Dozens File for Alatorre’s, Alarcon’s Districts

With two open seats on the Los Angeles City Council, dozens of candidates lined up Tuesday to try to succeed lawmakers Richard Alarcon and Richard Alatorre in spring elections that are likely to produce a new wave of Latino leadership.

With Alarcon moving to the state Senate and the Eastside’s scandal-scarred Alatorre deciding not to seek reelection, the two highly coveted seats are expected to be the focus of costly campaigns that will probably launch new political careers.

The races, anticipated as the most closely watched of the eight City Council elections, may create a new Latino power block on the council. Ten candidates filed for Alarcon’s 7th District seat and 19 in Alatorre’s 14th District--heavy competition which many observers predicted will mean that a runoff election will be needed in June.

Nearly half of the voters in the racially diverse 7th District are Latino.

“It’s an opportunity to have three council members of Latino heritage instead of one or two,” said Alarcon, whose old district covers Pacoima, Arleta, Lake View Terrace, Panorama City, Sun Valley and portions of Sylmar and Van Nuys. If Latinos win in both the 7th and 14th districts they will join incumbent Mike Hernandez on the council.

Candidates must turn in at least 500 signatures on nominating petitions by Feb. 8 in order to qualify for the April ballot.

Three of the council’s longest serving members filed for reelection: Hal Bernson of the northwest Valley’s 12th District; Joel Wachs of the East Valley’s 2nd District; and council President John Ferraro, whose 4th District extends from Hancock Park to North Hollywood and Toluca Lake.

In the northeast Valley, Alarcon first endorsed his wife, Corina, but when she dropped out, he shifted his endorsement to Corinne Sanchez, an attorney who is president of the health services charity El Proyecto Del Barrio.

Another leading contender who filed papers by the deadline was Alex Padilla, an aide to Assemblyman Tony Cardenas, (D-Sylmar), who has not only the endorsement of his boss but also of the largest union representing city employees, the Service Employees International Union, Local 347.

Former San Fernando Mayor Raul Godinez II, a civil engineer for the city of Los Angeles, also filed papers by the deadline.

Other candidates who filed declarations for the 7th Council District are: Ollie McCaulley, a government relations director for Community Partnership Development Corp., a nonprofit provider of affordable housing; Barbara Perkins, assistant to the president at Mission College; Connie Acebo Rodriguez, a teacher/outreach worker; Tony Lopez, district director of Boy Scouts of America; Dudley Chatman, a pastor with the Greater Community Missionary Baptist Church; student Alfredo Urrutia Jr., and carpenter David Silva.

Some of the candidates said they hope to raise the maximum $300,000 allowable for contenders who accept city matching funds.

Alarcon and some of the candidates predicted the large field will mean no one will get more than 50% of the vote, forcing a runoff election in June.

Candidates said their goal is to set themselves apart from the large field in the minds of voters.

Sanchez, 51, of Sylmar, touted her experience running a nonprofit agency and her long-standing involvement in issues in the 7th District, and has challenged Padilla’s level of experience at age 25.

Padilla’s camp cited the MIT grad’s experience, working not only for Cardenas and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) but also on Alarcon’s state Senate campaign. Rick Taylor, a campaign spokesman for Padilla, questioned Godinez’s loyalty to the district, who just moved into the city after serving on the San Fernando City Council.

Godinez, 36, said he grew up in the district. He has cited his experience as a mayor and councilman as having prepared him for service on the Los Angeles City Council.

McCaulley, a 42-year-old Pacoima resident, said he has shown his commitment to leading the district by twice seeking office, and his job gives him experience in dealing the city bureaucracy.

One of three African Americans who filed papers, McCaulley does not believe the race will necessarily go to a Latino.

“Yes, the district is heavily Latino by population, but I think it’s wrong to say it only can be represented by a Latino,” he said.

Among those who decided not to run were Fred Flores, an aide to Rep. Howard Berman (D-Mission Hills), and Irene Tovar, the head of the Latin American Civic Assn.

In the 12th Council District, Northridge attorney Charles Rubel, journalist Marilyn Stout and retired civil servant David Guzman Sr. filed papers Tuesday to challenge Bernson, a Granada Hills resident who is seeking to keep a council seat he has held for 20 years. Howard Nussbaum, a business manager, previously filed papers to challenge Bernson.

In the 4th District, which has been held by Ferraro for 32 years, challengers include construction supervisor Benjamin Lucas, actor and writer James Dunlap and clinical research assistant Lillian Fay Lipson. Wachs, a Studio City resident who has represented the 2nd District for 28 years, faces potential challenges by business owner Kathy Anthony, marketing manager John Spishak, retired city employee John Joseph Bunte and Adam Craig Pinto.

In the hot Eastside race, 19 candidates have filed to run, including Victor Griego, a well-connected political organizer and consultant; Jorge Mancillas, a union political director; Juan Jose Gutierrez, who runs One Stop Immigration; Nick Pacheco, a deputy district attorney; Alvin Parra, a former candidate and a community activist; mission manager Richard Kim, and Paul Gonzales, a city commissioner and former boxer and Olympic gold medalist.

Political analysts say they are heartened by the number of political newcomers--and women. They say such Latino elected officials as Alatorre are leading the way for a new generation of leaders.

Alatorre, who announced Friday he would not seek reelection, is widely credited with helping to elect numerous Latinos to state and local office. Undergoing drug rehabilitation and a federal corruption investigation, Alatorre said he has decided to remain out of the race; he has not yet endorsed a successor.

Council members Ruth Galanter, Mark Ridley-Thomas and Nate Holden also have announced that they will seek reelection. Of those candidates, Ridley-Thomas appeared to have the most challengers, with six. And challenging Holden are several community activists with ties to both the Korean and large African American communities in that mid-city district.