Pacheco Gets Support in Council Bid

The crowded race to replace outgoing City Councilman Richard Alatorre is expected to take a new turn today, when one of the 19 announced candidates, Nick Pacheco, receives endorsements from Mayor Richard Riordan and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles).

Their support could substantially assist Pacheco, a deputy district attorney and elected charter reform commissioner, particularly because he has less support than some other candidates from organized labor, a potent force in the district.

But in another positive development for Pacheco and others, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor’s political arm has decided to allow its individual member unions to support their own candidates rather than endorsing one for all to back.

Miguel Contreras, the executive secretary-treasurer of the labor federation, said several strong candidates have union support and that there isn’t a single labor contender.

Yet.

The county federation is expected to play a key role as the campaigns get underway and will reconsider whether to make an endorsement after the April primary. If, as expected, there is a runoff, it will be held in June.

In the meantime, candidates Victor Griego, Jorge Mancillas, Alvin Parra, Luis Cetina and others are vying for endorsements from other key elected officials, particularly Latinos.

Already, Griego, a community organizer, has picked up what many consider to be some choice support: state Sen. Richard Polanco, (D-Los Angeles), Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and former congressman Esteban Torres. Mancillas, the political director for the Service Employees International Union, has the support of many local unions, and state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles), and is expected to run a strong labor campaign.

Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, also expected to play a role, have not announced whom they will support. Alatorre, who announced last week that he will not seek reelection, still is meeting with candidates.

Pacheco will be the first to announce he has won over the mayor, however, and the congressman.

What remains to be seen is whether the mayor will actively participate in the race--meaning will he help raise money--and how much his influence will help or hurt Pacheco’s campaign in the predominately Latino, Eastside district.

Some political analysts say that Riordan has no political coattails, but he does have the ability to raise money. Others say that the mayor enjoys support in the Eastside district in part because he was close to Alatorre.

His support for Pacheco does not surprise some observers because Pacheco was a key mayoral supporter on a highly important charter reform issue: whether the mayor would have the authority to fire city department general managers. But prior to that, Pacheco also cast a vote against the mayor on an issue involving the city attorney’s office.

A mayoral aide said, however, that the mayor and Pacheco may not have always agreed but “there’s one issue they do agree on: There’s always room for improvement at the community level.”

Aides to Becerra would not comment on the endorsement, and the congressman was en route from Washington and could not be reached for comment.

Without a unified labor candidate, several analysts and others said the field will remain wide open, leaving candidates better able to develop grass-roots campaigns.

Some, however, said the labor split is unfortunate because it could show that the federation is afraid of backing a losing candidate. Fresh with success from state and local elections, some say the federation wants to maintain its strong winning record.

Contreras sees it differently.

“Unions have a lot of friends, relationships,” Contreras said. “We set the standard high.”

The county federation counts 14,000 members who are registered voters in the council’s 14th District, a fact that could turn a traditionally low turnout city election.

Pacheco, who declined to comment on the endorsement announcements, said he believes the labor split will help candidates.

“It may invigorate all of labor within this district,” Pacheco said. “It can only help the whole group.”

Nineteen candidates have announced their candidacies. They have until Feb. 8 to file petitions to qualify for the ballot.