Barely a month after losing a nasty, acrimonious race for the fourth district seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Steve Napolitano says he is probably going to run for the Manhattan Beach City Council.
“I’m certainly leaning in that direction,” Napolitano told the Easy Reader Tuesday night. “My heart has always been in Manhattan Beach. My passion is always my hometown.”
The 11th hour entry by such a prominent name – candidates have to file papers by Monday – sent shockwaves through the Manhattan Beach political community.
“This completely changes the dynamics of the race,” said former mayor Richard Montgomery, who is also attempting a political comeback after being termed out in 2013. There were no term limits before 1996. But under the law passed by the voters by a 2-1 margin that year, after two terms councilmen have to sit out two years before being allowed to run again. In that same 1996 election, voters also rejected a lifetime ban on former council members running again, also by a 2-1 margin. Previously, only former councilmember Mitch Ward had attempted to run again under the new rules. He lost that bid in 2013.
Napolitano will be vying for one of three seats up for election. Councilman Wayne Powell is termed out, and incumbents Mark Burton and Tony D’Errico are running for re-election.
Napolitano, a Republican, lost to Democrat Janice Hahn by 12 percentage points last month in the race to succeed Supervisor Don Knabe, who had been Napolitano’s boss for the last decade and endorsed him for his seat. Her campaign called Napolitano a “millionaire slumlord,” while he focused on nearly $375,000 in allegedly illegal contributions to her campaign, even going so far as to sue Hahn in an attempt to force her to quickly pay back the money.
His race for the city council is expected to be conducted in a much lower political key.
“If I run, I’m not running against anybody, I’m running for the community,” he said. “I respect all of them, and I appreciate what they do for Manhattan Beach.”
Indeed, Napolitano said he had only considered a run in the last couple of weeks after being asked to run by many local residents who know he has lived in Manhattan Beach his entire life, is a former councilman (1992-2005) and served as mayor four times. He even graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1984 and Pacific Elementary School before that.
Montgomery said he welcomed Napolitano’s belated entrance into the race.
“I wish Steve the best of luck and say welcome to the candidate’s competition,” Montgomery said. “I look forward to hearing what ideas he will bring forward.”
Napolitano, 50, said Manhattan Beach is at a turning point where it could lose the small-town feel that has always made it so special.
“I am certainly concerned about the direction Manhattan Beach is going in,” he said. “This is one of those times where the town is looking inward as to what direction it wants to go in. I think as a lifetime resident I can bring a perspective of what makes Manhattan Beach special. We need to protect that small town atmosphere.”
He also pledged to be fiscally conservative if elected.
“Fiscal responsibility is what’s made Manhattan Beach the great city it is,” he said. “I would continue that tradition.”
Napolitano was the youngest person ever elected to the Manhattan Beach City Council in 1992 at the age of 26. He was reelected in 1997 and 2001 before being termed out in 2005. His expected entry into the race further crowds an already full field. In addition to incumbents Burton and D’Errico and former councilman Montgomery — all who will possess the advantage of name recognition — planning commissioner Nancy Hersman and political newcomers Joseph Ungoco are expected to run. Thus seven candidates are slated to compete for the three seats.
At Manhattan’s Tuesday night City Council meeting, Councilmember Burton said he would be thrilled if Napolitano ran.
“I’d be ecstatic. If he runs, I’ll endorse him,” Burton said.
Now that conventional wisdom has been shaken up if, as expected, Napolitano follows through on his inclination to run.
Napolitano didn’t hesitate when asked what his response would be to those local voters who would inevitably see his campaign for his old council seat as a consolation prize after losing the far more prestigious – and far more highly compensated – county supervisor’s seat.
“Manhattan Beach is never a consolation prize,” he said. “That’s where my heart is.”
Contact: teetor.paul@gmail.com, follow: @paulteetor.
