Richard Riordan | |
|---|---|
 Riordan in 1997 | |
| 39thMayor of Los Angeles | |
| In office July 1, 1993 – July 1, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Bradley |
| Succeeded by | James Hahn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Joseph Riordan (1930-05-01)May 1, 1930 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 19, 2023(2023-04-19) (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, politician |
| Profession | Investment banker, lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1952–1955 |
| Rank |  First lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Richard Joseph Riordan (May 1, 1930 – April 19, 2023) was an American businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, and politician. A decoratedKorean War veteran and a member of theRepublican Party, Riordan served as the 39thmayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001; he remains the most recent Republican to hold that office. He ran for governor in the2002 California gubernatorial election, losing the Republican primary. After politics, he resumed his business career, specializing inprivate equity.
Riordan was born inFlushing, Queens, to an Irish-American family, the son of Geraldine (Doyle) and William O. Riordan.[1] He was the youngest of their nine children.[2] After growing up inNew Rochelle, New York,[3] he first enrolled atSanta Clara University on a football scholarship, but transferred toPrinceton University, where he graduated in 1952 with an A.B. in philosophy.[2] His senior thesis was titled "A Study of the Thomistic Faculty Psychology."[4] He then served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant during theKorean War.[2] After leaving the military, he earned a J.D. fromThe University of Michigan Law School in 1956.[5]
That year, he moved to Los Angeles, joining thedowntownlaw firm ofO'Melveny & Myers. In 1959, he left to become a partner of Nossaman LLP. In 1975, he was a founding partner of the law firm Riordan & McKinzie, which merged withBingham McCutchen in 2003.[6]
Riordan began investing in the 1950s with an $80,000 inheritance from his father, which he eventually grew into a multimillion dollar fortune.[2] In 1982, he was a founder of the private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden.[7] As a philanthropist, he founded the Riordan Foundation, a charity for expanding childhood literacy.[2]
WhenTom Bradley announced he was retiring asMayor of Los Angeles, Riordan set his sights on the1993 election.[2] Riordan won with 54% of the vote,[2] becoming the first Republican mayor in 36 years. As Mayor, the heavily DemocraticLos Angeles City Council blocked many of his proposals, or they proved unfeasible in reality. For example, the police academy did not have enough classroom space or 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 services, like permit applications.[7]
Riordan feuded with police chiefDaryl Gates' successor, former Philadelphiapolice commissionerWillie Williams, but oversaw a general decline in city crime. Ultimately, Riordan replaced Williams withLAPD veteranBernard Parks in 1997, the year he wasre-elected mayor over California State SenatorTom Hayden.[8]
Riordan's tenure was marked by controversy over theLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Red Line subway's construction cost overruns. Because the overruns resulted in MTA funds being reallocated from bus funding, theBus Riders Union sued the city, alleging racial discrimination, resulting in a 1996consent decree that eviscerated MTA funding for subway andlight rail construction projects. Riordan publicly stated that he regretted signing the consent decree and it was his biggest mistake as mayor.[9]
Before becoming mayor, Riordan spearheaded the city's successfulterm limit ballot initiative and he was therefore term-limited from office in 2001. Riordan endorsed his adviser and friend,Steve Soboroff, to succeed him. Soboroff, however, came in third in the non-partisanmayoral primary election. Former California State Assembly SpeakerAntonio Villaraigosa advanced to the runoff againstJames Hahn. Riordan endorsed Villaraigosa in the second round, but Hahn won and succeeded him as mayor. Four years later, Villaraigosa defeated Hahn in the 2005 rematch and became Mayor.[10]
In2002, Riordan decided to seek thegovernorship. In the Republicanprimary election, he facedconservative businessmanBill Simon and formerCalifornia Secretary of StateBill Jones. Although Riordan had a 30-point lead early in the race, Simon beat him by 18 points. Riordan's loss mainly can be attributed to a conservative Republican party base that rejected hismoderate Republicanism and efforts to move the party to the political center.[11] Incumbent Democratic GovernorGray Davis felt he had a much better chance to beat Simon, so he spent millions of dollars running attack ads against Riordan in the Republican primary. Davis's cross-party strategy was successful. Riordan lost the primary, and Davis defeated Simon 47%–42% in the general election.[12]
In early 2003, Riordan circulated a prototype of a locally-focused, sophisticated, and politically-independent weekly newspaper,The Los Angeles Examiner, he hoped to start publishing in June.[13] It was, however, never published. Riordan put the project on hold when GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger, who defeated Grey Davis in the October 2003 recall election, appointed himCalifornia Secretary of Education. He served in the position from 2003 until he resigned in 2005.[14]
Riordan continued to be involved in city politics after his mayoralty. In the2001 Los Angeles mayoral election, Riordan endorsed his friend and adviserSteve Soboroff in the primary andAntonio Villaraigosa in the general election.[15][16] In 2005, he backed former State Assembly SpeakerRobert Hertzberg in the primary and Antonio Villaraigosa in the general election.[17][18] In both races, he chose not to endorseJames Hahn.[19]
Riordan played a role in City Council elections, supportingBill Rosendahl, who won election in the Eleventh District in 2005;Monica Rodriguez, who lost to Seventh District CouncilmanRichard Alarcon in 2007; and Adeena Bleich, who lost to Paul Koretz and David Vahedi, who advanced to the runoff election. In2013, Riordan endorsedWendy Greuel for mayor. She ultimately was defeated by then-Council memberEric Garcetti.[20]
TheRichard J. Riordan Central Library in Los Angeles is named after him.[21] Riordan owned theOriginal Pantry Cafe, which operated in Los Angeles from 1924 to 2025,[22] andGladstones Malibu, which has been open since 1972.[23][24][25]
Riordan was married four times and had five children, two of whom predeceased him.[7][26] He died at home inBrentwood on April 19, 2023, at age 92.[7]
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