Korenstein Joins Race for 12th Council District

Los Angeles school board member Julie Korenstein announced Friday that she is entering the already crowded race for the 12th District seat on the Los Angeles City Council, which is being vacated by Hal Bernson because of term limits.

The seat represents the northwest San Fernando Valley communities of Northridge, Granada Hills, Chatsworth and Porter Ranch.

Although she narrowly lost a 1991 bid for the seat, Korenstein said she is confident she can prevail in a field that includes Bernson’s chief-of-staff Greig Smith, former Republican Assemblywoman Paula Boland, businessman Robert Vinson, teacher Norman Huberman, attorney Ken Aslan and accountant Armineh Safarian Chelebian.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Korenstein, a Porter Ranch resident. “I wouldn’t be in it if I didn’t think I could win. It’s going to be an aggressive campaign but I’m ready for it.”

She says her goal is to make the Valley more family friendly.

Korenstein has served on the board for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 16 years. Her current term expires in 2005, but she does not have to give up her school board seat to run for council.

Although the council contest is nonpartisan, Korenstein said she is the first prominent Democrat in the race in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 5%.

The race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the city.

Boland recently was the top vote-getter, at 42%, among 13 candidates for the 3rd District seat on the proposed San Fernando Valley city council. The defeat of the secession measure negated the need for a council.

The deadline for filing declarations of intent to run for the Los Angeles City Council is today.