An insider and outsider contend for seat
Two candidates are running to replace Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss in a wealthy district that stretches from Beverlywood and Cheviot Hills north to Encino and part of Sherman Oaks.
Former state Assemblyman Paul Koretz and neighborhood council member David T. Vahedi have seized on the issues that typically matter to the 5th District: traffic congestion, development and the proliferation of billboards and other outdoor signs.
Koretz is the insider in the race, having secured endorsements from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and an array of city, county and state elected officials.
Throughout the campaign, Koretz promoted his 12 years as a city councilman in West Hollywood, saying that city is far superior to Los Angeles when it comes to street repairs, graffiti removal, quality-of-life issues and business retention.
Vahedi, who helped found the Westside Neighborhood Council, has portrayed himself as an outsider who will shake up City Hall and make sure neighborhood groups have more of a say on major development projects. Vahedi has also criticized his opponent’s six-year tenure in Sacramento, saying Koretz helped contribute to the budget problems that now plague the state.
Both candidates have been highly critical of Weiss, who is running for city attorney. Both have promised to crack down on unpermitted billboards and other outdoor signs.
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