LAGUNA BEACH : 3 Candidates Get Key Endorsement

The city’s most powerful political group has endorsed three candidates, including two incumbents and a planning commissioner, to fill three City Council seats in November.

Village Laguna offered its support this week to Mayor Lida Lenney, Councilman Robert F. Gentry and Planning Commissioner Ann Christoph. While Gentry and Christoph received ample support on the first ballot, it took six votes before Lenney could muster the necessary two-thirds vote.

“The last one was a very difficult one,” said Village Laguna President William Buckley. “We just kept balloting and balloting.”

All three candidates have been supported by Village Laguna in past City Council elections. Although she still has strong support within the membership, Lenney lost votes Monday night to Planning Commissioner Norm Grossman, a City Council candidate and former Village Laguna president. Gentry, Lenney and Christoph are also members of the group, but non-members were also invited to seek endorsement, Buckley said.

Village Laguna has had considerable success in getting its candidates elected since it formed 20 years ago to “preserve and protect the village atmosphere of Laguna Beach.” A Village Laguna endorsement, which translates into financial and volunteer support, is “an important ingredient” in a winning campaign, Buckley said. The organization provides money, campaign literature and precinct workers, he said.

“We reach into all the areas of Laguna with our membership,” he said. “In my experience, most of the time they (Village Laguna’s candidates) do win.”

Other candidates, however, have waged successful campaigns without help from Village Laguna, which has about 450 members. Councilwoman Martha Collison, who is not up for reelection this year, has twice won elections independent of Village Laguna. Christoph, backed by the group two years ago, lost her bid for a council seat.

Nine candidates are competing for three council seats this year. Councilman Dan Kenney, whose term also expires in November, isn’t seeking reelection. Other candidates are Planning Commissioner Wayne Peterson, custodian Rickey Slater, artist Beth Leeds, homemaker Nancy Kreder and attorney Steven Leonard. Peterson is the only other candidate who sought Village Laguna’s endorsement, Buckley said.

Each of the five seeking endorsement attended Monday night’s meeting, gave a three-minute presentation and stayed until the final vote, he said.

When a recall campaign was waged against council members Gentry, Kenney and Lenney a couple of years ago, Village Laguna formed a Protect Laguna Committee and helped block the effort.