Nate Holden, a Los Angeles City Councilman for 16 years, a state senator for four and a longtime aide to Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, died Wednesday, his family announced. He was 95.
Born June 19, 1929, in Macon, Georgia, Holden moved with his mother and brothers to Elizabeth, New Jersey, when he was 10. He quit high school at age 16, when he enlisted in the Army in 1946, despite being underage. He was deployed to Germany where he served as a military policeman.
Following his military service, Holden sought to become a draftsman. Holden told the Los Angeles Times one of his teachers purposely gave him a bad grade to discourage him, telling him such a job was out of reach for a Black man.
When he applied for a training program for military veterans, he was again denied and told he was wasting his time, that it would never lead to a job.
“I served God and country, I’m gonna get into that training program,” Holden said he told them. “If I don’t get it, I’m gonna go to Washington and knock on that president’s door.”
Holden was finally admitted and studied design and engineering at night while finishing high school. He eventually worked for several aerospace companies, which led him to California.
Holden made his first foray into politics as a member of the California Democratic Council, a left-leaning reform group. Holden made his first run for office in 1968, challenging then-Rep. Tom Rees, D-Beverly Hills, in a Democratic primary and losing by a more than 3-1 margin.
Holden was elected to a open state Senate seat in 1974. He ran for the Democratic nomination to succeed then-Rep. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, D-Los Angeles, who gave up the 28th Congressional District seat to unsuccessfully run for attorney general. Holden lost to then-Assemblyman Julian Dixon, D-Culver City, who would go on to hold the seat until his death in 2000.
Holden was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1987, serving until 2003, when he was barred from seeking reelection because of term limits.
“You always knew where Nate stood,” said frequent council foe Hal Bernson said on June 25, 2003, two days before his final council session in office, as fellow council members paid tribute to Holden . “He always kept his word. … The city is going to be better for his having served.”
Then-Council President, now Senator, Alex Padilla observed that when “they made Nate Holden, they broke the mold. When he gives his word, you can take it to the bank … I am a better leader because of some of the hoops (Holden) put me through.”
Then-Mayor Jim Hahn used words like “great partner” and “big brother” in describing Holden.
Whether it was intentional or unintentional, Holden often made headlines.
He was sued — unsuccessfully — for alleged sexual harassment of three female staffers, criticized for being entertained by a stripper during a city mission to Korea and fined for exceeding campaign-contribution limits.
He outraged many of his Koreatown constituents in the 10th District when he defended his socializing with scantily clad dancers during the 1991 trip to Seoul by saying: “That’s the way you do official business there.”
He later apologized for the remark.
Holden also made headlines last year when Donald Trump appeared to confuse him with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
“I call Willie Brown. `Donald Trump has problems. He is saying you were in the helicopter ride that required an emergency landing.’ Willie said, `No, no.’ So, then he must be talking about me then,” Holden told City News Service.
Holden told CNS that he met Trump at Trump Tower for a trip to Atlantic City, where they were going to tour the Taj Mahal casino.
Holden had been in communication with Trump and his staff regarding a proposal to build the world’s tallest building on the site of the Ambassador Hotel, which was in his district.
He said the pilot reassured everyone on the flight, which included Trump’s late brother, Robert, attorney Harvey Freedman and Barbara Res, Trump’s former executive vice president of construction and development. He also recalled the helicopter shaking and some mechanical issues.
Once it safely landed at an airport in New Jersey, the flight crew began repairing the aircraft. Holden told CNS that they should have used another helicopter, and he felt upset that his life was in jeopardy.
Holden’s survivors include sons Reginald Holden, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, and Chris Holden, a former member of the Assembly and former Pasadena mayor.
“Nate Holden was a legend here in Los Angeles,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “He was a lion in the state Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.
“I learned a lot sitting next to him in the chambers as a new councilmember. He was a valued member of my father’s staff for years and my dad relied on his unique brand of wisdom. I always referred to him as Uncle Nate because to me he was part of the Hahn family.”