After eight years, L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan leaves office weighing gubernatorial bid By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer 06/29/01 After eight years, Mayor Richard Riordan will be handing over control of the nation's second largest city on Saturday, but he won't be escaping the public spotlight. In a Democrat-heavy state where prominent Republicans are few, the GOP is desperate for a winner to challenge Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in 2002. Republicans from President Bush on down have been courting Riordan for the job. While Riordan's administration has drawn mixed reviews from analysts, the personable multimillionaire has had high approval ratings ...
