Friedman to Seek Reelection to the Assembly in 41st : Elections: He decides against opposing fellow Democrat David A. Roberti, now left with no high-profile opposition for Alan Robbins’ Senate seat.

Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman said Tuesday that he will seek reelection to the Assembly rather than run against state Senate leader David A. Roberti, a fellow liberal Democrat, in a fratricidal battle for an open Senate seat in the San Fernando Valley.

Friedman (D-Los Angeles) filed papers to run for the Democratic nomination to represent the newly created 41st Assembly District, which runs from the southwestern Valley to Malibu and Santa Monica.

Friedman for weeks had considered whether to run again for the Assembly in the June 2 election or battle Roberti (D-Los Angeles) in the 20th Senate District, which covers the south-central Valley. The Senate seat was vacated by Alan Robbins after he agreed last November to plead guilty to federal racketeering and tax-evasion charges.

Friedman’s decision left Roberti with no high-profile opposition in the April 7 special election to fill the remaining two years of Robbins’ term. Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar), who also considered running against Roberti, decided two weeks ago to seek reelection in the Assembly.

Roberti, who as Senate leader is one of the Legislature’s most prolific fund-raisers, has stockpiled about $500,000 for the Senate race. His Los Feliz-based district was dismembered when the state Supreme Court recently reshuffled California legislative districts to reflect population changes.

Friedman, who has about $120,000 in campaign money available, said his plans had nothing to do with Roberti’s apparent strength.

“My decision is not based on what other people are doing,” he said, adding that he is running for the Assembly so he can continue to “serve my constituents and the issues I care about.”

Elected in 1986, Friedman is known as a rising star in the Assembly. He gained statewide visibility last year by proposing legislation to ban job discrimination against homosexuals. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson, touching off weeks of angry demonstrations by gays.

A University of California-educated attorney, Friedman, 43, is a member of the powerful Los Angeles political organization headed by Reps. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City) and Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles).

Although Roberti and the Waxman-Berman organization are close philosophically, they have occasionally clashed by backing different candidates in local elections.

Larry Sheingold, Roberti’s campaign manager, called Friedman’s choice “a sagacious move on his part.”

“I think Sen. Roberti would have won, regardless. Certainly I think it gives us a much better chance to win and to spend a lot less money doing it,” he said.

A Democratic political consultant said a Roberti-Friedman race would have been “nuclear war” between two well-known incumbents who are normally political allies.

The consultant, who asked not to be identified, said that although he believes Roberti would prevail in such a confrontation, Friedman could have badly injured him by highlighting the senator’s opposition to legalized abortion and the death penalty.

Although no well-known Democrats have announced that they will oppose Friedman in the 41st Assembly District, he might still face opposition in the primary from Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica).

Hayden, a five-term legislator and outspoken former anti-war activist, filed Tuesday to run for both the Assembly and a new state Senate district on Los Angeles’ Westside--the 23rd--that includes portions of the western San Fernando Valley.

If he runs in the 23rd, Hayden will face state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles), who previously announced his candidacy there. Hayden has until March 6 to file final candidacy papers.

Regardless of what Hayden does, the race in the 41st Assembly District is expected to be one of the Valley’s hottest Assembly contests this year. Voter registration in the district is 49% Democrat and 40% Republican, but observers consider it winnable by either party.

Several Republicans have declared that they will run for their party’s nomination. The best known among them is former Santa Monica City Councilwoman Christine E. Reed.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Assemblywoman Barbara Friedman (D-Los Angeles)--no immediate relation to Terry Friedman--filed to run in the new 43rd Assembly District, which includes Burbank. A first-term lawmaker, she faces an uphill battle against Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R-Glendale) in the district, where Republicans hold the edge in voter registration.

Assemblyman Burt Margolin (D-Los Angeles) filed for reelection in the 42nd Assembly District, which covers a small part of the south-central Valley.