Armenians Will Hold a Majority on Glendale Council

For the first time in its history, the Glendale City Council will have an Armenian American majority following this week’s municipal elections.

In unofficial returns, Ara Najarian topped a field of 19 candidates in Tuesday’s election with more than 10% of the vote.

He was followed by Mayor Bob Yousefian with 9%, Frank Quintero with 8.8% and Dave Weaver with 8.2%.

The three top vote-getters will serve four-year terms and Weaver will complete a two-year term left when Councilman Gus Gomez stepped down late last year.

Armenian Americans Najarian and Yousefian and Councilman Rafi Manoukian will hold three of the five City Council seats.

More than one-third of Los Angeles County’s nearly 153,000 Armenians Americans live in Glendale, which has the second-largest population of people of Armenian descent of any city in the country, behind Los Angeles, according to census officials. There are about 205,000 residents in the city.

“There are a lot of Armenians in Glendale, and we just happen to be fortunate enough to be elected,” said Najarian, whose goals include tackling traffic problems.

“I know these gentlemen, and we’ll be dedicated and committed to serving all of Glendale,” he added.

In Glendale’s first contested city clerk election in 75 years, Ardashes Kassakhian will replace City Clerk Doris Twedt, who retired after serving five years.

Treasurer Ronald K. Borucki was reelected with 64% of the vote.

Assistant City Clerk Rita Buchanan said a number of absentee ballots remain to be counted. The results are not expected to change the outcome of the election.

Meanwhile, voters in Inglewood on Tuesday reelected incumbent council members Curren Price Jr. with a 61% majority and Judy Dunlap with 55% of the votes.