Richard Riordan
Richard Riordan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Joseph Riordan 1 May 1930 Flushing, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | 19 April 2023 (aged 92) Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor, military officer, philanthropist, politician |
| Known for | 39th Mayor of Los Angeles (1993–2001) |
Richard Joseph Riordan (May 1, 1930 – April 19, 2023) was an American entrepreneur, investor, military officer, philanthropist, and political figure. A distinguished veteran of the Korean War and a member of the Republican Party, Riordan held the position of the 39th mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 until 2001; he remains the last Republican to have served in this role. He participated in the 2002 California gubernatorial election Republican primary but was not successful. Following his political career, Riordan concentrated on private equity investments.
Early life, education, and career
Born in Flushing, Queens into an Irish-American household as the youngest among nine siblings, Riordan grew up in New Rochelle, New York. He initially enrolled at Santa Clara University on a football scholarship before transferring to Princeton University, where he earned an A.B. degree in philosophy in 1952. During the Korean War, he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Afterwards, he obtained a J.D. from University of Michigan Law School in 1956.
That same year marked his relocation to Los Angeles, where he joined the downtown law firm O'Melveny & Myers. By 1959, he had become a partner at Nossaman LLP and later co-founded the law firm Riordan & McKinzie in 1975; this firm merged with Bingham McCutchen in 2003.
Riordan began investing during the 1950s with an inheritance of $80,000, which he successfully expanded into a multimillion-dollar portfolio. In 1982, he co-established the private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden. Demonstrating his philanthropic commitment, he founded the Riordan Foundation aimed at enhancing childhood literacy.
Mayor of Los Angeles
Following the retirement of Tom Bradley as Mayor of Los Angeles, Riordan entered the 1993 mayoral race, securing victory with 54% of votes and becoming the first Republican mayor in over three decades. During his administration, many of his initiatives were either obstructed by the predominantly Democratic Los Angeles City Council or proved impractical—such as plans to increase police academy enrollment. He did succeed in simplifying business regulations and establishing "one-stop" centers to facilitate city services like permit issuance.
Riordan had tensions with police chief Willie L. Williams but presided over an overall reduction in crime rates. In 1997, he replaced Williams with LAPD veteran Bernard Parks and won re-election against State Senator Tom Hayden.
His administration encountered criticism due to budget overruns on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Red Line subway project. These financial excesses forced a reallocation of MTA resources away from bus services, leading to a lawsuit filed by the Bus Riders Union alleging racial discrimination. The lawsuit resulted in a 1996 consent decree that significantly restricted funding for subway and light rail developments. Riordan later acknowledged that signing this decree was his most significant error as mayor.
Having supported a term limit measure for city officials—which prevented him from seeking re-election in 2001—Riordan endorsed his advisor Steve Soboroff, who finished third in the primary election. The runoff featured former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa against James Hahn. Riordan backed Villaraigosa in this contest; however, Hahn won and succeeded him as mayor. Villaraigosa defeated Hahn in their subsequent 2005 rematch to become mayor.
2002 California gubernatorial election
In the 2002 race for governor, Riordan entered the contest for California's highest office. During the Republican primary, his opponents included conservative entrepreneur Bill Simon and former California Secretary of State Bill Jones. Although Riordan initially held a commanding 30-point advantage, he ultimately was defeated by Simon by an 18-point margin, primarily because conservative Republicans opposed his more centrist policies. Democratic incumbent Governor Gray Davis launched attack advertisements against Riordan in the primary, perceiving Simon as a less challenging adversary in the general election. This tactic proved effective, as Davis triumphed over Simon with 47% to 42% of the vote.
The Los Angeles Examiner
In early 2003, Riordan created a prototype for The Los Angeles Examiner, a politically neutral weekly newspaper focused on local issues, intended to debut in June. However, this initiative was put on hold when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him as California Secretary of Education, a position he held from 2003 until stepping down in 2005.
Later political involvement
Following his tenure as mayor, Riordan stayed engaged in Los Angeles politics. In the 2001 Los Angeles mayoral election, he endorsed his advisor Steve Soboroff during the primary and later supported Antonio Villaraigosa in the general election. In 2005, Riordan backed former State Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg in the primary and again supported Villaraigosa in the general election, choosing not to endorse James Hahn on either occasion.
Riordan also played a role in City Council elections by supporting successful candidates such as Bill Rosendahl (Eleventh District, 2005) along with others like Monica Rodriguez (2007) and Adeena Bleich. In the 2013 mayoral contest, he backed Wendy Greuel, who was ultimately defeated by then-Council member Eric Garcetti.
Personal life and legacy
The Richard J. Riordan Central Library in Los Angeles is named in his honor. Among his notable business holdings were prominent Los Angeles institutions including the Original Pantry Cafe, which operated from 1924 until 2025, and Gladstones Malibu, established in 1972.
Riordan was married four times and fathered five children, two of whom passed away before him. He died at his Brentwood residence on April 19, 2023, at the age of 92.