ELECTIONS / CITY COUNCIL : Candidates Prepare for Runoffs in 2 Districts

At 7 a.m. on the morning after the election, 5th District City Council candidate Mike Feuer awoke to the unfamiliar sight of a TV truck in his driveway. By 11 a.m. he was standing on a street corner in Sherman Oaks talking to reporters about street repairs and new leadership.

So began the first day of the runoff campaign for Feuer, a political newcomer who, to the surprise of most observers, snagged first place in a four-way primary race to select a new council member in the Westside-Valley district.

“Things are going fast and furiously,” said Feuer, who ran Bet Tzedek legal services clinic before launching his political career.

Feuer won big, with more than 39% of the vote--but not big enough to avoid a June 6 runoff. With virtually all ballots counted, his runoff opponent, Barbara Yaroslavsky--who many pundits believed would lead the pack--finished second with just under 27%.

Third-place finisher Roberta Weintraub, a former member of the Los Angeles Unified School District board, was eliminated from contention with 21% of the vote. Valley businessman Jeff Brain, the only Republican in the nonpartisan race, came in fourth with 12%.

If Yaroslavsky was disappointed in finishing second, it did not show at her election night party, where she appeared buoyant and confident about the next campaign. Like Feuer, she was readily available for interviews Wednesday morning.

“The press was saying I was the front-runner,” Yaroslavsky said. “I wasn’t saying, ‘I’m the front-runner.’ It’s my first time out (as a candidate).”

A runoff also is set in the neighboring 10th district, where attorney Stan Sanders ran a strong second Tuesday against veteran Councilman Nate Holden.

In other council races affecting the Westside, incumbents Ruth Galanter, John Ferraro and Mark Ridley-Thomas coasted to victory.

The most attention on the Westside had been focused on the race in the 5th District, which stretches from Cheviot Hills to Sherman Oaks. It is the first time the seat has been open in 16 years, becoming vacant when Zev Yaroslavsky, Barbara’s husband, won election to the County Board of Supervisors.

Because of the strong role played by Zev Yaroslavsky over the years, the 5th District post has been considered the Westside’s primary council seat. This perception lingers even though the district has been redrawn so almost half of it is in the Valley.

Still, it was the two Westside candidates who prevailed at the polls. (Though Weintraub has lived in Bel-Air since last year’s earthquake, she was a longtime Valley resident).

From the outset, Barbara Yaroslavsky was considered the candidate to beat. In addition to name recognition, she had a key endorsement from Mayor Richard Riordan and fund-raising clout that enabled her to fill mailboxes with campaign literature.

On the downside, Yaroslavsky was plagued by criticism that her community activism was not sufficient to qualify her for office. There was also grumbling in some circles about a Yaroslavsky dynasty.

But Yaroslavsky worked to turn her status as a political novice to her advantage, saying she is a “doer, not a talker.”

On election night, Yaroslavsky said it was understandable that Feuer had a higher tally because she had split the women’s vote with Weintraub and would get those votes in June.

Zev Yaroslavsky, meanwhile, said being the spouse of a candidate was far tougher than being the candidate.

“This has been hell for me,” Yaroslavsky said. “It’s hard to keep your mouth shut when the person you love is being attacked.”

Yaroslavsky predicted that his wife’s candidacy will gain momentum as people get to know her “brutal honesty” and strong character.

Character apparently played a role in Feuer’s strong showing. He is pitching himself as a reform-minded, new generation leader who aims to bring new solutions to intractable problems.

Feuer, who used his preschooler’s easel to record voter updates at his crowded election party, was in first place all night. At one point, the crowd chanted, “No runoff! No runoff!”

But that was not to be.

10th District

The runoff in the 10th District, which includes large portions of the Crenshaw area, Koreatown, Mid-City and West Adams, follows a bitter personal battle between Holden and Sanders that all but drowned out Kevin Ross, the eventual third-place finisher.

But Holden, who finished with 46% of the vote compared with Sanders’ 43%, said he planned to focus on issues in the days leading to their June 6 showdown.

“I hope to discuss the issues more (in the runoff),” he said. “In the showdown Sanders won’t be able to run from the issues.”

Sanders said supporters of Ross, who garnered 11% of the vote, would likely back him in the run-off. He portrayed Tuesday’s result as a repudiation of Holden. Said Sanders: “It sends a very clear message to the incumbent that he has not been keeping up with the changes in his district.”

6th District

In winning a third term with 73% of the vote, Galanter overcame claims by opponents that she had become unresponsive to voters in the 6th District, which stretches from Westchester to Venice and Westwood.

Galanter herself used that theme eight years ago to upset then-council President Pat Russell, but none of Galanter’s opponents this year--businessman Sal Grammatico, graphic designer Jill Prestup and city staffer Richard Niezgodzki--was able to mount a serious challenge.

In thanking her supporters, Galanter said she intends to cut red tape and make city government friendlier to residents and business, as well as work “to fix the problems that have festered too long in the district, such as noise from LAX.”

4th District

Ferraro amassed 72% of the vote in defeating challenger Linda W. Lockwood, a Hancock Park activist, in the 4th district, which stretches from Hancock Park to North Hollywood, encompassing parts of the Fairfax district, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Griffith Park.

Ferraro, a Police Commission president who is now the council president, has served on the City Council since 1966.

8th District

Ridley-Thomas, buoyed by strong support from church leaders and the local political establishment, overcame challengers Addie Miller of South-Central Los Angeles and Cal Burton of Baldwin Hills to win a second term with nearly 89% of the vote.

The 8th District includes parts of Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw district, Leimert Park, University Park, Vermont Knolls and South-Central Los Angeles.

Times staff writer Ron Russell contributed to this story.