Hahn Is Low Key on Davis’ Future

Mayor James K. Hahn attended a news conference this week to show his opposition to the racial information initiative on the October ballot. But when it comes to that other matter before voters this fall -- the recall of Gov. Gray Davis -- the Democratic mayor of the state’s largest city has rarely been seen.

That absence is in sharp contrast to other elected Democratic officials around the state.

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has lent Davis his charisma and expressed opposition to the recall at event after event.

Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa has appeared beside the embattled governor and his wife at events around the Southland. He has delivered on-camera sound bites against the recall to television reporters while offering in-depth analyses to out-of-state reporters.

The full City Council, meanwhile, approved a resolution warning voters of the costs of the recall, prompting a flurry of news releases and phone calls to make sure the media knew about the council’s position.

Despite his low profile, Hahn said Wednesday that he is as against the recall as a man can be.

In fact, he said, he told his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger as much when the actor called to chat the day after announcing his candidacy on late-night television.

“I told him, ‘Arnold, I love you, but I’m opposed to the recall,’ ” Hahn said.

He added that he views the election as “a frivolous use of a very serious political weapon that belongs to the people” and that he plans to “be out there telling people why it’s a bad idea.”

If the mayor isn’t getting recognized for his views, if he’s not popping up at events with Davis to show his support or turning up in the newspapers with pithy quotes on the issue, it certainly isn’t his fault, Hahn said.

In fact, he said he wrote an opinion piece against the recall and submitted it to The Times -- but it wasn’t published.

Meanwhile, Davis has not yet called to ask Hahn to appear with him.

The two have not been bosom buddies. In the 2000 mayoral election, Davis endorsed Hahn’s opponent, Villaraigosa.

What’s more, Hahn is not perceived to have the same power to galvanize loyal Democratic voters as Brown has in San Francisco, said political consultant Harvey Englander.

“Gray Davis has got to really pull that strong, double-Democratic-household vote in,” Englander said. “That’s a Willie Brown base.”

In contrast to other big-city mayors who seek the national stage, Hahn, who previously served as city attorney and city controller, has shown a tendency to stay focused on local issues.

Last year, he skipped the state Democratic convention in Los Angeles to attend a local parade.

“Jimmy Hahn is a relatively low-key person,” said political analyst Darry Sragow. “He tends to keep to his knitting.”

Still, Hahn and the governor saw each other at a dinner last month, and Hahn said he told Davis he was opposed to the recall. In addition, Hahn, unlike other Democrats in California, has not backed anyone to replace Davis in the event he is recalled.

But until Davis asks for his presence, Hahn said, he intends to concentrate on governing Los Angeles.

“We’ve got a lot of challenges here in the city,” Hahn said. “That’s what I’m going to do. It’s real important that people understand that government is a serious business.”