Riordan Nominee Faces Opposition : City Hall: A council panel refuses to confirm Xavier Hermosillo to Fire Commission, citing his controversial racial comments. The full council will vote today.

In the first rejection of one of Mayor Richard Riordan’s staffing picks, a Los Angeles City Council panel Monday refused to confirm outspoken Latino activist Xavier Hermosillo to the Fire Commission, setting up what is expected to be a close vote before the full council today.

The controversial Hermosillo’s past remarks came back to haunt him as the council’s Public Safety Committee unanimously rejected his nomination and accused him of being racially divisive at a time when the city needs healing.

The full council will take up Hermosillo’s nomination today. In an interview, Riordan said he is confident that despite the committee’s vote, Hermosillo will win confirmation.

The former chairman of the Latino activist group NEWS for America, Hermosillo has become known for his blunt, in-your-face style. During a recent interview on the CBS newsmagazine “48 Hours,” he said Latinos are taking over the city “house by house” and “block by block,” and he urged residents to “wake up and smell the refried beans.”

“Is this the kind of person we want to represent the city of Los Angeles?” Councilman Marvin Braude asked as he delivered his no vote.

Last year, Hermosillo was criticized for making a derogatory remark about African-Americans during an awards dinner in Baldwin Park. He was a member of President George Bush’s reelection team at the time, and some Latino leaders at the dinner called on him to resign.

The Stentorians, a group of African-American firefighters, sent a letter to the council committee opposing Hermosillo’s nomination. Hermosillo said he and the group have worked out their differences, but Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said the group still opposes Hermosillo.

Riordan acknowledged that Hermosillo “says outrageous things, but underneath he’s a quality person. . . . Whenever you’re an activist like he is, you make some enemies.”

Councilman Richard Alatorre, a Hermosillo supporter who is not on the Public Safety Committee, said he intends to push for his confirmation. “Yes, he has been involved in tough issues,” Alatorre said. “He has a point of view. I think it’s ridiculous to turn him down because he has spoken up for Latinos.”

During his testimony before the committee, Hermosillo said he intends to put his controversial remarks behind him and work for all the people of the city. Under questioning from Councilwoman Laura Chick, Hermosillo said he would resign if he ever made another racially divisive remark.

“You have my word, councilwoman, if I were to participate in any activity or say anything that was racially divisive I would tender my recognition,” he said.

But that was not enough to persuade the committee members.

“He has told me that he will change his controversial style,” Braude said. “But to me that was a confession that his past behavior was confrontational, that it was divisive, that it was controversial and that it was inappropriate.”

Despite a recent meeting with Hermosillo, Ridley-Thomas said he was not persuaded that Hermosillo should represent the city.

“He may or may not be a bad guy,” Ridley-Thomas said, “but I am not interested in affording him a public platform to carry out his antics.”

Times staff writers John Schwada and Richard Simon contributed to this story.