LOCAL ELECTIONS / REDONDO BEACH MAYOR : Incumbent Parton Wins by 600 Votes in Runoff

Redondo Beach Mayor Brad Parton, fighting to save his political career after losing a bitter race last year for an Assembly seat, narrowly beat challenger Ron Cawdrey in a runoff election Tuesday night.

With all 28 precincts reporting, Parton led Cawdrey, a former city councilman, by 600 votes.

Parton said Tuesday night that the city is in good shape financially and voters had “no reason to vote me out.”

Meanwhile, with all 10 precincts reporting in two City Council races, challenger Robert Pinzler won narrowly over incumbent Terry Ward in District 4, and gas utility manager Greg Hill easily outdistanced city planner Rick Abelson in District 2.

Budgetary issues dominated the runoffs, particularly the mayor’s race. With sharp reductions expected in state funding for cities, the new mayor will have to raise taxes, cut services or both to balance the city budget.

Parton, 32, a businessman and conservative Republican whose Assembly bid was thwarted by Democrat Debra Bowen of Venice, said he was the best hope to keep the city financially solvent amid recession and aerospace layoffs. Portraying Cawdrey, 56, a retired labor representative, as the “tax candidate,” Parton said a tax increase would be his last resort in coping with budget shortfalls.

Crime was also an issue in the two City Council contests. In District 4, Pinzler, a marketing consultant, aggressively attacked the incumbent’s poor record in curbing local crime. The area, in the northeastern portion of Redondo Beach, accounted for 42% of the city’s crime--the highest of any city district. Pinzler, 43, said he would push the council to approve a permanent police substation in District 4 to fight the problem.

In District 2, political newcomer Hill, 34, said his experience at Southern California Gas Co. has prepared him for tackling a shrinking city budget. Hill said he would have a customer service approach to government and hopes to make local government more responsive to residents.

SOUTHLAND ELECTION RETURNS / REDONDO BEACH

MAYOR

28 of 28 precincts reporting

CANDIDATE VOTE % Brad Parton* 3,788 52.7 Ron Cawdrey 3,180 44.2

CITY COUNCIL

District 2

6 of 6 precincts reporting

CANDIDATE VOTE % Rick Abelson 774 43.3 Greg Hill 953 53.2

District 4

4 of 4 precincts reporting

CANDIDATE VOTE % Terrol P. (Terry) Ward* 565 47.8 Robert Pinzler 611 51.7

* Denotes incumbents