Term Limits Can’t Stop Mayor

The Cinderella write-in campaign by termed-out Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill proved formidable by Wednesday, forcing a runoff election June 4 with Vice Mayor Dan Baker.

Final results from Tuesday’s city election showed 27.5% of the vote went to O’Neill, 24% to Baker, and 22% to Norm Ryan, author of a proposition that cut utility taxes.

Ryan’s close finish to Baker was almost as surprising as O’Neill’s upset victory. A runoff election is required if none of the candidates wins 50% of the vote.

O’Neill’s name did not appear on the election ballot because a voter-approved 1994 term limits law created a two-term cap for all Long Beach elected officials. For the same reason, her name will not appear on the June ballot.

The law allowed for an incumbent to run as a write-in candidate. But because write-in victories are rare, the flock of veteran consultants working on other campaign bids viewed O’Neill’s as a long shot.

Write-In Outdoes Top Fund-Raiser

“Can you believe it? It’s exciting,” O’Neill said Wednesday as a television crew waited to interview her. “I’m thrilled with the results because it ... shows that, if people want someone enough, they will take the extra steps to vote.”

From the start, Baker was the top fund-raiser and the favorite of handicappers. He won the endorsement of the police union and city employees.

He was also backed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a Washington-based political action group that finances and supports gay candidates for public office.

If Baker wins in June, Long Beach will become the nation’s largest city with an openly gay mayor, said Jason Young, spokesman for the Victory Fund.

Although his being openly gay was not an issue in the race, the Victory Fund contacted major media to highlight what it views as important progress.

Long Beach’s estimated population of 461,500 dwarfs by seven times that of Portland, Maine, which currently is the largest city in the country with an openly gay mayor, Young said.

Baker, a Long Beach City Council member since 1999 and a U.S. Customs officer before that, was undaunted Wednesday by O’Neill’s margin of victory.

“Clearly, she got a lot of votes,” Baker said, referring to her 27.5% share of the vote. “But the good news, from our perspective, is that 73% of our voters said it’s time for a new mayor. So I need to reach out to that 73% to let them know what I’m about.”

Candidates Divided on Federal Breakwater

Supporting a study of the pros and cons of lowering the breakwater off the Long Beach coast, and a vow to address serious environmental issues spawned by the Port of Long Beach, will distinguish him in the June race, Baker said.

Asked about port issues and the breakwater, O’Neill said she believes no one issue defines a race and that citizens vote for, not against, candidates. She opposes study of the federally owned breakwater, citing a position by the Army Corps of Engineers that essentially said, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

O’Neill said her campaign will continue to spread the word on how to write in a vote. A popular mayor, she was endorsed by the influential Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and by the Press Telegram.

The mayor has a salary of $98,900, but no vote apart from veto power. Yet the mayor makes commission appointments, and in Long Beach the most powerful is the Harbor Commission, which governs the port on a $1-billion annual budget with no city oversight and no term limits.

Baker said he would focus on solving the problem of air pollution from coke dust generated by the port, which has resisted measures to contain the dust, citing the cost. Air-quality officials have ordered the port to clean up coal facilities in the harbor, noting that coke dust contains carcinogens.

In other notable Los Angeles County municipal races, growth and utility taxes were issues in several campaigns.

In Lancaster, a meager 14% voter turnout gave Mayor Frank Roberts and Councilman Henry W. Hearns their fifth terms. Ed Sileo, a planning commissioner, won a council seat vacated after Councilwoman Michelle Idelman chose not to seek reelection.

In Santa Clarita, two incumbents and a newcomer won council seats.

The top vote-getter, Frank Ferry, a high school teacher and incumbent councilman who coined his own nickname--Road Warrior--ran on a record of building city roads. Ferry, incumbent Lauren Weste and Marsha McLean are all known for their ties to local community organizations.

In El Segundo, the proposed expansion of Los Angeles International Airport was a major issue in the election for two council seats. Incumbents Kelly McDowell and John Gaines, who oppose expanding the airport, won decided victories over William V. Wegner and Spencer Shakstad, who had expressed a willingness to negotiate with expansion planners.

Voter approved measures extending utility taxes in South Pasadena and Lawndale.

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Times staff writer Garrett Therolf contributed to this report.

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Final Returns

*--* Arcadia City Council--3 Seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Gary A. Kovacic * 4,569 30 John Wuo 3,069 20 Gail Marshall * 2,871 19 Roger Chandler * 2,810 18 Robert C. Harbicht 2,105 14

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*--* Avalon Mayor 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Ralph J. Morrow Jr 427 46 Tin Winslow 299 32 Joe Sampson 182 20 Douglas A. Lord 24 3 City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % John G. Regalado Jr. * 761 48 Dan O’Conner * 595 37 Richard D. Kelly 238 15

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*--* Bradbury City Council District 5 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Beatrice LaPisto Kirtley * 37 62 Bruce Lathrop 23 38

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*--* Culver City City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Albert Vera 3,040 30 Gary Silbiger 2,020 20 Paul M. Netzel 1,958 19 David Hauptman 1,738 17 Theodore Smith III 1,511 15 City Clerk 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Christopher Armenta 3,327 63 Lynn A. Baril 1,980 37

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*--* El Segundo City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Kelly McDowell 1,497 30 John Gaines 1,489 30 Spencer Shakstad 1,010 20 William V. Wenger 978 20

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*--* Lancaster Mayor 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Frank C. Roberts 3,293 48 Norm Hickling 2,061 30 Anthony Booth 582 9 William F. Fender 512 8 Gene Gaynor 367 5 City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Henry W. Hearns 3,493 32 Ed Sileo 3,123 29 Percy Malicott 2,343 22 George Root 1,917 18 Andrew Banks 1,191 11

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*--* Lawndale Mayor 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Harold E. Hofmann * 891 75 Fred Siegel 263 22 Enrique Salazar 37 3 City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Larry Rudolph * 846 37 James D. Ramsey 509 22 Gary M. McDonald 490 21 David J. Murry, Sr 302 13 Kenneth Bryant 157 7 City Clerk 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Paula Hartwill * 642 50 Uffe Moller 408 32 Ilona Grothe 234 18 Measures 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % A -- Continuation of utility users tax Yes 1,027 79 No 281 21 B -- Advisory vote to continue to permit sale of fireworks Yes 896 68 No 420 32

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*--* Long Beach Mayor 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Beverly O’Neill * * 9,258 28 Dan Baker * 8,100 25 Norm Ryan 7,492 23 Ray Grabinski 6,433 20 John Stolpe 644 2 David P. Wong 522 2 Robert Livingstone 455 1 City Council District 3 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Frank Colonna * 5,086 67 Diana Mann 2,121 28 Matthew J. Wall III 401 5 City Council District 5 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Jackie Kell * 5,449 71 John Donaldson 1,913 25 Ananya D. Mullane 350 5 City Council District 7 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Mike Donelon 1,623 40 Tonia Reyes Uranga 1,190 29 Bobbie Smith 895 22 Thomas Gonzales 356 9 City Council District 9 100% Precincts Reporting Votes % Val Lerch 1,091 63 Martha Sims 642 37 City Prosecutor 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Tom Reeves * 23,210 76 Richard Poland 7,396 24 Measures 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % S -- Auditor candidates must be licensed as CPA Yes 24,771 83 No 5,088 17 T -- Transfer authority for water department general manager Yes 18,710 65 No 10,113 35 U -- Transfer authority for civil service department executive director Yes 5,517 57 No 4,215 43 V -- Charter amendment for governing veterans’ preferences for city employment Yes 16,730 58 No 11,880 42

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*--* Long Beach Community College District Trustee Area 1 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Jeffrey A. Kellogg 2,632 56 Darwin R. Thorpe 2,099 44 Trustee Area 3 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Dianne Theil McNinch 1,301 41 Juan R. Gonzalez 1,128 36 Roger Joseph Kavigan 719 23

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*--* Long Beach Unified School District District 3 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Suja Lowenthal 2,105 68 Mary E. Porterfield 739 24 Kurt C. Bealer 258 8 District 5 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Jeannine McManigal-Ball 3,367 33 James John Choura 2,651 26 Florence C. Wilson 2,457 24 Beth Hambelton 1,250 12 Theresa Lynn Burger 456 4

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*--* Malibu City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Sharon Barovsky 1,539 28 Andy Stern 1,486 27 John Wall 970 18 Beverly Taki 779 14 Robert Roy Van De Hoek 722 13

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*--* Santa Clarita City Council--3 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Frank Ferry * 6,343 19 Marsha McLean 5,803 17 Laurene Weste * 5,179 15 Jan Heidt 4,883 14 John Grannis 3,850 11 Duane R. Harte 3,606 11 Michael L. Hainline 1,586 5 David J. Albee 1,051 3 Dennis Conn 633 2 Lee Rich 495 1 John B Steffen 426 1 Jan Bilson 417 1

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*--* Sierra Madre City Council--3 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Robert Stockley 1,892 27 George Maurer 1,623 24 Tonja Torres 1,587 23 Ron Brandley 964 14 Ruth Teigler 592 9 Bill Tice 248 4 Measures 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % O2A -- Option to delist historic landmark properties Yes 1,418 61 No 897 39

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*--* South Pasadena Measures 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % U--Renewal of 5% utility user’s tax Yes 1,466 58 No 1,077 42

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*--* Walnut City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Tom King 1,302 24 Miles Nan 1,250 23 June Wentworth * 1,201 22 Dan Marostica 915 17 Der-Haw Hwang 548 10 Gregg Fritchle 155 3 Robert Lung 118 2

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*--* Whittier City Council--2 seats 100% of Precincts Reporting Votes % Bob Henderson 3,959 37 J. Greg Nordbak * 3,541 33 Bob Apodaca 1,434 13 Bill McEwen 1,025 10 Arthur Rock 476 4 Joseph Ernesto Marsico 299 3 Write-in: Richard Bright 18 0 *--*

Key to Election Tables

An asterisk (*) denotes an incumbent candidate.

There will be a runoff election June 4 in the Long Beach mayor’s race.

Elected candidates and approved measures, or those leading with 99% of precincts reporting, are in bold type. Results are not official and could be affected by absentee ballots.

Uncontested local offices and write-in candidates are not included in the tables.

Sources: Election returns provided by Los Angeles County registrar and city clerks.