MAYOR, RIVAL SEE HURDLE ON HIGH ROAD.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

As the May 17 mayoral election nears and the candidates gear up to blitz the airwaves with political ads, Mayor James Hahn and Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa insist they want to stay positive even while they stand ready to go on the attack.

Both campaigns see the vote-rich San Fernando Valley as the key.

For Villaraigosa, the challenge is to overcome any hesitation based on his Latino heritage and liberal background by promising to have an inclusive government that seeks to balance the interests of various constituencies.

For Hahn, who was a distant second in the primary and is trailing in the polls, the difficult task is to get past the anger generated among Valley voters by the way he ran the 2002 campaign against Valley cityhood.

``I know some people are still upset, but I point to what we've accomplished,'' Hahn said in a recent interview. ``I think people have seen that I've taken it very seriously. Folks were clamoring for more attention. They wanted more services delivered to their neighborhoods, and I've responded.''

Hahn claims credit for giving neighborhood councils a voice in setting budget priorities and policies and in overseeing construction of the new Mission Area police station, remodeling of the West Valley police station and construction of new fire stations and libraries around the Valley.

``City Hall is listening to them,'' Hahn said. ``I have worked hard to give the San Fernando Valley a greater voice. I hope people notice that.''

For Villaraigosa, the message he wants to spread is that he has listened and learned.

``I think people have found out they can trust me,'' Villaraigosa said in an interview last week with Daily News editors and reporters. ``I listen to people.

``I grew in the (Assembly) speakership, and I have grown as a councilman.

``Bob (Hertzberg), when we were meeting to talk about an endorsement, said something to me that made me feel very proud. He said, 'You know, over the years I've known you, you keep on learning. You try to learn more. You're a good listener. You benefit from the breadth of experiences you've had over the last few years.'

``I know as mayor, if I'm going to be effective, I'm going to have to grow even more than I did as speaker. (As mayor) the buck stops with you.''

Neither campaign's representatives would discuss when its main television commercial effort will begin, although each is likely to start within the next 10 days.

Villaraigosa campaign manager Parke Skelton said the candidate's TV-ad blitz will begin on a positive note, but Skelton expects the mayor to go on the attack quickly.

``Our intent is to stay positive as long as we can,'' he said. ``Clearly, we will respond to attacks on us. We have shown we are willing and able to do that.''

During the primary campaign, when Hahn criticized the role Villaraigosa and Hertzberg played in energy deregulation, Villaraigosa quickly responded with a commercial criticizing the mayor and noting investigations were under way into allegations of impropriety in the Hahn administration.

Hahn consultant Kam Kuwata said the mayor's campaign, in its final weeks, will focus on a number of different areas.

``This campaign is a contest between someone who has gotten results and someone who has rhetoric,'' Kuwata said. ``We plan to point out what the mayor has accomplished and what he wants to do in the next four years to continue to make this city safer and improve public services.''

At the same time, Kuwata said Hahn campaign officials are prepared to bring up Villaraigosa's past association with the American Civil Liberties Union and its opposition in cases such as the anti-gang injunctions Hahn implemented.

``This election is about who will run the city,'' Kuwata said. ``We want voters to know that Jim Hahn is the best man for the job.''

Skelton said he expects the Hahn campaign to focus more on attacking Villaraigosa than on the mayor's record.

``The mayor signaled what kind of campaign he plans to run,'' Skelton said. ``He said he will bury whoever runs against him. It's going to be a tough campaign.''

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com