27 Candidates File for 7 L.A. Council Seats

With seven Los Angeles City Council seats up for grabs in the March primary, nearly 30 candidates filed papers by Wednesday’s deadline, leaving only one race without any competition.

Councilwoman Wendy Greuel of Van Nuys faces no opposition in her quest for reelection to the east San Fernando Valley’s 2nd District seat. Greuel was elected in April to fill the uncompleted term of Joel Wachs.

Council members Nick Pacheco and Tom LaBonge will face challengers, while three other seats are open because incumbents are prevented by term limits from seeking reelection, and a fourth was vacated when Mark Ridley-Thomas was elected to the Assembly.

“Incumbency is a very daunting task for anyone to run against,” said political strategist Matt Klink. “But with term limits, there are seats opening up. It’s an opportunity for new faces and bright and shining stars to come to the surface.”

One incumbent leaving office in July is Councilwoman Ruth Galanter of Venice. She will give up her seat representing the 6th District, which was redrawn during redistricting last July from covering part of West Los Angeles to representing much of the East Valley.

Three people, including Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Panorama City), are seeking to represent the newly configured 6th District, which includes Panorama City and Arleta, as well as portions of Sun Valley and Pacoima.

The other candidates who filed nominating petitions are businessman Jose Roy Garcia and administrator/psychological counselor Christopher Trujillo.

Garcia and Trujillo were the leading vote-getters in two city council races for a proposed Valley city as part of the Nov. 5 secession measure that was rejected by voters.

Cardenas lost an election to Greuel in April for the 2nd District seat, but he is seen as the front-runner in the 6th District race.

Perhaps the most competitive race in the San Fernando Valley will be in the 12th District, where longtime Councilman Hal Bernson is being forced out of office because of term limits.

L.A. school board member Julie Korenstein, former Assemblywoman Paula Boland and Bernson chief of staff Greig Smith are among seven seeking the seat, which represents Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Northridge and Porter Ranch, most of North Hills and parts of Canoga Park, Encino, West Hills, Mission Hills and Winnetka.

Other contenders include accountant Armineh Safarian Chelebian, businessman Robert Vinson, teacher/businessman/mediator Norman Huberman and businessman Walter Prince.

Chelebian and Prince ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat for a new Valley city as part of the secession measure, while Boland was the leading vote-getter for one such seat.

In the 4th Council District, which runs from Toluca Lake and North Hollywood to Silver Lake, Miracle Mile and Koreatown, LaBonge will be challenged by film executive/producer Derek Milosavljevic.

LaBonge was elected in October 2001 to fill out the uncompleted term of Councilman John Ferraro, who died in office.

Pacheco will face former state Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in Pacheco’s reelection bid in the 14th Council District, which includes parts of Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Mount Washington. Former Olympic boxer Paul Gonzales also is seeking the seat.

Across town, former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks hopes to represent South Los Angeles’ 8th Council District, the seat being vacated by Ridley-Thomas.

Other candidates in that race include economic development executive Forescee Hogan-Rowles, publisher Kevin Melton, community activist Robert Cole and developer Sherri L. Franklin.

In the adjacent 10th District, six people are seeking the seat held by Councilman Nate Holden, another veteran who will be leaving office in July. They include Assemblyman Roderick Wright, Holden’s chief deputy Deron E. Williams, activist John Caldwell, attorney Leo Terrell, city assets manager Reggie Jones-Sawyer, and educator Martin Ludlow.

Some of those who filed nominating petitions Wednesday will have to wait a few days before the city clerk verifies that they turned in enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.