Prince Backs Korenstein in Race Against Bernson

Northridge businessman Walter Prince, who finished third in last month’s primary election for Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson’s seat, said Monday he will back challenger Julie Korenstein against Bernson in the June 4 runoff.

Prince, a wealthy janitorial-firm owner, said he has abandoned the idea of running as a write-in candidate in the runoff for the seat. That prospect had alarmed Korenstein campaign strategists, who worried that he would split the anti-Bernson vote.

Prince stopped short of saying he was fully behind Korenstein, a member of the Board of Education. But he said he will sublease her his old campaign headquarters, donate $500 to her campaign, urge his supporters to vote for her and vote for her himself. “I don’t think I’d say she’s a good candidate. I’d say she’s a better candidate than Bernson,” he said.