Recently in Election 2009 Category

Taking on critics of his politics, policies and style, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa kicked off his re-election campaign Friday with a strong defense of his accomplishments as he left open the door for moving on to higher office. Daily News.

Wrapping up a morning-long Sustainability Summit staged by the Los Angeles Business Council, Villaraigosa called himself "lucky" in the field he has drawn in the March 3 primary election and indicated he planned to campaign on what has been changed in the city since his election in 2005.

"Whether you like me or don't and think I'm in front of a camera or whatever it is, you have to look at what we've done these last three years," he said.

Councilwoman Janice Hahn knows how difficult it is to work through the maze to qualify for the Los Angeles City ballot.
First off, you have to collect between 500 and 1,000 signatures of registered voters in your district an dpay a $300 filing fee or collect between 1,000 and 2,000 signatures if you decide not to pay the fee.
So, to help her get her signatures as she seeks her third term in office this coming March, Hahn is holding a "signature party" at the Omelette and Waffle Shop, 1103 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday to sign her petitions.

As he looks ahead to a March 3 election with a crowded field of little-known and underfunded candidates, what's Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to do with the $2.3 million he's raised for his campaign? Daily News.

Throw some wild election night parties? Wine and dine folks interested in backing him for governor in 2010? A prime-time, Obama-like infomercial?

None of the above, his campaign staff says. And political observers said if the mayor were smart, he would raise even more money to make sure the field of 21 announced candidates against him fails to get any traction.

Tipoffs: Rick Caruso moves eases pressure on Bill Bratton; inaugural tickets.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is facing a potentially crowded field of challengers - although none is expected to pose a major threat - as the first filing period for declaring a candidacy for the March 3 election closed on Saturday.Daily News.

Villaraigosa, who lost what many saw as his main potential opposition when developer Rick Caruso decided against running, will face as many as 12 little-known opponents.

The only ones with minor name identification are attorney Walter Moore, who placed sixth four years ago, City Hall gadfly David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg and David R. Hernandez, who has run for several other local offices and filed the suit against the county for dropping the cross from its seal.

Concerned that her power could be limited under a proposed change to the City Charter, City Controller Laura Chick said Thursday that she will fight the changes. Daily News.

The council is scheduled to take up a proposed charter amendment today that would spell out which programs the Controller's Office can review for performance audits.

"I can only believe that some members of this City Council are opposed to public transparency," Chick said. "If the measure goes to the ballot as it is, I will ask that I be allowed to write the argument against it and I will campaign against it."

The propos

The county Registrar reported more than 2 million people turned out for Tuesday's election at its 4,394 polling places.
"Voter turnout today was extremely heavy and polling places are staying open until the last voter in line at 8:00 P.M. has been allowed to vote," Registrar Dean Logan said in a statement.
"Actual poll closings tonight may be as late as 9:00 P.M. or later. The delay in poll closing and the transportation of ballots to the central counting facility will delay the reporting of election results."
There are closing procedures that must be performed at each polling location before the ballots are turned in for counting and there could be lengthy delays.

The multi-level process to quality for the March 3 city ballot began on Monday with a number of candidates seeking to be first to qualify, by taking out declarations of intent to run.
City voters will decide whether to re-elect Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and will also have open races for City Attorney and Controller, due to term limits.
Eight City Council offices will be decided as well as three Los Angeles Board of Education seats and four on the Los Angeles Community College District.
Villaraigosa did not take out his declaration, but five others did. They include attorney Walter Moore, who ran in 2005, Bruce Darian, entertainer Phil Jennerjahn and civic community leader David Hernandez and public policy advisor Mike Manley.
City Attorney candidates include environmental lawyer Carmen Trutuanich and attorney Gregory W. Smith.
No candidates declared for controller.
C ity Council members seeking re-election are from odd-numbered districts. They include Councilman Ed Reyes, Councilman Dennis Zine, Councilman Richard Alarcon, Councilwoman Jan Perry, Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Councilman Eric Garcetti and Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
Reyes, Rosendahl and Hahn were the only two incumbents to take out their declaration on Monday.
Reyes drew two challengers, Sylvia Luna and Jesse Rojas. Rosendahl drew one, hydrographer Harry "Craig" Wilson. Hahn also had one announced opponent, Chris Salabaj.
Two candidates, Guillermo Huesca and Richard Perry, declared for the 7th Council District against Alarcon. Youth trainer Keith Hardine filed for the 13th District seat against Garcetti.
The three seats on the Board of Education does not include two incumbents, Marlene Canter and Julie Korenstein, who decided against seeking re-election. The incumbent member who is seeking re-election is school board president Monica Garcia.
`Parent-community activist Bill Ring took out a declaration for District No. 4 and teacher-educator Louis Pugliese filed for District No. 6.
Community College board members seeking re-election include Kelly Candaele, Angela Reddock, Nancy Pearlsman and Miguel Santiago.
Candidates have until Saturday to take out the declarations the first step to become eligible for the election. The next phase involves collecting signatures of at least 500 voters on nominating petitions.
The next deadline for candidates is Dec., 3, when nominating petitions must be submitted to the City Clerk's office.

Julie Korenstein became the second Los Angeles Unified School District board member in two days to announce she will not run for re-election in March. Daily News.

"I am proud of the contributions I have made, and I look forward to a very exciting and rewarding retirement," Korenstein said Thursday.

Korenstein's 22-year tenure made her the longest-serving board member in the district's history. Julie Korenstein became the second Los Angeles Unified School District board member in two days to announce she will not run for re-election in March.

The Los Angeles City council this week tried to scuttle a proposed City Charter amendment to give the Controller's Office the power to conduct performance audits of programs in the offices of elected officials.
Several council members, Richard Alarcon and Tony Cardenas, among them, argued they were concerened about allowing one elected officials poke around in programs under the jurisdiction of another elected official.
At first, the council voted to scuttle the proposal _ but later revived it have it prepared for the ballot next March. A decision will be made by Nov. 7 whether to put it on the ballot.
The reason for the reversal? Controller Laura Chick.
The charter change was first proposed when Chick threatened to file suit against City Attroney Rocky Delgadillo when he refused to let her review the worker compensation program he controlled and its hiring of private lawyers.
If the council had failed to approve the charter measure, Chick was prepared to revive her legal action _ causing further embarrassment and cost to the city.

The head of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners announced Monday he plans to run for the job of City Controller in the March election.
Nick Patsaouras, 64, a long-time civic activist who ran for mayor in 1993, plans to run for the job being vacated by Controller Laura Chick, who is termed out of office.
"Somebody has to do it," Patsaouras said. "I believe that having been on a number of oversight committees for the mayor, I can bring my experience and technical expertise and temperament to other city departments and create a sitution where our children have the same opportunities we had."
Patsaouras, who lives in Tarzana, said he and his wife, Airport Commissioner Sylvia Patsaouras, will step down from their appointed panels.
"It would be too difficult a situation for both of us," Patsaouras said.
In entering the race, he will be challenging another close ally of the mayor, Councilwoman Wendy Greuel.
Greuel has raised more than $700,000 for the campaign and Patsaouras -- who has proven himself a formidable fundraiser for others -- said he will immediately begin raising money.
"If people want me for the job, they'll support me," he said.
Patsaouras, a successful engineer, came to the United States from Greece in 1961, attending Los Angeles Valley College and California State University, Northridge. He became a U.S. citizen in 1964.
He first became involved with politics with former Mayor Tom Bradley, serving on the Rapid Transit District board and later the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
He worked on both mayoral campaigns of Villaraigosa.
Patsaouras said he advised the mayor of his decision late Monday.
"He was very gracious," Patsaouras said.

Developer Rick Caruso told a sell-out crowd of enthusiastic Republicans Friday night that he would decide "soon" whether to run against Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa next spring. Caruso was honored by the Los Angeles County Lincoln Clubs as their 2008 Spirit of Lincoln award winner at a dinner held at the historic Casa Del Mar hotel in Santa Monica. Red County

The Lincoln Clubs are a Republican major donor organization founded by members of Ronald Reagan's "Kitchen Cabinet" in the 1960's. Today it has 300 members in eleven chapters throughout Los Angeles County, and is the most influential Republican organization countywide.

Caruso got a lot of encouragement to run at the event. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich publicly asked him to, and Lincoln Clubs Chairman Robert A. Virtue noted in giving him the Spirit of Lincoln award that the organization was honoring him "as much for what you will do in the future as what you have done in the past"

In an event closed to the media, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- who already has more than $2 million in his re-electio ncampaign -- held a fundraiser on Saturday featuring former President Bill Clinton. It was at teh home of record producer Clarence Avanat.
"I am proud to be supporting Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in his campaign for reelection,"
Clinton said in a statement.
"Antonio is one of those rare leaders combining big vision with bold action. He has correctly identified the major challenges that will shape LA's future, and he is driving toward that future with passion and purpose.
"Whether it's rescuing the city's lowest performing schools, putting 1,000 cops on the street, taking on the gang problem or transforming LA with a path-breaking environmental agenda, Antonio has laid a foundation for fundamental change in the City of Angels."
In some sense, the event is a payback by Clinton. Villaraigosa was co-chair of Sen. HIllary Clinton's campaign for president.

Former Assemblyman Paul Koretz announced Tuesday he has hired the campaign strategist to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to to head up his effort to seek the 5th District City Council seat as well as a long list of endorsements from city officials.
Parke Skelton of SG&A will serve as overall consultant for the campaign. Nancy Dolan ro Nancy Dolan & Associates will be in charge of fundraising.
Skelton has run a number of campaigns for local, state and federal offices but is most closely aligned with Villaraigosa.
The mayor has yet to endorse in the race to succeed Councilman Jack Weiss, who is running for City Attorney.
Other candidates in the race include former council deputy Adeena Bleich, businesswoman Robyn Ritter-Simon, community activist David Vahedi, Neighborhood Council member Ron Galperin, Robert Schwartz, and Steven Webb.
Koretz said he has the endorsement of six council members as well as several state legislators with whom he served.
Koretz is former mayor and councilman from the city of West Hollywood. He said he moved in to Los Angeles when he was first elected to the state Assembly.

A preview of the type of campaign we can expect for City Attorney next March unfolded on Monday, when Councilman Jack Weiss and his campaign went after attorney Carmen Trutanich for contributions he received from supporters of gun rights.
Weiss campaign manager Ace Smith called on Trutanich to return the money from calguns.net and any supporters of the group to him.
"Mr. Trutanich's continuing connection to the extreme fringe of the gun lobby absolutely disqualifies him from serving as the top prosecutor in a city ravaged by gang and gun violence," Smith said. "Mr. Trutanich should immediately return every penny in blood money from these gun extremists. Los Angeles needs a city attorney with the guts to stand up to the nuts."
Trutanich hotly defended himself.
"I tell you what, I'll return this money when Jack Weiss returns all the money he received from developers," Trutanich said. "I support reasonable gun laws. I think anyone who owns a gun illegally should go to jail. Anytime he wants to debate gun ownership I'll be happy to oblige."
In its fundraising letter, calguns.net called Weiss "one of the most anti-gun local politicians out there."
Campaign reports filed last Friday showed Weiss with $1.2 million and Trutanich with $473,000. A third candidate, Deputy City Attonrey Michael Amerian, reported raising $218,000.