Armed and Ready: Controller Wendy Greuel and State Senator Curren Price are both armed with substantial backing of Black voters as they head into the May 21 run off for mayor and Ninth Council District respectively
Blacks to decide fate of Greuel, Price and Zine
Regardless of whether the majority of Los Angeles’ 3.8 million residents turn out in numbers big or small, experts have forecasted that Blacks will be the determining vote in the election of the next mayor of Los Angeles.
Although African Americans make up just 9.3 percent of the population, it is their vote that is the most coveted among candidates Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti, and could swing the tide in favor of Curren Price for Ninth District City Council and Dennis Zine for Controller.
With City Councilwoman Jan Perry out of the mayor’s race, the 56 percent of the Black vote that she garnered in the primary is now up for grabs.
If voters turn out in low numbers as anticipated, then Blacks will become even more convincing in the outcome.
That element alone will make for a nail biting, gut twisting experience for the final candidates who enter into the final days in a virtual dead heat, but Greuel has maintained a substantial lead among polls in the Black community.
Several African American leaders including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, sports icon Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, Charles E. Blake, Church of God in Christ,? Sweet Alice Harris, Founder, Parents of Watts, Bishop Noel Jones, City of Refuge,? John W. Mack, Former President Los Angeles Urban League ,Rev. Dr. Cecil “Chip” Murray, First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME), Los South Los Angeles Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, Faithful Central Bible Church,? the Sentinel newspaper, an abundance of other community leaders, civil rights organizations, women groups and unions.
For Blacks this election will undoubtedly be the most significant election since 2008 when Barack Obama became the first African American to win the White House.
We only need to look back as far as 2005 when incumbent Mayor Jim Hahn lost Black voters by dismissing then LAPD Chief Bernard Parks who is Black. Hahn never recovered as Antonio Villaraigosa defeated him and was subsequently reelected again.
The power of the Black vote will again play a key role in determining who runs the city and in other races such as the Ninth District City Council and the City Controller race.
WENDY GREUEL
Greuel can become the first woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles. She has earned the powerful endorsements of former President Bill Clinton respected Congresswoman Maxine Waters and basketball icon Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson.
Office of Mayor Tom Bradley
Upon graduation, Greuel worked in Mayor Bradley’s office for ten years, serving as Bradley’s liaison to the City Council, City Departments and the Community on public policy issues ranging from child care to homelessness to senior care and health issues.
Clinton Administration
From 1993 to 1997, Greuel worked in the administration of President Bill Clinton. She served with Cabinet Secretary Henry Cisneros as the field operations officer for southern California for the secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) where she became involved in projects offering opportunities for home ownership, job creation, economic development, and social services. During her tenure, she managed HUD’s response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Bradley Family Supports
Wendy Greuel for Mayor
“When I see Wendy, I see a strong person,” said Lorraine Bradley, retired school teacher and daughter of the late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.
Lorraine Bradley recently announced her endorsement of Controller Wendy Greuel as the city’s next mayor, pointing to her “great leadership qualities” as one of the reasons.
“She learned from the best how to be a leader and what that entails,” she said.
As a young woman, Greuel had been a beneficiary to Tom Bradley’s brand of humanitarianism and basically grew up, said Lorraine, in her dad’s office.
She served on Los Angeles’ City Council from 2003 to 2009, taking the job of controller in July that same year.
Maxine Waters Adds Woman Power for Greuel
“Wendy Greuel is a woman of honesty and integrity, someone with the leadership, experience and toughness to get Los Angeles back on track,” Waters said. “I have fought my whole career to empower Angelinos, and that’s exactly what Wendy will do as mayor. She’ll fight to grow our middle class and bring good jobs and opportunity to every part of the city, with special attention to the areas with the greatest needs. And she could make history by becoming Los Angeles’ first woman mayor. I’m proud to be a co-chair on her campaign, and I am excited to join Wendy’s efforts to reach out to voters across the city.”
The congresswoman joins prominent leaders including President Bill Clinton, Leader Nancy Pelosi, Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, West Angeles Church of God in Christ Bishop Charles E. Blake, basketball legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, The Rev. Cecil ‘Chip’ Murray and Sentinel Publisher Danny J. Bakewell Sr. in endorsing Greuel.
In addition to Greuel’s long tenure of being an advocate of the Black community, Rep. Waters is equally encouraged to support a woman of stellar credentials for the city’s high office.
CURREN PRICE
After six years in the Legislature, Senator Price has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, principled, and effective leader. He pledges to bring that reputation to the city of Los Angeles if elected as 9th District councilman. He is a strong advocate for investing in public schools, empowering parents and challenging all students to meet higher academic standards.
As a leading champion for working families, Senator Price has fought to protect the rights of California workers. He has led efforts to support homecare workers, hotel workers, security guards, probation officers and other workers vital to California’s economy, in order to organize for better wages and benefits.
Senator Price has worked to expand the quality and affordability of health care for all Californians and has authored legislation that would allow parents to add dependent children up to age 26 to their employer-based health plans. He has also authored legislation that was signed into law requiring hospitals to provide public notification prior to closing its doors or eliminating vital health services.
As a strong and consistent advocate for small businesses, Senator Price has continued to be among California’s most influential voices advocating for new opportunities (domestic and international) for small business enterprises. He believes in policies that spark economic growth, encourage innovation, open the doors for diversity in public contracting and creates jobs. He authored legislation that would increase opportunities for small businesses to compete for state contracts and would offer incentives for creating new jobs.
Curren Price was elected to the California Legislature in 2006 to represent the 51st Assembly District and was re-elected by an overwhelming margin to a second term in 2008. In May 2009, he won a special election, and in November 2010 in the general election he won with 83% of the vote in the 26th Senate District. This District includes Culver City and portions of Los Angeles including, Beverlywood, Larchmont, Hollywood, Little Ethiopia, Ladera Heights, Crenshaw, Leimert Park, Vermont Hills and parts of the 9th Council District.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Senator Price attended Morningside High School in Inglewood and earned a scholarship to Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He studied law at Santa Clara University and graduated in 1976 with a Juris Doctor degree.
After law school, Price worked for an export management firm, which sold industrial products to clients in the Far East and Middle East. He later relocated to Washington D.C. and had responsible positions in the satellite communications industry. As an advocate for minority enterprise, he was a frequent speaker at conferences sponsored by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Senator Price returned to California in 1999, serving as a deputy to two members of the Los Angeles City Council. He later served as the Southern California Coordinator for a statewide association that provided training to assist community-based organizations develop commercial real estate projects. Senator Price has lifetime teaching credentials the California Community Colleges and Adult Education.
Prior to serving in the California Legislature, Senator Price was a business owner and a ten-year member of the Inglewood City Council, He was also an advisor with the Small Business Development Center of the SBA consulting on domestic and international transactions. Throughout his tenure as an elected official, Senator Price has been awarded numerous honors in recognition of his legislation and advocacy on behalf of students, working families, small businesses and the arts. He has been honored by numerous organizations for his advocacy for international relations and most recently received the 2012 Peace Award from the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution at California State University, Sacramento
Senator Price resides in the 9th District with wife Delbra.
DENNIS ZINE
Dennis P. Zine was born and raised in Los Angeles and has dedicated his entire professional career to serving the residents of this city. Dennis spent 33 years on the front lines of the Los Angeles Police Department before being elected in 2001 to represent Los Angeles’ 3rd Council District which includes the communities of Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Winnetka and Woodland Hills.
A registered independent, Zine was reelected in 2009 with over 70% of the vote and was selected to serve as the Assistant President Pro Tempore of the Council. During the past 11 years of service on the Los Angeles City Council, he has also served as an LAPD reserve officer in the Fugitive Warrant Detail where he continues to assist in the apprehension of felony suspects.
Zine currently serves as Chairman of the Los Angeles City Council’s Audits & Governmental Efficiency Committee where he is committed to eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in city government.
Zine was first elected to public office in 1997 to represent Valley interests on the Charter Reform Commission where he served as vice chairman. After his election to the City Council, he expanded his government service role as the president of the Independent Cities Association (ICA), as a member of the League of California Cities Board of Directors, and as the City’s representative with the National League of Cities serving as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Chair of the National Immigration Task Force. Councilman Zine currently serves on the Executive Committee of the US Army Community Advisory Board and the Southern California Association of Governments. Since taking office, Councilman Zine has contributed over $300,000 to non-profit and Los Angeles City based organizations. In 2011 and 2012 Councilman Dennis Zine was selected as the readers’ choice “Best Elected Official.”
Charisse Bremond-Weaver, president and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade, and the Rev. Reginald Pope of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church are the latest major African-American leaders to endorse Dennis Zine’s election for City Controller.
“Dennis Zine has been a great friend of this community and I am extremely proud to endorse his election,” said Ms. Bremond-Weaver, who has been a leading advocate for community empowerment, job training and youth development programs in South L.A. for a quarter century.
“Dennis Zine is my choice for City Controller,” said The Rev. Pope. “We can trust Dennis to make sure our community gets its fair share of services.” Pope is the iconic pastor of the Bethel Missionary congregation for 37 years. The church opened in Watts in 1965, and it has been a pillar of that community ever since.
The pair joins a long and distinguished list of African-American leaders who endorse Zine, now a city councilman.
