Riordan Showcases Backing of 2 City Council Members

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, whose relations with the City Council have been rocky during much of his four-year term, spent Saturday showcasing endorsements from two members as his reelection bid headed into its final 10 days.

Council members Marvin Braude and Joel Wachs offered backing for Riordan during separate campaign stops, kicking off what aides said will be a string of public events to highlight council members’ support for Riordan before the April 8 election. Braude and Wachs are among at least seven council members supporting the mayor.

The planned endorsement events come as the panel is expected to override his veto of a “living wage” ordinance aimed at boosting pay for workers of firms that have contracts or subsidy arrangements with the city. The council approved the measure March 18 in a 12-0 vote.

Riordan’s challenger, state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles), downplayed the endorsements.

“They’re all one vote,” said campaign spokesman Rocky Rushing. “The citizens, not the council, will decide the April 8 election.”

Hayden launched a 15-mile campaign walk by supporters, attending a candidate forum that Riordan passed up and handing out leaflets from the Fox Hills Mall to Venice Beach.

At a Riordan campaign gathering in Pacific Palisades, Braude said the mayor has proved himself open to new ideas.

“I was fearful he would not listen to people. But he demonstrated an ability to do that,” Braude said outside a deli where Riordan met an audience of about 50. Braude, who is retiring after 32 years on the council, said Riordan also deserves support for seeking to increase privatesector involvement in government.

The endorsement from Braude, a liberal environmentalist who backed former Councilman Michael Woo during the 1993 mayoral campaign, was touted by the Riordan camp as a sign of backing from across the political spectrum.