6 Running to Succeed Holden in 10th District

Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden may be barred by term limits from seeking reelection, but his efforts to elect a handpicked successor have made the veteran politician a central character in the campaign to fill the mid-city’s 10th Council District seat.

Holden has helped raise funds for top aide and candidate Deron Williams and appeared in a recent campaign mailer for Williams labeled “Passing the Torch.”

But five other candidates are fighting for the seat and they hope Williams’ ties to his often-controversial boss will backfire.

“I’m telling people, if you vote for me you will not have a continuation of Nate Holden’s policies,” said civil rights attorney Leo Terrell. “Deron Williams embraces Nate Holden’s policies. Nate didn’t listen to his constituents.”

Added Madison Shockley, a minister and another candidate, “Holden’s deputy represents no change from Holden.”

The other candidates in the March 4 election -- former state legislative deputy Martin Ludlow, former Assemblyman Roderick “Rod” Wright and attorney John Caldwell -- have leveled similar criticisms against Williams, whom some observers consider a front-runner.

The strong field, however, has many predicting that no candidate will get more than 50% of the vote, forcing a runoff on May 20.

For his part, Williams faces the challenge of capitalizing on his ties to Holden while establishing his own identity.

His 14 years working for Holden, most recently as his chief field deputy, have taught him how to get basic services into the district, Williams said. But the 35-year-old Liemert Park resident is quick to add that he is his “own man” and plans to collaborate with district residents through the growing system of neighborhood councils.

Holden’s successor faces significant challenges, ranging from a plague of gang violence in the district to a dearth of quality family restaurants, supermarkets, movie theaters and other entertainment venues. The district includes the communities of South Robertson, Wilshire Center, West Adams, Koreatown, Pico-Fairfax and the Crenshaw area.

In Koreatown, the city’s approval of bars and nightclubs with liquor licenses in the community has proven a sore point among residents. As The Times reported in May, city records show Holden has cleared the way for dozens of new bars and nightclubs to open in Koreatown in recent years, many backed by his campaign contributors or represented by lobbyists with close ties to him.

All of the candidates have pledged to address the gang problem by increasing police presence in the district as well as intervention efforts and more after-school programs. Similarly, all have ambitious plans to bring in more business and jobs.

“It is real sad to see the proliferation of liquor stores, auto body shops and fast-food restaurants with low-paying jobs,” said Ludlow, a 38-year-old resident of the Pico-Fairfax area.

Ludlow served until recently as deputy chief of staff for Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson and held a similar top post for Antonio Villaraigosa when he was Assembly speaker. A consultant to Wesson on criminal justice issues, Ludlow also served for five years as deputy director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps and was once political director of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

He wants to spearhead a renaissance on major economically distressed boulevards including Crenshaw and Washington, envisioning sidewalk cafes, restaurants and theaters that bring vibrancy back to the streets.

Wright, 50, said his work in Sacramento and Washington will enable him to secure more federal and state resources to solve local problems. Before serving six years in the Assembly, Wright worked for Rep. Maxine Waters.

“When I was in Sacramento, I repeatedly saw the city fail to do what it should have” in terms of state grants, Wright said.

Terrell, 48, wants to encourage neighborhood councils to forge a better relationship with police officers to help reduce crime, and he opposes the LAPD’s plan to stop responding to unverified burglar alarms.

“Public safety is the No. 1 issue,” said Terrell, who lives in the western portion of the district.

Shockley, 47, has been one of the most vocal critics of Williams and Holden.

“The patronage system is in full operation. If they like you, you get your stop signs or whatever else you want. If they don’t like you, you don’t get anything,” said Shockley, who works in membership development at the Pacific Council on International Policy at USC.

To counter the old system, he said, he will emphasize the importance of neighborhood councils that are being formed across the city to advise City Hall on planning and budget issues.

Caldwell, a 43-year-old attorney with his own practice, also has experience in policing issues. He served for eight years as a civilian member of the LAPD’s Board of Rights, which handles disciplinary matters.

He said that, in addition to stepped-up police enforcement, the city also needs to engage young people in dialogue and offer them intervention and alternative programs.

“I want to use the office to really encourage the youth in the community to support education,” Caldwell said.

Williams said he has played a role in bringing new business to the district, including Home Depot and Costco stores, which he said serve both economic and crime-reduction goals. “I’ve worked for 14 years on bringing jobs to the district,” he said. “When you bring good jobs in, crime goes down.”

As he seeks elected office for the first time, Williams faces the challenge not only of outlining his own vision but having to defend Holden’s record as well.

That was clear on a recent night in Koreatown, when residents braved a steady rain to pack an auditorium to hear four of the candidates tackle the issue of bars and nightclubs with liquor licenses in their community.

With Holden absent, Williams was left to explain his boss’ record.

Williams tried to convince the audience that Holden has enforced a moratorium on new liquor licenses in Koreatown during the last three years, but his claim drew chuckles and groans from some members of the audience and challenges by the other candidates.

In the end, Williams joined the other contenders at the Koreatown forum in promising to stop the spread of liquor outlets in the area.

“There will not be any more liquor licenses during my tenure,” he said.

Williams has relied on Holden’s help in raising a large campaign war chest, with contributions from many of the same business interests that have supported the incumbent over the years.

Williams reported raising $291,500 in contributions and matching funds as of Feb. 15.

Ludlow, who has the backing of organized labor, raised slightly more at $297,000. Wright brought in $189,000, Shockley $135,000 and Terrell $90,000.

Ludlow also has benefited from more than $85,000 in independent expenditures by labor groups, including the political arm of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.