Since his first success as a freshman lawmaker fending off new regulations on Indian casinos, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas has been a leading advocate for the Native American legislative agenda.
The commitment has paid off handsomely, winning the Sylmar Democrat hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions from American Indian tribes, many of which have battled the state during the last decade for the right to expand gambling operations.
Before Cardenas shelved his campaign for secretary of state last month, he had raised $384,150, nearly two-thirds of which--$242,500--came from California Indian tribes, making him one of the top beneficiaries of Native American funding in the state Legislature.
Two of the tribes that operate casinos, the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians in Santa Barbara County and the San Manuel Tribe in San Bernardino County, each wrote a check for $100,000.
Now, as Cardenas pursues a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, many wonder whether his ties to Indian gaming will help or hurt his candidacy.
Already, other candidates are questioning Cardenas' record of promoting gambling and his reliance on such money.
"That's a major issue for my part," said Gina Ruiz-Goldman, a Sun Valley businesswoman running for the same council seat. "We need to focus on simple issues that affect our community. We need more schools, not more casinos."
Lyn Shaw, manager of a social services agency and another candidate in the Dec. 11 election, agreed that Cardenas' ties to gambling interests may be a negative.
"Anyone who takes a large amount of money from one interest group, I would question," Shaw said.
Although city ethics rules prohibit direct contributions exceeding $500, the tribes recently showed that there is no limit on independent expenditures for a candidate.
In this year's municipal campaign, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning surprised many by spending more than $204,000 on radio ads urging voters not to support former state Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in his campaign to become mayor of Los Angeles.
The radio ads criticized him for seeking a presidential review of a drug dealer's case.
Parke Skelton, a Villaraigosa campaign consultant, said he thought Cardenas, who supported James K. Hahn for mayor, was the instigator.
No Apologies for Tribes' Role
Cardenas denies any role in the Morongo attacks on Villaraigosa, but does not apologize for the tribes' contributions to his political campaigns.
"It's no secret that the tribes are very supportive of me," Cardenas said. "I was someone who stood up with them before it was popular. The people who have been mistreated the most in this country are Native Americans, to this day. I treat them with respect."
Some tribal leaders say they are considering whether to get involved in Cardenas' quest for the 2nd Council District seat, in which he will probably face well-funded campaigns by DreamWorks executive Wendy Greuel and others.
"That has not yet been determined," said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the tribal council for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs, which gave $5,000 to Cardenas' state campaign.
Cardenas also accepted several thousand dollars this year from other gambling interests, including Oak Tree Racing, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Sodak Gaming Inc.
Political consultant Rick Taylor, who views the council race as a "tossup," said he would be surprised if the tribes do not make independent expenditures supporting Cardenas. But he added that Cardenas could be hurt if his opponents can focus voters' attention on the source of the money.
"I think gambling interests scare people," he said. "People don't want a casino in their backyards."
Valley political consultant John Shallman, who has represented Democratic candidates, said East Valley voters might not like to see outsiders pour thousands of gambling dollars into the district.
"I think it's a very big problem for Cardenas," Shallman said. "There is a backlash against candidates perceived to have significant special-interest backing."
Even if the tribes stay on the sidelines during the council race, Cardenas is considered vulnerable to criticism that he spent too much time in Sacramento easing the spread of legalized gaming.
"It just isn't right," said Ruiz-Goldman. "We need to get more attention for education, not gambling."
But the assemblyman said he has devoted most of his agenda to improving schools, parks, the juvenile justice system and police services.
Wants No Casinos in His District
There are no nationally recognized tribal lands in his district, and he would not support allowing casinos in the area, he said.
"That's something I do not want for my district," he said, noting that there are no tribal lands and that his district is urbanized.
He downplayed the possibility the tribes would campaign for him, saying, "I haven't asked them and they haven't offered."
