MAYORAL PROFILE: JAMES HAHN PUBLIC SERVICE A TRADITION IN CITY ATTORNEY'S FAMILY.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

Running for mayor of Los Angeles, James K. Hahn has thrown himself into the biggest political challenge of his life - to carry a family political heritage dating back a half-century to new heights.

His father, Kenneth Hahn, who died in 1997, was a city councilman for five years and a county supervisor for 40 years, a larger-than-life figure remembered for his attention to fixing potholes and other local needs.

``There's only one Kenny Hahn but once you get to know me, I grow on you, too,'' the mayoral candidate says.

``The bottom line is that both our mottoes are: 'Hahn gets things done.' People have always been interested in quality-of-life issues like streets and parks.''

Hahn and a crowded field of rivals in the April 10 primary want to become the leader of a city seemingly on the brink of dividing itself.

``I'm running to improve the quality of life in Los Angeles,'' he said. ``This is one of the great cities of the world. If people are proud of the street they live on, they will be proud of the city they live in.''

Hahn has held citywide elected offices since 1981 as city controller and city attorney but ironically still works to convince voters that he is more than just the Hahn name or a faceless bureaucrat.

Although he does not have the same public appeal as his father, he is staking his mayoral hopes on recognition for his work at City Hall.

``He goes way beyond just a name,'' said Bill Carrick, a consultant on his mayoral campaign. ``He is extremely proud of his father's legacy, but I don't think you can win a city election on name alone.''

Still, the name recognition is an undeniably valuable asset.

``If you'll notice, Hahn is using his full name (James Kenneth Hahn) on the ballot,'' said Ram M. Roy, a political science professor at California State University, Northridge.

``This is more than just coincidence. But that's fair game, and the name recognition from his father should help him the same way it helped George W. Bush.''

Other Hahn family members have also served in public office. An uncle, Gordon Hahn, served in the Assembly and later on the City Council. His sister, Janice Hahn, served on the city's elected Charter Reform Commission and is running for the City Council in the 15th District.

Even though Hahn has been surrounded by politicians all his life, his decision to enter politics didn't come until after he was 30. He majored in English at Pepperdine University and set his sights on a career in journalism.

That all changed at his father's urging to study law. Hahn says there was no pressure to enter politics, but his father did inspire him and ultimately he felt a desire to play a role in city leadership.

After earning a law degree and working as an attorney, Hahn saw his first political opportunity in 1981 when City Controller Ira Reiner left to become city attorney.

``We were all pretty surprised that Jimmy wanted to run,'' said Councilman Nate Holden, who worked on Hahn's run for controller and was also a top aide for Kenneth Hahn. ``But we asked him if that's what he wanted, and he was (determined).''

Hahn topped his opponent in fund raising by more than a 4-to-1 margin and won his first victory in a citywide election. He went on to four terms as city attorney.

Hahn has raised more than $3 million in the mayor's race, putting him in the top tier of fund raising with businessman Steve Soboroff.

Supporters say that even though he doesn't have the flair or presence of his father, he does have the substance.

``He's got a quiet demeanor in public, but he takes care of business behind the scenes,'' Holden says. ``Just look what he's done for the city.''

As city attorney, Hahn boasts he has chalked up success in lawsuits against the tobacco and gun industries, and gained recognition by developing nuisance abatement and gang injunction policies aimed at fighting crime.

While some neighborhood groups claim the hard-line injunctions are effective in gaining back control of a gang-infested area, the American Civil Liberties Union says the approach is political and endangers civil rights by allowing officers to stop ``suspected'' gang members.

``I agree with the philosophy, but unfortunately it leaves a lot of room for police harassment of those who sometimes aren't even gang members,'' said Cara Gould, operations manager for the gang-intervention agency Homeboy Industries in Boyle Heights, where there is no injunction.

On cityhood for the Valley, Hollywood and his home turf in San Pedro, Hahn says he opposes secession but wants to ensure that voters have a chance to make the decision for themselves.

``Splitting the city up would make a few people happy for a while, but it's not the solution,'' he said. ``But we are a community. The real solution is bringing the community back into the (governmental) process.''

His priorities as mayor, Hahn said, include creating a joint school district-city agency to build more schools.

He also favors hiring and retaining more police officers by reforming the department's discipline policies and adopting a more flexible work schedule for sworn officers.

He pledges to work to close Sunshine Canyon Landfill, and favors increasing the authority of newly created neighborhood councils.

JAMES K. HAHN

Age: 50

Occupation: City attorney

Experience: Deputy city attorney, 1975-79; city controller, 1981-85; city attorney, 1985-present

Residence: San Pedro

Money raised: $3.5 million

Family: Married to Monica Hahn, two children

Education: Bachelor's and law degrees from Pepperdine University

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: (color) JAMES HAHN 

Box: JAMES K. HAHN (See text)