CONNELL LAUNCHES BID FOR L.A. MAYOR.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

VAN NUYS - Adding a new dimension to the race for mayor next year, state Controller Kathleen Connell on Wednesday formally entered the campaign with a pledge to make government more efficient and increase services to head off secession drives.

Standing in front of the rebuilt Van Nuys City Hall and making a point that she was standing in the heart of the Valley, Connell said she wanted to run because the city is in trouble.

``People wake up in the morning with headlines about corruption in our police departments, violence in our streets, schools that are failing our children and a transportation system in total disarray,'' Connell said. ``But, it doesn't need to be this way.''

Connell, 53, who must leave her statewide office in 2002 because of term limits, said she has been thinking about running for mayor for some time and decided to get in the race because she believes she can make a difference in the operation of the city.

Citing her experience in managing her department of 17,000 employees as well as in helping manage the state's finances, she said she believes she can bring efficiency to local government to provide the service the people are seeking.

``You have a secession movement here in the Valley and in Hollywood and the San Pedro area because people believe they aren't getting their fair share of services,'' Connell said. ``I want to increase services to everyone in the city.''

While not taking a position on secession, Connell said she already has played a role in making sure that accurate information is provided to all sides on what the costs would be in breaking away.

In making her announcement, Connell selected the Valley - which supplied more than 50 percent of the votes cast in the past two municipal elections - as well as going to the Watts Labor Community Action Committee and the Para Los Ninos center.

With the announcement, Connell becomes one of the major candidates because of her position, experience and expected ability to raise the $2.5 million necessary to receive the maximum in matching funds for the race. Unlike her past races, Connell said she would not be using any of her personal wealth in the campaign.

``I think we will be able to raise enough to be competitive,'' she said.

Connell said she was not basing her campaign on the activities of the other major candidates - City Attorney James Hahn; Councilman Joel Wachs; Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles; Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles; and Parks Commissioner Steve Soboroff.

Connell said she believes she will draw support from all areas of the city.

``In my last campaign, I won more than 65 percent support in Los Angeles,'' she said of her 1998 re-election against Ruben Barrales, a little-known Central Valley county supervisor.

Consultants with other campaigns and political analysts, however, were unsure of where her strength will lie.

``She comes in with the advantage of being the only well-known woman in the race (and) with a top state position,'' said Democratic consultant Richard Lichtenstein, who is not associated with any of the mayoral campaigns.

``But, also, not many people know who the state controller is. She's going to have to tell people who she is and what she does.''

Joe Cerrell, also a Democratic consultant independent of the campaigns, agreed with that assessment and said she could end up hurting Soboroff because of her ties to the business community.

``And, being a woman, she could draw votes based on that alone,'' Cerrell said. ``It's a tough field to handicap because all the candidates have some strengths.''

Each of the campaigns also welcomed her to the race, saying they didn't believe it would impact their candidacies.

``I welcome her to the race,'' Wachs said. ``I like her and I don't think she will affect what I'm doing at all.''

Connell was accompanied to the press conference by her two sons, Adam, 10, and Garrett, 9, both of whom attend public schools in the Valley. Because of her sons, she said, she is concerned about the future of the city and the school district.

Even though the mayor has no direct authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District, she said she would continue on the path taken by Mayor Richard Riordan in using his position to try to influence school policies.

At the same time, Connell said the district should be given a chance to test the new minidistrict reorganization and assess its effectiveness.

Connell worked on housing issues for the city under former Mayor Tom Bradley and later went into private industry before her election as state controller in 1994.

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Photo:

Controller Kathleen Connell, with her sons, Garrett, far left, and Adam, announces her candidacy Wednesday in Van Nuys.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer