L.A. Now - Elections

Judge rejects bid to sidestep L.A. contribution limit [Updated]

A federal judge turned down the request today of a political committee with close ties to the Department of Water and Power employee unions that had sought to bar the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission from enforcing a campaign contribution...

Group tied to DWP employee union sues L.A. Ethics Commission to block fundraising limit [Updated]

A nonprofit group closely tied to the Department of Water and Power employee union has filed a federal lawsuit against the City’s Ethics Commission, saying a city campaign fundraising law is unfairly limiting its ability to advocate on behalf of...

Carly Fiorina announces her GOP candidacy for U.S. Senate

Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in the California Republican primary, arguing that her business experience made her the only viable candidate to challenge Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer. "If it isn't obvious to...

Carly Fiorina to announce run for U.S. Senate

Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina will formally announce her run for the U.S. Senate this morning at a news conference in Garden Grove. “Throughout my career I've brought people together, and I've solved problems,” Fiorina said in a statement....

Southern Californians vote on numerous races, revenue issues today; congressional race in Bay Area

Voters are going to the polls today in four Southern California counties, while a new member of Congress is being chosen in a special Bay Area contest. Elections are underway in Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In...

Asian Americans in L.A. County voted in record numbers in 2008, supported Obama

Asian Americans in Los Angeles County turned out in record numbers for the 2008 general election thanks to a mobilization campaign targeting this fast-growing but underrepresented community, according to a new survey released today. Turnout for Asian American voters in...

Ban divorce? Ballot effort gets OK to gather signatures

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen today authorized the backer of an initiative that would ban divorce to begin collecting signatures to put the proposed constitutional amendment before voters. John Marcotte now has until March 22, 2010, to collect 694,354...

State watchdogs consider regulating campaigns’ electronic messages

Between tweeting, YouTube videos and text messaging, the age of the Internet means political candidates now rely on more than snail mail to reach voters, and California's ethics watchdog agency is responding to the changing times. The state Fair Political...

Orange County supervisor, four others file papers to run for Assembly seat

An Orange County supervisor and four others have filed papers to run for the state Assembly seat vacated by Michael Duvall, who resigned last month after boasting over an open microphone about his apparent sexual conquests. Chris Norby, a Republican...

Jerry Brown to investigate ACORN in California

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown has launched an investigation into the brouhaha over videotapes of a conservative group’s private sting operation against ACORN, the community organizing group credited with helping push Barack Obama to the presidency. Brown’s office plans to look...

Krekorian, Essel in Dec. 8 runoff election for 2nd District L.A. City Council seat

The votes are counted in the special election to replace former Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel in the 2nd District and it's official: Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive Christine Essel will be in the Dec....

Meg Whitman launches ads in campaign for governor

Republican Meg Whitman underscored the advantage of wealth in the 2010 race for governor, launching paid advertisements today for her campaign nine months before GOP voters will determine their nominee. The introductory ads, which the campaign said were running on...

Jerry Brown stops by L.A. City Hall sounding unofficially gubernatorial

California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown dropped by Los Angeles City Hall this morning, shaking hands with council members and appearing very much like a candidate for governor. Brown, escorted around the chambers by Council President Eric Garcetti, has yet to...

Governor sets Jan. 12 for election to fill Duvall's Assembly seat [updated]

[Updated 11:55 a.m.: The date of the special primary election to replace 72nd District Assemblyman Mike Duvall will be Nov. 17, with a runoff Jan. 12 if no candidate wins a majority in the primary. The governor's office issued a...

L.A. Councilwoman Hahn exploring a run for lieutenant governor in 2010

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn has established an exploratory campaign committee for a possible run for California lieutenant governor in 2010.Hahn has served on the council since 2001, representing a district that stretches from San Pedro to Watts, and...

O.C. supervisor already eyeing Duvall's Assembly seat

Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby said this afternoon that disgraced legislator Michael Duvall (R-Yorba Linda) “did the right thing under the circumstances” by resigning his Assembly seat today in the face of a sex scandal, then quickly added: “And I’m...

Long Beach school trustees call for special election

School trustees voted to hold a special election Dec. 29 to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of a Long Beach school board member who is being sought by authorities and has had several run-ins with the law. Trustees...

Villaraigosa says local governments should unite in effort to finish Westside subway [Updated]

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called today for speeding up construction of the $6.1-billion Westside subway extension, currently scheduled for completion in 2036 -- when he will be 78. [Updated at 3:10 p.m.: The subway would only reach Westwood by...

Former L.A. city attorney joins private firm while planning run for state attorney general

Former Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo began a new role today as counsel at the Los Angeles law offices of Goodwin Procter LLP. Delgadillo is joining the firm’s 400-lawyer litigation department, according to the firm’s Los Angeles chairman, Lewis...

Endorsements come to two L.A. council candidates

Two candidates running for the Los Angeles City Council seat vacated by City Controller Wendy Greuel locked down key endorsements today. Christine Essel, a former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive, won Greuel’s backing. Greuel described Essel as the “independent candidate I...

It's official: 10 candidates running for Wendy Greuel's vacant L.A. City Council seat [Updated]

So it looks like the candidate debates in the race to replace Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel are going to be a bit complicated. Eleven candidates qualified for the ballot in the Sept. 22 special election for Greuel’s former...

Ex-Paramount exec to be endorsed for L.A. Council by former Mayor Riordan

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan is slated this morning to endorse Christine Essel, who is running for the San Fernando Valley City Council seat vacated by City Controller Wendy Greuel. In the 1990s, the former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive...

Ex-City Controller Laura Chick skewers Carmen Trutanich on radio

Former Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick didn’t pull any punches this morning in her assessment of L.A.’s newly elected city attorney, Carmen Trutanich. During an interview on KABC-AM 790’s Doug McIntyre show, Chick called Trutanich a “demagogue” and a...

Former L.A. mayoral candidate will try out for his own radio talk show

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Walter Moore, outspoken critic of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and a favorite on some of L.A.’s talk radio stations, is about to hit the airwaves. Moore will “try out" for his own show on KABC 790...

EIR process begins on Century Plaza project; Koretz favors cultural designation

The Los Angeles Planning Department on Thursday will hold its first public meeting to consider the possible environmental effects of the proposed redevelopment of the Century Plaza Hotel site in Century City. The meeting will be held from 4 p.m....