governor said as he was flanked by the mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Anaheim, Santa Ana and San Bernardino, all Democrats.

Describing Hahn as “a good Democrat,” Davis campaign strategist Garry South said: “Ultimately, I think we’ll get all the Democratic mayors to endorse the governor for reelection.”

Still, the lack of Hahn’s endorsement provided fodder for California Republican Party spokesman Rob Stutzman. “Isn’t Jimmy Hahn a Democrat and the mayor of the largest city in California?” Stutzman said in a statement. “Ouch.”

The mayors who did attend praised Davis for his actions and spending on anti-crime measures, schools, housing and transportation. San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, a Davis appointee to the board that oversees the state workers pension fund, described the mayors’ relationship with Davis as “a wonderful working partnership.”

“We must have someone who clearly understands the nature of cities,” Brown said. “We have that in Gray Davis.”

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, who was Davis’ boss when Brown was governor, called Davis “a great supporter of cities” and charter schools, including a military academy-style charter school in Oakland that Brown has helped create with Davis’ support.

“He has all of my virtues and very few of my liabilities,” the Oakland mayor said.

Although Davis has no Democratic primary opponent, and the primary is not until March 5, Davis explained his reasoning for having the late August news conference by saying, “When you have strength, you ought to display it.”

Davis strategist South, however, made a point of saying the event was aimed at Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor who is expected to announce his statewide intentions soon.

“If he is going to run,” South said, “and if he is going to run his campaign on the notion that he is some kind of urban expert, some kind of a practitioner of urban politics and a master of urban issues, we’re going to have a lot of people running around the state refuting that.”

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Times staff writer Matea Gold contributed to this story.