EDITORIAL RICHMAN FOR MAYOR ASSEMBLYMAN OFFERS THE MOST EXPERIENCE FOR TOUGH JOB.

IF an independent San Fernando Valley is the stuff of dreamers and optimists, its first mayor must necessarily be a pragmatist, someone with the experience and know-how to take on what promises to be one of the toughest jobs in politics.

Within weeks of the election, the mayor will have to establish the framework of the new city's government, fend off encroaching special interests, unify an eclectic city council and prepare for legal battle with Los Angeles City Hall, which won't take a defeat at the polls lying down.

This isn't a job for neophytes or ideologues. The Valley's first mayor must be able to work with diverse interests and rally support throughout the community.

While there are 10 earnest and competent candidates in the race for Valley mayor, only two have the basic qualifications, the credibility and the public appeal to do the job well: Realtor Mel Wilson and Assemblyman Keith Richman.

These two front-runners deserve credit for throwing their hats into this campaign. Most other high-profile leaders with promising political careers ahead of them sat this race out, for fear that backing secession would doom their ambitions in L.A.'s political culture.

But Richman and Wilson, both moderates with centrist views of government, were willing to put those concerns aside out of a commitment to their community and the belief that the Valley would be better off if it became a city rather than remain a colony of Los Angeles.

Both would mark a vast upgrade from the current leadership in Los Angeles City Hall. But only one can hold the job, and of the two, the candidate most prepared for the office is Richman.

While Wilson is a Democrat and Richman is a Republican, the two share a history of working on both sides of the aisle and for the San Fernando Valley. Wilson, a former CSUN football standout, has served on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board and pushed to put a development zone in Pacoima.

As a Republican member of the Democrat-dominated state Assembly, Richman has developed a reputation for bridging partisan gaps and finding common ground.

Both candidates would do a fine job of unifying the new city and laying the foundation for its future.

Richman, as an elected official and state legislator, simply has the most direct experience. In a new city, where the infrastructure and the political organization must be built from the ground up, that sort of expertise would be priceless.

But Richman is not just a politician. A physician and a successful Valley businessman, he brings the sort of practical, real-world experience absent among the political professionals in L.A. City Hall. His diverse abilities would be a great asset to the new government.

Richman offers the best hope for a bright future in an independent San Fernando Valley.