Richard J. Riordan

Richard Joseph Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is an American investment banker, businessman, lawyer, and former Republican politician who was the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles, from 1993 to 2001. Born in New York City and raised in New Rochelle, New York, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War before becoming a lawyer and investor in Los Angeles, eventually specializing in private equity.

In 1993, he was elected mayor of Los Angeles and was re-elected in 1997. In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for Governor of California, losing the Republican primary. After leaving politics, he continued to work in business. , he is the most recent Republican to have been mayor of Los Angeles.

Early life, education, and career

Riordan, an Irish-American, was born in Flushing, Queens, and raised in New Rochelle, New York. Riordan graduated with an A.B. in philosophy from Princeton University in 1952 after completing a senior thesis titled "A Study of the Thomistic Faculty Psychology." He then received a J.D. from Michigan Law School in 1956. He moved to Los Angeles to begin work as an attorney for the downtown law firm of O'Melveny & Myers in 1956, leaving in 1959 to become a partner of Nossaman LLP. Riordan was a founding partner of the law firm Riordan & McKinzie in 1975. In 1982, Riordan was a founder of the private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden.

Mayor of Los Angeles

When Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley announced his retirement, Riordan's interest turned to the 1993 mayoral election. On election day, Riordan won, 54%–46%, becoming the first Republican mayor in over 30 years. Many of his proposals were blocked by the heavily Democratic City Council or proved simply unfeasible in reality; for example, the police academy did not have enough classroom space and instructors to train as many new police officers as Riordan had initially promised. He streamlined certain business regulations and established "one-stop" centers around the city for functions such as permit applications. He feuded with police chief Daryl Gates' successor, former Philadelphia police commissioner Willie Williams, but oversaw a general decline in crime. (In 1997, Riordan replaced Williams with LAPD veteran Bernard Parks.) That year, he was re-elected against California State Senator Tom Hayden.

Riordan's tenure was marked by a controversy over the massive cost overruns occurring during the construction of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Red Line subway. At the same time, a previously little-known group called the Bus Riders Union sued the city – on the basis of racial discrimination – over diversion of funds from buses to Red Line construction, and managed to force it into a ten-year consent decree in 1996 that eviscerated MTA funding for the construction of subway and light rail projects. Riordan has publicly regretted having signed the consent decree and counts it as the biggest mistake of his mayoral tenure.

Riordan was succeeded in 2001 by James Hahn after becoming the first Mayor of Los Angeles to be term-limited out of office; it was Riordan who spearheaded the city's term limit ballot initiative, prior to becoming mayor. In the mayoral primary election that year, Riordan had endorsed his advisor and friend Steve Soboroff. Soboroff came in third in the nonpartisan race, and Hahn and former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa advanced to the runoff. In the runoff election, Hahn defeated Villaraigosa, whom Riordan endorsed for the second round of balloting. Villaraigosa would go on to beat Hahn in a 2005 rematch for Mayor.

2002 California gubernatorial race

In 2002, Riordan, a moderate Republican, decided to seek the governorship. He was opposed in the Republican primary election by conservative businessman Bill Simon and former California Secretary of State Bill Jones. Although he led early in the race by over 30%, he eventually lost to Simon by 18%. Riordan was hampered by a conservative Republican party base that rejected his appeal to move the party toward the center.

Governor Gray Davis' campaign spent millions of dollars running attack ads against Riordan, essentially helping the Simon campaign. Davis felt that he had a much better chance against the conservative Simon than the moderate Riordan and that the move was worth the risk. Riordan lost the primary, and Davis went on to defeat Simon 47%–42% in the general election.

''The Los Angeles Examiner''

In early 2003, Riordan began circulating a prototype of a weekly newspaper he intended to begin publishing that June. ''The Los Angeles Examiner'' was intended to be a locally focused, sophisticated, and politically-independent publication. It was never published. Riordan put the project on hold when he was appointed as state secretary for education by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a position he held from 2003 until his resignation in 2005.

Involvement in city politics since 2000

In the 2001 Los Angeles mayoral election, Riordan endorsed his friend and advisor Steve Soboroff in the primary and Antonio Villaraigosa in the general election. In 2005, he backed former State Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg in the primary and Antonio Villaraigosa in the general election. In both races, he chose not to endorse James Hahn.

Riordan has played a role in City Council elections, becoming a supporter of candidates Bill Rosendahl in 2005, Monica Rodriguez in 2007, and Adeena Bleich in 2009. Rosendahl won the election in the Eleventh District; Rodriguez lost to Seventh District Councilman Richard Alarcon and Bleich lost to Paul Koretz and David Vahedi who advanced to the runoff election. In 2013, Riordan endorsed mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel. Greuel was ultimately defeated by then-Council member Eric Garcetti.

Personal life and legacy

Riordan & McKinzie merged into Bingham McCutchen in 2003. Riordan is the owner of the Original Pantry Cafe in Los Angeles, which has been in operation since 1924. He also owns Gladstones Malibu which has been open since 1972. The Richard J. Riordan Central Library is named after him.

References

Sources

* "Still at sea: PLC Global Counsel law firm review 2003
Practical Law UK Signon
18 November 2003.
* Taub, Daniel.
Riordan made his fortune backing start-up ventures
" ''Los Angeles Business Journal'', June 30, 1997
* Wood, Daniel B.

" ''Christian Science Monitor'', August 5, 2003
* Zwiebach, Elloitt "The LBO maker (leveraged buyouts, Riordan Freeman & Spogli merchant bank)", Supermarket News, July 1987
* Ard, Scott
I know you are, but what am I?
" ''CNET News'', July 9, 2004
* Murphy, Jarrett
Furor Over 'Stupid Dirty Girl'
" ''CBS News'', July 9, 2004

"Biography of Richard J. Riordan 39th Mayor of Los Angeles (1993-2001)"
Los Angeles Almanac. © 1998-2019 Given Place Media, publishing as Los Angeles Almanac. 2 Jan. 2019
*External links: https://www.laalmanac.com/government/gl12_riordan.php

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Riordan, Richard
1930 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
21st-century American businesspeople
American military personnel of the Korean War
American people of Irish descent
American venture capitalists
Businesspeople from Queens, New York
California Republicans
Candidates in the 2002 United States elections
Mayors of Los Angeles
Military personnel from New Rochelle, New York
People associated with O'Melveny & Myers
People from Flushing, Queens
Politicians from New Rochelle, New York
Princeton University alumni
State cabinet secretaries of California
University of Michigan Law School alumni