Riordan Launches Gubernatorial Bid In California
Former Mayor of L.A. Denounces Davis
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By Rene Sanchez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 7, 2001; Page A23
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 -- Richard Riordan, the Republican millionaire who led this city as mayor for the past eight years with a politically moderate and at times unconventional style, launched today what may be a formidable campaign to become the next governor of California.
Speaking to a multicultural crowd of supporters here at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, the historic heart of the city and hardly a Republican bastion, Riordan said he is running because the nation's most populous state is suffering under a "dark cloud" of economic and educational trouble that demands new leadership.
He denounced Gov. Gray Davis (D) as a dithering manager obsessed with fundraising and partly blamed him for the power crisis that forced the state to resort to rolling blackouts this year. "I say enough is enough," Riordan said. "We can't afford four more years of gross mismanagement."
When he left the mayor's office this summer, Riordan, at 71, seemed bound for retirement. And GOP leaders, desperate to revive their fortunes in California, expressed little hope of reclaiming power in the intensely Democratic state. For a while, some Republicans even pleaded with action-film star Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for governor next year, but he declined.
The White House and national GOP leaders, who view Davis as a potential presidential challenger in 2004, then began encouraging Riordan to run because of his proven appeal to some Democrats. Riordan has spent the past few months touring the state and laying the groundwork, with mixed results, for a campaign.
Early polls suggest that Riordan may make a strong contender and that Davis, who only a year ago had strong public support and a huge budget surplus, has significant new political problems.
California escaped blackouts this summer, but it is saddled with billions of dollars in debt stemming from the power crisis. Its economy, which is one of the largest and most diverse in the world, is also reeling from the technology sector's downturn and the ripple effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
A statewide survey taken by the independent Field Poll just before the attacks showed Riordan running even with Davis, even though the former mayor is barely known in Northern California. Riordan also had a surprising edge over Davis in Los Angeles County, which is home to a heavily Democratic electorate and a fourth of all the voters in the state. "What the pre-campaign polls suggest is that California has a governor that is vulnerable," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll.
Still, for many Republicans, Riordan's candidacy is as much a cause for concern as celebration. He may be the only Republican who can beat Davis. But much of his agenda is not one that the party embraces. Riordan supports abortion rights and gun control, for example. His wife is a Democratic fundraiser. And he has contributed to the campaigns of several prominent Democrats in recent years, including Davis.
Riordan could have a difficult time even emerging as the Republican nominee for governor. At a recent GOP gathering in the state, some Republican leaders had harsh words for his Democratic ties. Two other Republicans are in the race -- California's Secretary of State Bill Jones and businessman Bill Simon.
Riordan will face other obstacles. No mayor of Los Angeles has ever been elected governor; many voters in the state have great scorn or suspicion of the metropolis. No incumbent California governor has been voted out of office in nearly 40 years. And Davis, a dogged, disciplined campaigner who won in a landslide three years ago, has already raised nearly $31 million for the race.
Riordan also has a habit of verbal gaffes and political unpredictability that could undermine him in his first statewide race. Even before today's announcement, four top aides had quit his campaign.
"He's a bumbler," said Garry South, a political adviser to Davis. "And his connections to Los Angeles will have huge liabilities in the rest of the state."
Riordan is promising a tough fight. Today, with Schwarzenegger at his side, he vowed to revitalize California's failing schools and its faltering economy. "It won't be easy," Riordan said, "but working together we can make California golden again."
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