Candidates Cut Confidants Out of Same Cloth

The next mayor of Los Angeles will be a close friend of organized labor. He will be allied with some of the wealthy businessmen who were Mayor Richard Riordan’s closest advisors. He will be an intimate of the state’s most powerful Democrats.

This we know from the company James K. Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa keep as they head into the June 5 mayoral runoff.

Though the candidates tout their differences to voters, their inner circles of advisors generally are players from the same teams. From fund-raising to policy advice to campaign strategies, Hahn and Villaraigosa have been assisted by influential Democrats likely to remain close to the new mayor beyond election day.

The common ground reflects the fact that the mayoral race is a rare contest between two liberals. “There isn’t a conservative in the runoff, and I don’t know if that’s ever happened in Los Angeles,” said Raphael Sonenshein, a Cal State Fullerton professor who focuses on Los Angeles politics.

As veteran Democratic politicians, Villaraigosa and Hahn can be expected to govern in a style much different from Riordan’s. Just as important, they will bring with them new teams of close confidants--in some cases, borrowing from the group that has helped guide Riordan; in other cases, reaching out to new players.

A political novice when he won the mayor’s office in 1993, Riordan leaned heavily on the cadre of wealthy lawyers and businessmen who had encouraged him to run, in particular his law partner Bill Wardlaw. For most of the Republican mayor’s two terms, Wardlaw served as unofficial chief of staff, advising the mayor on personnel decisions and political initiatives.

That counsel was crucial to Riordan because the mayor lacked any background in elected politics. Hahn and Villaraigosa, by contrast, are long-serving public officials.

“Hahn and Villaraigosa are political veterans. They won’t need a Svengali,” Sonenshein said.

Those close to Hahn and Villaraigosa say both men consult their staffs and outsiders on issues, but neither depends on a small circle of confidants. By many accounts, Villaraigosa follows his instincts even if it means ignoring the advice of trusted friends or staff.

The civic leaders instrumental in electing Riordan and assisting him in office are still prominent in mayoral politics. Hahn’s campaign, for instance, is chaired by Wardlaw.

And Villaraigosa is supported by Eli Broad, a billionaire businessman whom Riordan relied on not only for leadership on civic projects, but for guidance on important policy decisions.

Wardlaw said he wouldn’t wield the same influence with Hahn that he had with Riordan, who was a dear friend and political newcomer when elected. Wardlaw also said his role in Riordan’s administration diminished as Riordan gained political experience.

“I had been the managing partner in Dick Riordan’s law firm for over a decade. He was just starting his political career when I was advising him, which is different from a gentleman who’s held office for a decade and a half,” Wardlaw said.

Hahn agreed with that assessment. “I’ve run citywide departments. I know the general managers of the departments and the City Council members. I don’t need a guide,” Hahn said.

Broad, who was tapped by Riordan to lead the fund-raising drive for Disney Hall, co-chaired last summer’s Democratic National Convention (along with Riordan, Wardlaw and others) and advised the mayor on issues like management of the Police Department, said he might “offer advice when asked” should Villaraigosa become mayor. But so far, Broad said, he has helped mainly by fund-raising.

“I can’t add anything to his political skills,’ Broad said.

Broad said he sees Wardlaw playing a powerful behind-the-scenes role should Hahn win. “They’ll probably be talking on a daily basis. Some of us think a vote for Jim Hahn is a vote for having Bill Wardlaw as the next mayor,” said Broad.

Others have voiced similar concerns about Broad’s influence on Villaraigosa, noting that he has given lavishly to the candidate’s campaign. Other business leaders who formed a kind of private cabinet in the Riordan administration are split between the candidates. Former Secretary of State Warren Christopher has endorsed Hahn; Univision Chairman Jerrold Perenchio supports Villaraigosa.

“You’re seeing the breakup of the Riordan organization,” Sonenshein said.

That breakup may dilute the influence of businesspeople with the next mayor at the same time other sectors of the community gain power. “Money always matters, but the circle of money is larger,” Sonenshein said. “Organized labor is also a peer and sometimes stronger than business in L.A.”

The closest confidants of Villaraigosa include labor leaders such as Maria Elena Durazo, leader of the hotel workers’ union, and her husband, Miguel Contreras, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

Hahn has always been solidly pro-labor, and campaign chairman Wardlaw was a protege of the late James Wood, who had led the county labor federation.

As city attorney, Hahn relies heavily on his chief deputy, Tim McOsker, to speak for the office and lead negotiations. For political advice, he turns to Matt Middlebrook, who joined the office after managing Hahn’s 1997 campaign. Middlebrook now serves as campaign manager for the mayoral effort.

Hahn’s policy advisors outside government include George Kieffer, a partner in the powerful Democratic law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips; Alan Arkatov, head of an online education firm and former chairman of the city’s Information Technology Commission; and John Emerson, a former Clinton White House official.

But Hahn said whom he consults changes with the situation. “Rather than having a ‘kitchen cabinet,’ I call people involved with different issues to get their opinions before making a decision.”

Villaraigosa also downplayed the role of a “kitchen cabinet.” He acknowledged his ties to Broad and supermarket magnate Ron Burkle, as well as his long-standing relationships with labor leaders Durazo and Contreras, but emphasized, “I always make decisions on my own.”

Villaraigosa names former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina and Los Angeles school board member Genethia Hayes as political confidants. Recently, Cisneros and Burkle associate Ari Swiller both reached out to reporters and editors on Villaraigosa’s behalf.

Villaraigosa pointed out that he often decides against the advice he is offered. “You can’t be afraid to act decisively, even when you’re acting alone,” he said.