Fuentes prepares for Sacramento

Felipe Fuetne might have had more key endorsements and more contributions than his four opponents, but he says in today's Daily News it was plain hard work that got him elected to the 39th Assembly District.
In the month-long campaign, he said, he walked precincts, worked telephone banks and met for coffee with voters.
"If I had an advantage, it is that I grew up in this area and I have been working in this district almost nonstop since 1999," said Fuentes, a former top aide to former Mayor James Hahn, chief deputy to Sen. Alex Padilla when he was on the City Council and a consultant to current Councilman Richard Alarcón.
"This is the kind of work I wanted to do ever since then. I think having the support I did was helpful, but it didn't match the hard work I put into this."
Unofficial returns showed Fuentes with 50.86 percent of the vote, followed at 20 percent by Jose Bonilla Sr., the only Republican in the race. Rounding out the ballot were F. Philip Siordia with 12.4 percent; Eric Rothenay with 11.4 percent; and Margie Carranza with 5.2 percent.