Throughout his platform for the presidentialrace, Agran emphasizes the urgency to spark arevival of American cities--starting with defensespending cuts. While some candidates have proposedmilitary cutback over the next 15 years, Agranwould like to see the annual budget of $300billion halved to $150 billion within the next 18months.

If elected, he would shift those funds todirect aid for cities and towns, public education,national health insurance and a reeducation of thedeficit.

Agran's greatest acclaim as mayor came when hethrust Irvine into the national spotlight with aseries of successful environmental conservationprograms.

One of these programs, a ban on all productsthat deplete the ozone layer, earned Irvine theUnited Nations award for environmental achievementin 1990.

"Our ordinance was copied by other cities, andbecame a pioneering standard that acceleratednational action," says Agran, who was named anenvironmental hero in 1990 by Rolling Stonemagazine.

LAWRENCE A. AGRAN, born in 1945 inChicago, moved to Los Angeles with his familybefore he reached the age of one. He lived thereuntil he went to college at the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley--where his interest inpolitics first began.

Throughout his undergraduate years, Agranparticipated in the Free Speech, civil rights andanti-war movements. After graduating from HarvardLaw School in 1969, he worked as a legal counselfor the California legislature and helped writehealth and welfare laws.

Agran moved to Irvine in 1973, and by 1978 hehad won a seat on the city council--where heserved until 1990, six of those years as mayor.

Many find it hard to believe that Agran, aliberal, succeeded politically for so long in "themost conservative bastion of America," says HowardAdler, chair of the Orange County Democratic Partyand Agran's long-time friend.

"Larry made his liberal credentials known earlyand often, and not only was he capable of winningoffice, but he succeeded in bringing in many otherliberal council members," Adler says.

But his liberal views did come back to haunthim, when an anti-discrimination ordinance--whichincluded the protection of gay rights--led to hisdownfall in the June 1990 city council election.

The policy, which outlawed all discriminationin housing, jobs and public accomodations,"provoked a right-wing fundamentalist challenge tome," the candidate says.

According to Adler, "things fell apart on himon the issue of discrimination on the basis ofsexual orientation. He was out of step with thecity."

Many people, including Adler, now say thatAgran has overstepped boundaries in his campaignas well. They say that the candidate, byconstantly complaining about the "unfair system"that strips him of publicity, is only damaging hisown credibility.

Also, they assert such bickering detracts fromAgran's effort to promote his vision of the "NewAmerican Security."