Democrat Elected : A ‘Mean Pace’ Propels Green to Senate Seat

True to his character, Norwalk Councilman Cecil N. Green did not linger long at his own victory party Tuesday night.

As he shuffled out of the crowded church meeting hall, he turned to one supporter who was urging him to stay and said: “I’ve got to go home and get some rest because tomorrow I start work as California’s newest state senator.”

It is an unwavering commitment to the work ethic that many believe helped Green win Tuesday’s special election in the 33rd state Senate District, which straddles the boundary of southeast Los Angeles County and northwest Orange County.

In Role of Long Shot

Democrat Green, 63, was clearly a long shot at the outset in this high-stakes race; Republican Wayne Grisham, an assemblyman who represented a sizable part of the district, was widely perceived as the favorite. But supporters say it was Green’s willingness to walk precincts, phone voters, attend endless coffees and Rotary luncheons down the campaign stretch that spelled the difference.

“He is a tireless worker,” fellow Norwalk Councilman Marcial (Rod) Rodriguez said. “He sets a mean pace.”

Born in Riverside, the son of a carpenter, Green grew up wanting only to make enough money to “live comfortably” and “go fishing with the boys now and then.” He succeeded, running several automotive and muffler shops in Norwalk for two decades before selling his businesses in the mid-1970s.

Today, he is a real estate consultant with vast contacts and a pro-development reputation. In recent years, he has worked for Bruce Corwin, owner of the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Theatres Corp., and one of the most influential Democrats in the state, particularly when it comes to fund-raising. Corwin has been Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s campaign finance chairman, and Green said the theater owner was a “valuable player” in his Senate bid.

Family Emphasis

Married with one daughter and two grandchildren, Green says he is happier in Norwalk, his home for 35 years, than making small talk with party politicos. He is a family man who constantly introduces his wife of 26 years, Mary, as “my partner.” During the campaign, he would say, “Elect me and you’re electing a team.”

On election night, “the greatest moment of my life,” he would tell about 500 supporters, Green was distressed when he learned that his twin grandchildren had gone home before his victory speech.

After 14 years on the council, Green has become the most dominant political figure in Norwalk, a middle-class city of nearly 90,000 residents. He cuts an imposing figure, standing over six feet tall with sharp, hawkish features. A constant smoker, Green has a legendary temper that critics say he uses to intimidate and bully people when things don’t go his way.

In one celebrated incident a year ago, Green and a former city manager stood toe-to-toe shouting obscenities at each other and had to be separated by another councilman. Green explains his occasional outbursts as a “low tolerance for incompetence.”

A former Republican who has been mayor of Norwalk three times, Green takes credit for much of the redevelopment in the city, an effort that has produced more than $165 million in new building in the last two years.

Learner and Player

But Green believes he is ready for a new challenge--Sacramento. While acknowledging it will take time “to learn the ropes” in the Capitol, he promises to be a “player, not an observer” on issues. “I’ve waited a long time for this chance,” he said. “I’m not going to squander it.”

In 1976, his first bid for the state Senate ended in a hospital bed when a bout with pneumonia cut the campaign short. This week, Green’s political fortunes are alive and well.

“Not everybody gets a second chance,” he said election night. “I thank my lucky stars.”