ALARCON TELLS TALE OF TWO RICHARDS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

What's in a name? Plenty, if you're Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon, locked in a tight race for the state Senate and voters keep confusing you with a colleague - Councilman Richard Alatorre - who is mired in controversy.

A telephone poll of voters in the Senate District in the central San Fernando Valley found that almost one in five people surveyed thought the two Richards were one in the same.

``If 18 percent admit that, then you know the real figure is almost double that,'' said Alarcon's campaign consultant Richard Ross.

Alarcon, who is facing former Assemblyman Richard Katz in the June 2 primary election, was so concerned about the confusion that he is sending out a mailing next week to set it straight. It features a big photograph of Alarcon and a smaller picture of Alatorre.

``Some people confuse me with East L.A. Councilman Richard Alatorre,'' Alarcon's mailing says. ``Our names are similar. But I am the Valley Councilman who revitalized the GM plant, improved firefighter safety and donated my pay raise for police services.''

Alarcon said he believed he had to take steps to clear up the confusion because Alatorre is the focus of corruption investigations into whether he personally benefited from his positions as a councilman and member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board. Alatorre has denied any wrongdoing.

Alarcon said his campaign volunteers were spending a lot of time explaining the difference between the two.

``I felt I had to make it clear that I am the councilman from the San Fernando Valley. Because (Alatorre) represents an area outside the Valley, I didn't want people to think someone was moving in to run in the 20th state Senate District,'' Alarcon said.

Ross, the campaign consultant, said he knew he had a problem every time there was a news story involving Alatorre.

``Our phone banks would go in the dump,'' he said.

Alatorre said he gave his permission for Alarcon to use him in the mailing.

``I understand the confusion,'' Alatorre said. ``Even our colleagues get us mixed up. Richard has a tough race to run and he needs to get his identity out there.''

Katz's political consultant Harvey Englander said he had never seen a political mailing like the one distinguishing the Richards.

``It's a very strange piece of mail to put out,'' Englander said.

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PHOTO A Richard Alarcon mailer, to be sent to voters next week, draws a distinction between him and Councilman Richard Alatorre.