2nd District Race May Shift Council Balance

With control of the Los Angeles City Council at stake, voters will choose Tuesday between two political veterans when they elect a new 2nd District representative from the San Fernando Valley.

Assemblyman Tony Cardenas of Panorama City and DreamWorks SKG executive Wendy Greuel of Van Nuys, both young Democrats, are battling for the job.

There is excitement over the prospect of a new representative for the district after three decades under Joel Wachs, who resigned last year.

“They bring fresh viewpoints, and they are eager to find out who you are and what they can do for you,” said Polly Ward, vice president of the Studio City Residents Assn.

Council President Alex Padilla has campaigned hard for Cardenas, his former boss when Padilla was an Assembly aide. Cardenas’ election would shore up Padilla’s wafer-thin support on the council.

“Not only has Tony clearly shown he is committed to the community, but he has a track record in Sacramento for five years of getting things done,” Padilla said.

Greuel is backed by nine council members, including several in a faction that opposed Padilla’s election as president and want a change.

“Wendy is more qualified for the city position. This is the city, not the state,” said Councilman Hal Bernson. “She isn’t as beholden to all the unions and other interests, like Tony is.”

Cardenas says his priority is Valley residents, not special interests.

As of Wednesday, Greuel had spent $389,000 and Cardenas $265,000.

In addition, more than $106,000 in independent expenditures were made by outside groups favoring the candidates, including Clear Channel Outdoor, which spent $41,500 on billboards touting both candidates; the United Firefighters Local 112, which spent $19,800 on political brochures favoring Cardenas; and the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, which spent $8,000 on radio and newspaper ads favoring Greuel.

The race also has divided Hollywood. DreamWorks founders Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen have hosted fund-raisers for Greuel, while Disney Co. executives, including Chairman Michael Eisner and President Bob Iger, hosted a fund-raiser at the studio for Cardenas. (Katzenberg had a bitter falling out with Eis ner after being denied the No. 2 job at Disney.)

Cardenas surged out of the primary election last year with momentum, winning 47.7% of the vote to Greuel’s 42.5%. But Greuel picked up the endorsement of third-place finisher Jamie Cordaro, a Republican, and has taken advantage of a slight fund-raising lead to blitz the district with mailers attacking Cardenas.

The district stretches from Studio City to Sunland-Tujunga, including Shadow Hills, La Tuna Canyon and parts of North Hollywood, Mission Hills, Lake View Terrace, Arleta, Valley Village, Van Nuys and Panorama City.

The district’s Latino population has jumped from 34% to 47.3% in the last decade, while the white population has declined from 53% to 35.4%. Despite the shift, Latinos make up only 25% of registered voters.

Cardenas said he has been elected three times to state office in the northeast Valley “with a lot of crossover vote.”

Greuel said she is much better known and has a broader base of support than she did when she first began campaigning last year.

“I’m going to fight for the San Fernando Valley’s fair share,” she said. “I am an independent voice for the Valley, not a career politician.”

Greuel, 40, has criticized Cardenas for taking contributions to his council campaign and an aborted run for secretary of state from special interests cultivated in Sacramento, including Indian tribes that operate casinos.

Cardenas, 38, said he has spent five years in the Assembly representing the interests of residents of that district, which includes much of the council district.

“I put the Valley first,” he said. “I was born and raised in the northeast Valley. I have owned a business in the Valley.”

A former real estate company owner, Cardenas cited his experience as powerful chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. He was instrumental in bringing $591 million in transportation funding to the Valley, as well as $68 million for police and youth programs, and millions more to develop 17 parks.

“My track record shows that I have worked on bills that improved education, public safety and the lives of senior citizens,” he said.

Greuel asserted that Cardenas shares some blame for the state’s $17-billion projected budget deficit. Cardenas said the major factor in the deficit is the economic slowdown, exacerbated by the events of Sept. 11.

Greuel is no stranger to government. She worked as an intern for Wachs, who has endorsed her. She also served for a decade as an aide to then-Mayor Tom Bradley, under whom she helped develop the LA’s BEST after-school program. She worked for four years for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before taking a job as government and community affairs executive for the DreamWorks entertainment company.

Greuel recently released a 51-point plan for Los Angeles that includes increasing the police force by 1,500 officers and expanding the senior lead officer police program.

She also supports creating a Valley transit agency to handle bus service, the proposed east-west busway in the Valley and increasing parking near subway stations.

Cardenas has criticized Greuel’s plan as too costly. He supports an expansion of the police force from its current 8,900 officers to at least 10,000, as well as efforts to improve officer morale, recruitment and retention.

He promises to bring department managers into the district so they can see needs firsthand. Like his opponent, Cardenas says he will emphasize improved basic city services, including tree trimming and sidewalk repairs.