Thanks everyone for visiting during this fascinating and definitely contentious campaign. We will leave this blog up as an archive for the time being.
Happy Holidays to all and best of luck to Paul Krekorian, our new CD2 representative!
Welcome to the CD2 Special Election 2009 blog
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Krekorian's council victory a lesson on election spending
from the LA Times
by Maeve Reston
If there was a lesson in Tuesday's special election for the Los Angeles City Council seat previously held by City Controller Wendy Greuel, it was that money is no guarantee in a low-turnout city race.
In an outcome that stunned some at City Hall, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian sailed to a 57%-43% victory over former film executive Christine Essel even though powerful independent groups, including the union that represents Department of Water and Power workers, set a record by spending more than $900,000 on her behalf.
During the runoff campaign, Essel and her independent backers spent about $156 swaying each of the 8,304 voters who cast ballots for her. By comparison, Krekorian and the groups supporting him spent $28 per voter.
"I think people thought it was an over the top amount of spending by all the powers that be at City Hall," said Councilman Paul Koretz, who endorsed Krekorian and waged his own fierce fight for his Westside council seat earlier this year. "That communicated to them that Chris wouldn't be a reformer, wouldn't take on special interests and that Paul was the candidate that would."
Neighborhood leaders who lined up behind Krekorian zeroed in on the hefty sum spent by the DWP union, which recently negotiated a five-year package of raises at a time when other city employees received pay cuts. Some of those same activists campaigned earlier this year against Measure B, a solar energy ballot plan advanced by the DWP employees union.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
by Maeve Reston
If there was a lesson in Tuesday's special election for the Los Angeles City Council seat previously held by City Controller Wendy Greuel, it was that money is no guarantee in a low-turnout city race.
In an outcome that stunned some at City Hall, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian sailed to a 57%-43% victory over former film executive Christine Essel even though powerful independent groups, including the union that represents Department of Water and Power workers, set a record by spending more than $900,000 on her behalf.
During the runoff campaign, Essel and her independent backers spent about $156 swaying each of the 8,304 voters who cast ballots for her. By comparison, Krekorian and the groups supporting him spent $28 per voter.
"I think people thought it was an over the top amount of spending by all the powers that be at City Hall," said Councilman Paul Koretz, who endorsed Krekorian and waged his own fierce fight for his Westside council seat earlier this year. "That communicated to them that Chris wouldn't be a reformer, wouldn't take on special interests and that Paul was the candidate that would."
Neighborhood leaders who lined up behind Krekorian zeroed in on the hefty sum spent by the DWP union, which recently negotiated a five-year package of raises at a time when other city employees received pay cuts. Some of those same activists campaigned earlier this year against Measure B, a solar energy ballot plan advanced by the DWP employees union.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
Why Did Shallman’s Attack Model Fail?
From Village To Village
by Paul Hatfield
The Shallman Model failed in the CD2 race.
Why? It had a pretty successful track record in recent elections.
The formula is conceptually simple:
Lots of Money + Big Endorsements + Creative Lies = Victory
It worked for Greuel’s run for Controller and Trunanich’s for City Attorney. Shallman had to feel comfortable managing the Essel-Greuel tag team against Krekorian. The sum for his candidate was at least twice that of Paul’s.
Here are a couple of points to consider:
* Both the City Attorney and Controller races were city wide affairs. The mass marketing approach of the Shallman model plays off of ignorance and apathy. Those characteristics are more commonplace when dealing with a larger population.
That’s no different than life insurance actuarial tables – the larger the base, the more reliable they are.
* There were significant qualitative factors as well. Nick Patsaouras did not enter the Controller’s race until late in the game, thus he had less time to raise money. It was virtually impossible for him to publicly challenge the gross lies leveled by Greuel.
Jack Weiss was a political cripple who was despised even by his own constituents.
Shallman, was playing with a stacked deck in those races.
What Shallman apparently did not consider in the CD2 campaign was how well informed the district’s voters were. He wasn’t up against a bunch of hicks at a local carnival in a game of three-card Monte.
It is difficult to sell lies to knowledgeable people. I guess Shallman learned marketing from the Nigerian e-mail boiler rooms.
Mr. Shallman is representing Janice Hahn in her bid for Lieutenant Governor. His model should fare better at that level.
Ms. Hahn should be ashamed at employing Shallman in the wake of the scurrilous tactics he used in the CD2 race. Something tells me she is not.
by Paul Hatfield
The Shallman Model failed in the CD2 race.
Why? It had a pretty successful track record in recent elections.
The formula is conceptually simple:
Lots of Money + Big Endorsements + Creative Lies = Victory
It worked for Greuel’s run for Controller and Trunanich’s for City Attorney. Shallman had to feel comfortable managing the Essel-Greuel tag team against Krekorian. The sum for his candidate was at least twice that of Paul’s.
Here are a couple of points to consider:
* Both the City Attorney and Controller races were city wide affairs. The mass marketing approach of the Shallman model plays off of ignorance and apathy. Those characteristics are more commonplace when dealing with a larger population.
That’s no different than life insurance actuarial tables – the larger the base, the more reliable they are.
* There were significant qualitative factors as well. Nick Patsaouras did not enter the Controller’s race until late in the game, thus he had less time to raise money. It was virtually impossible for him to publicly challenge the gross lies leveled by Greuel.
Jack Weiss was a political cripple who was despised even by his own constituents.
Shallman, was playing with a stacked deck in those races.
What Shallman apparently did not consider in the CD2 campaign was how well informed the district’s voters were. He wasn’t up against a bunch of hicks at a local carnival in a game of three-card Monte.
It is difficult to sell lies to knowledgeable people. I guess Shallman learned marketing from the Nigerian e-mail boiler rooms.
Mr. Shallman is representing Janice Hahn in her bid for Lieutenant Governor. His model should fare better at that level.
Ms. Hahn should be ashamed at employing Shallman in the wake of the scurrilous tactics he used in the CD2 race. Something tells me she is not.
Krekorian defeats Essel in L.A. City Council race
from the LA Times
by Maeve Reston
Assemblyman Paul Krekorian claimed victory tonight in the bitter and expensive race for the Los Angeles City Council seat previously held by City Controller Wendy Greuel.
Krekorian, the former head of the Burbank Board of Education who was elected to the Assembly in 2006, defeated former film executive Christine Essel by a 14% margin with all precincts reporting.
Krekorian’s win was a major rebuke to some of the city’s most powerful unions, which flooded the race with hundreds of thousands of dollars in independent expenditures to support his rival.
At his campaign headquarters Tuesday night, Krekorian said voters had united around, "a common vision about a city government that is marked by integrity and accountability, for starters — a city government that actually works for the people of the San Fernando Valley."
“We’re all going to have to continue to work together and if we do, I think this is a time that all of us will be able to look back to and say that the reform of Los Angeles began tonight,” Krekorian said.
Essel could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
by Maeve Reston
Assemblyman Paul Krekorian claimed victory tonight in the bitter and expensive race for the Los Angeles City Council seat previously held by City Controller Wendy Greuel.
Krekorian, the former head of the Burbank Board of Education who was elected to the Assembly in 2006, defeated former film executive Christine Essel by a 14% margin with all precincts reporting.
Krekorian’s win was a major rebuke to some of the city’s most powerful unions, which flooded the race with hundreds of thousands of dollars in independent expenditures to support his rival.
At his campaign headquarters Tuesday night, Krekorian said voters had united around, "a common vision about a city government that is marked by integrity and accountability, for starters — a city government that actually works for the people of the San Fernando Valley."
“We’re all going to have to continue to work together and if we do, I think this is a time that all of us will be able to look back to and say that the reform of Los Angeles began tonight,” Krekorian said.
Essel could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
PAUL WINS!
Paul Krekorian is our new City Council representative for Council District 2!
All the votes are counted. Paul Krekorian wins in landslide victory 56.5 to 43.4. Congrats to our new Councilman and especially to the team - Jeremy, Karo, Areen and the rest!
All the votes are counted. Paul Krekorian wins in landslide victory 56.5 to 43.4. Congrats to our new Councilman and especially to the team - Jeremy, Karo, Areen and the rest!
Live from Paul's HQ
Absentee votes have Paul significantly ahead. Here is a live stream from Paul's HQ.
Live Broadcasting by Ustream
Live Broadcasting by Ustream
Election Night Results
Go HERE.
Best of luck to everyone! This has been a campaign like no other.
We will see you on the other side.
Best of luck to everyone! This has been a campaign like no other.
We will see you on the other side.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wiesenthal Center Weighs In On CD2 Negative Mailers
from Village to Village
by Suzanne Lauer
With one day left to the CD2 election, those negative mailers from last week are continuing to haunt the CD2 candidates. On KPCC’s “AIRTALK” this morning, CD2 Candidate, Christine Essel was taken to task by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Associate Dean of the world’s leading Jewish human rights organization, demanded an apology from Essel.
As previously reported, last week the Essel campaign sent out a campaign flyer utilizing images of the Holocaust, and accusing her opponent, Paul Krekorian of sexism and anti-semitism. The images includes the word “Intolerance” over a picture of City Hall covered in barbed wire, as well as what many are referring to as “skinhead imagery.”
Rabbi Cooper said, “The flyer was disgusting and inappropriate.” He strongly added, “She should apologize.”
Essel responded on air response to the Rabbi, “There are different views on that subject from different sides of the Jewish community.”
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
by Suzanne Lauer
With one day left to the CD2 election, those negative mailers from last week are continuing to haunt the CD2 candidates. On KPCC’s “AIRTALK” this morning, CD2 Candidate, Christine Essel was taken to task by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Associate Dean of the world’s leading Jewish human rights organization, demanded an apology from Essel.
As previously reported, last week the Essel campaign sent out a campaign flyer utilizing images of the Holocaust, and accusing her opponent, Paul Krekorian of sexism and anti-semitism. The images includes the word “Intolerance” over a picture of City Hall covered in barbed wire, as well as what many are referring to as “skinhead imagery.”
Rabbi Cooper said, “The flyer was disgusting and inappropriate.” He strongly added, “She should apologize.”
Essel responded on air response to the Rabbi, “There are different views on that subject from different sides of the Jewish community.”
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
Outside groups shatter spending record in L.A. City Council race
from the LA Times
by Maeve Reston
Unions and other groups inject nearly $1 million into the San Fernando Valley contest for the seat once held by Wendy Greuel. More than 90% of that amount is aimed at helping Christine Essel.
As the Los Angeles City Council race between Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and former film executive Christine Essel drew to a close, outside groups shattered the record for independent spending in a non-citywide election since ethics officials began tracking those figures two decades ago.
By Sunday evening, independent groups, including some of the city's most powerful unions, had poured nearly $1 million into the contest for the San Fernando Valley seat formerly held by Wendy Greuel. More than 90% of that money has been devoted to boosting Essel's bid. Heading into Tuesday's runoff, Essel's campaign outspent Krekorian by nearly two to one.
So-called independent expenditure committees are not subject to the same city contribution limits as individual candidates, but they cannot coordinate with the candidates they support.
Faced with a constant stream of mailings and commercials on Essel's behalf by the political committees of the Police Protective League ($403,733) and unions representing the construction trade and electric workers, Krekorian has tried to turn Essel's financial advantage into a vulnerability in the final weeks.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
by Maeve Reston
Unions and other groups inject nearly $1 million into the San Fernando Valley contest for the seat once held by Wendy Greuel. More than 90% of that amount is aimed at helping Christine Essel.
As the Los Angeles City Council race between Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and former film executive Christine Essel drew to a close, outside groups shattered the record for independent spending in a non-citywide election since ethics officials began tracking those figures two decades ago.
By Sunday evening, independent groups, including some of the city's most powerful unions, had poured nearly $1 million into the contest for the San Fernando Valley seat formerly held by Wendy Greuel. More than 90% of that money has been devoted to boosting Essel's bid. Heading into Tuesday's runoff, Essel's campaign outspent Krekorian by nearly two to one.
So-called independent expenditure committees are not subject to the same city contribution limits as individual candidates, but they cannot coordinate with the candidates they support.
Faced with a constant stream of mailings and commercials on Essel's behalf by the political committees of the Police Protective League ($403,733) and unions representing the construction trade and electric workers, Krekorian has tried to turn Essel's financial advantage into a vulnerability in the final weeks.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
L.A. council candidate Paul Krekorian assails 2 mailers by Christine Essel
from the LA Times
by Maeve Reston
Prominent supporters of Los Angeles City Council candidate and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian denounced two mailers sent last week by the campaign of his opponent, former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive Christine Essel, that accuse Krekorian of sexism and anti-Semitism, based in part on comments on a blog.
Tuesday's runoff race for former City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel's seat in the San Fernando Valley has grown increasingly caustic in the final weeks, but Krekorian condemned one of Essel's new mailers as "the most disgusting and grotesque political communication" he had ever seen.
In the first mailing, Essel's campaign said a previous Krekorian campaign mail piece had portrayed her "hog-tied with arms and hands held back by heavy rope." Krekorian's spokesman said the mailer, which depicted a smiling Essel with ropes lifting an ankle and her wrists as she stood on a DWP bill, was intended to portray the candidate as a puppet controlled by the union that represents Department of Water and Power employees. That union has independently spent more than $244,000 to boost her campaign bid.
Essel's campaign consultant, John Shallman, said Krekorian should apologize for the portrayal.
The mail from Essel's campaign also charged that Krekorian and his supporters "have unleashed a shocking barrage of nasty, sexist and anti-Semitic personal attacks" on a website. Shallman provided a list of comments that the campaign had collected from readers of Mayor Sam's Sister City blog as examples.
Krekorian's campaign stressed that it has no relationship to the independent blog, created in 2004 by Valley resident Michael Higby. In a telephone interview, Higby said he supports Krekorian but has no official role in the campaign. He and two other writers on the blog have authority to approve reader comments, he said.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
by Maeve Reston
Prominent supporters of Los Angeles City Council candidate and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian denounced two mailers sent last week by the campaign of his opponent, former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive Christine Essel, that accuse Krekorian of sexism and anti-Semitism, based in part on comments on a blog.
Tuesday's runoff race for former City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel's seat in the San Fernando Valley has grown increasingly caustic in the final weeks, but Krekorian condemned one of Essel's new mailers as "the most disgusting and grotesque political communication" he had ever seen.
In the first mailing, Essel's campaign said a previous Krekorian campaign mail piece had portrayed her "hog-tied with arms and hands held back by heavy rope." Krekorian's spokesman said the mailer, which depicted a smiling Essel with ropes lifting an ankle and her wrists as she stood on a DWP bill, was intended to portray the candidate as a puppet controlled by the union that represents Department of Water and Power employees. That union has independently spent more than $244,000 to boost her campaign bid.
Essel's campaign consultant, John Shallman, said Krekorian should apologize for the portrayal.
The mail from Essel's campaign also charged that Krekorian and his supporters "have unleashed a shocking barrage of nasty, sexist and anti-Semitic personal attacks" on a website. Shallman provided a list of comments that the campaign had collected from readers of Mayor Sam's Sister City blog as examples.
Krekorian's campaign stressed that it has no relationship to the independent blog, created in 2004 by Valley resident Michael Higby. In a telephone interview, Higby said he supports Krekorian but has no official role in the campaign. He and two other writers on the blog have authority to approve reader comments, he said.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
Valley voters decide City Council seat Tuesday
from The Daily News
by Rick Orlov
On the surface, there are few differences between businesswoman Christine Essel and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, who face off Tuesday in the special election for the 2nd City Council District seat.
Both agree on the need to boost business development, deal with runaway film production and pay more attention to neighborhood needs in a district that stretches from Studio City to Sun Valley.
"This election is about an opportunity to restructure government, to put together reforms to make the city more efficient," Essel said at a recent debate.
Krekorian has tried to tap into voter anger.
"Much of what's going on in this city is not working anymore," Krekorian said. "I think I can bring about the change that is needed."
The disagreements have been more over style and resumes than policy. Essel paints Krekorian as a career politician seeking to remain in elected office while Krekorian portrays Essel as the candidate of the downtown power structure.
The election will decide who completes the 18 months left on the term of Wendy Greuel, who was elected controller earlier this year. It has been the second most expensive City Council race in history, with more than $1.3 million raised and spent, according to the most recent Ethics Commission reports.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
by Rick Orlov
On the surface, there are few differences between businesswoman Christine Essel and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, who face off Tuesday in the special election for the 2nd City Council District seat.
Both agree on the need to boost business development, deal with runaway film production and pay more attention to neighborhood needs in a district that stretches from Studio City to Sun Valley.
"This election is about an opportunity to restructure government, to put together reforms to make the city more efficient," Essel said at a recent debate.
Krekorian has tried to tap into voter anger.
"Much of what's going on in this city is not working anymore," Krekorian said. "I think I can bring about the change that is needed."
The disagreements have been more over style and resumes than policy. Essel paints Krekorian as a career politician seeking to remain in elected office while Krekorian portrays Essel as the candidate of the downtown power structure.
The election will decide who completes the 18 months left on the term of Wendy Greuel, who was elected controller earlier this year. It has been the second most expensive City Council race in history, with more than $1.3 million raised and spent, according to the most recent Ethics Commission reports.
To read the rest of this story, go HERE.
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