Fuentes declares victory in race for Assembly

Felipe Fuentes, a former Los Angeles deputy mayor and City Council aide, declared victory late Tuesday in a five-way special election for an Assembly seat representing the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Complete results from all precincts showed Fuentes, a 35-year-old Democrat from Sylmar, with 50.86% of the tally in the 39th District race.

If that 50%-plus total stands, there would be no need for a July runoff -- a contest previously seen as a distinct possibility, given the number of candidates.

The election was held to replace Richard Alarcon, who left the Assembly in March -- just months after being elected -- to return to the Los Angeles City Council. The winner of the Assembly seat is to serve through November 2008.

Fuentes, running in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, was backed by the city’s party establishment, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The only Republican in the contest, Jose “Joe” Bonilla Sr., 54, of Arleta, an internal auditor with the Los Angeles Unified School District, finished second, with 20.07%. Bonilla, who retired from IBM in 2005 after a 25-year career with the computer company, was also president of the Arleta Chamber of Commerce from 2004 through 2006.

The three other Democrats in the contest -- Felipe “Philip” Siordia, Eric D. Rothenay and Margie Carranza -- split the remainder of the ballots.

. Fuentes served as chief of staff to former Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla from September 2003 until December, when Padilla moved from the council to the state Senate. Before that, Fuentes served for more than two years as deputy mayor for the San Fernando Valley in the Hahn administration.

“We won! I’m very excited,” Fuentes said at a Sylmar gathering where he and supporters awaited results. He said he “plans to spend a little time with my family this weekend, and then get to Sacramento as soon as possible so I can weigh in on the budget process.”

The 39th District includes the city of San Fernando as well as parts or all of Panorama City, North Hills, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Mission Hills, Arleta, Lakeview Terrace and Sylmar. It also extends into parts of Van Nuys and North Hollywood.

stuart.silverstein@latimes.com