Even LaBonge Surprised by Lopsided Win

As Tom LaBonge made plans Wednesday to take office as a Los Angeles city councilman, surprised political pundits tried to explain how he had achieved a lopsided victory over Beth Garfield despite record spending by both candidates.

LaBonge spent $1.07 million on the primary and runoff elections combined, while Garfield spent $977,000. The previous record for spending by a council candidate was set by Councilman Hal Bernson, whose 1991 primary and runoff elections cost $771,289, according to Bruce Aoki, deputy executive director of the city Ethics Commission.

LaBonge, who is expected to take the oath of office for the 4th District seat Nov. 1 or Nov. 2, collected 61.8% of the vote in Tuesday’s election, compared with 38.2% received by Garfield.

The margin was a surprise even to LaBonge, whose own tracking polls two weeks before the election had him just four points ahead with a large undecided vote to be wooed.

“I would have thought she would have done better just based on the amount of money she spent,” said Arnold Steinberg, a political strategist not involved in the election. Garfield spent more than $344,000 in the runoff, or more than $46 per vote.

LaBonge and his supporters say the main reason he won big is that voters knew he had been toiling in the district’s neighborhoods for nearly three decades, including 15 years as chief field deputy for Councilman John Ferraro, whose death in April forced the special election.

“The people believed in me,” LaBonge said. “They believed in me knocking on their doors not just during this campaign season but for the last 27 years.”

Campaign managers for the two candidates and political experts not involved in the contest cited several other contributing factors they believe were behind the blowout.

The lower-than-expected turnout of 15.86% hurt Garfield, said her campaign manager, Bryan Blum. He said LaBonge went into the race with a larger base of supporters who were likely to vote. Garfield’s strategy was based on about 26,000 people voting, but fewer than 20,000 cast ballots.

Blum said he believed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and their aftermath put a damper on voter turnout.

“People are paying less attention to local politics with bigger things happening in the world,” Blum said.

LaBonge said some potential Garfield supporters probably stayed home because they were turned off by her negative campaign, which included personal attacks on his character.

“It probably upset some voters,” LaBonge said.

Such negative campaigning is probably less acceptable now that the nation is having to come together in response to the threats of terrorists, said John Shallman, a campaign consultant for LaBonge.

“It’s difficult when you are running a negative campaign to inspire a base of voters to come out and vote for you,” Shallman said. LaBonge also had some attack mailers, but put out many more that addressed his plans for the office.

Shallman and others also said LaBonge had a superior field campaign that got his voters to the polls. LaBonge was endorsed by the unions representing Los Angeles police officers and firefighters, so his field operation included dozens of public safety workers who are riding a new wave of public admiration since the events of Sept. 11.

“It was an advantage to him,” Blum conceded. “Particularly the firefighters. He used them a lot and he used them well. People justifiably have respect for them, but after Sept. 11 the respect and admiration went through the roof.”