LOS ANGELES -- The man who managed Walter Mondale's winning efforts in Iowa and Pennsylvania has been named to run the day-to-day operations of the Democratic ticket in the nation's most populous state.
In a shakeup of the state's Mondale team Wednesday, Joe Trippi, 28, was named to run the campaign, and Democratic officials claimed the appointment proves the state is not being written off to the GOP.
'This state will not be ignored,' said Trippi, who managed both the winning Iowa caucuses and the Pennsylvania primary for Mondale. 'It is not going to be put aside. We're going to send a clear message that California is not Reagan country.'
Mickey Kantor, Mondale's state chairman, will retain his title but Democratic officials said he would act more as an adviser than as active campaign manager.
The reorganization followed by two weeks the revelation of a confidential memo Kantor wrote in which he said California would not be written off, but that he thinks a major effort in the state was 'not probable' in view of the ticket's chances.
Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy and Mayors Tom Bradley of Los Angeles and Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco will serve as campaignco-chairpersons. State Sen. Art Torres of Los Angeles will serve as director of communications.
Trippi also helped manage Bradley's bid for governor in 1982, when he was narrowly defeated by George Deukmejian.
Wednesday's announcement was designed to assuage Democratic party leaders who had grumbled that organizers for the Democratic nominees were prepared to give up any hopes of winning President Reagan's home state.
