Sierra Club Chapter Endorses Villaraigosa

Former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa has won the endorsement of the Angeles chapter of the Sierra Club in his mayoral bid, beating out supporters of state Controller Kathleen Connell, who urged the club to make a dual endorsement.

The club’s executive committee voted Sunday to endorse Villaraigosa, ending a month of intense, behind-the-scenes lobbying by the campaigns to secure the backing of the respected environmental group.

The Angeles chapter represents about 56,000 members in Los Angeles and Orange counties--25,000 in the city of Los Angeles.

Sierra Club officials said Villaraigosa’s record--such as his co-authorship of a $2.1-billion park bond last year--demonstrated his commitment to the environment.

“This is somebody who went out of his way to reach out to the environmental community and has given us every reason, through actions and words, to believe that he really understands it,” said Alan Aronson, head of the political committee. “These are the people we need.”

Connell’s supporters argued vehemently for the club to endorse her as well, citing her recent vow to conduct an environmental review of a parcel of state land promised to the developers of Playa Vista, a massive commercial and residential project in West Los Angeles.

During a Jan. 17 hearing, Connell said that if an environmental review shows that an earthquake fault and methane gas make the 70-acre property too dangerous to build on, she may propose legislation to preserve it as open land or a park.

Villaraigosa also had weighed in on the Playa Vista battle, securing $25 million of the park bond to purchase additional open space there.

Besides Connell and Villaraigosa, four other major candidates are running for mayor in the April 10 election.