The initial filing period ended Saturday for the March 3 Los Angeles city election, and as expected, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa did not draw any high-profile opponents. Five more would-be mayoral candidates filed November 8 — including Michael Arthur Hirt, who listed his occupation as "exorcist of presidents"–bringing the total number of possible challengers to 21. The best known are attorney Walter Moore, who finished sixth in the 2005 mayoral race with 11,409 votes, or 2.77 percent, and blogger and gadfly David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg.
Much of the suspense went out of the race Friday, when developer Rick Caruso announced he would not be a candidate, saying "the obligation of serving as mayor would put a burden on my family that is too much at this point in their lives."
Experts said Caruso's wealth would have enabled him to conduct a credible campaign. Although Villaraigosa has said he loves his job and has filed to run for a second term, he has also been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate. His inclusion on an economic advisory panel for newly elected President Barack Obama that met last week in Chicago has also raised speculation that he might be offered a job in the Obama administration.
Other mayoral candidates who filed by the deadline include: Carlos Alvarez, legal assistant; Martin Luther King Aubrey, structure painter; Bruce Darian, general contractor/whistleblower; Jim Milkov Dimov, energy solutions inventor; Deborah J. Foulks, civic community advocate; James Harris, union meat packer; David R. Hernandez, civic community leader; Katrina Lynette Hill, real estate agent; Phil Jennerjahn, entertainer; Mike J. Manley, public policy advisor; Macklin Miller Moore III, producer/image consultant; Roger Rodd, comedian/actor/writer; Craig X. Rubin, pastor; Ignacio Saavedra, legal activist; Jeff Smart, actor; Marc Strassman, reporter; Stevan Torres, U.S. political scientist; and Gordon Turner, deputy city attorney. The next step in becoming a candidate is obtaining a sufficient number of signatures from registered voters. The deadline to file signatures is Dec. 3.
Here is a list of prospective candidates who have filed declarations of intent for other Los Angeles races:
— City Controller: Councilwoman Wendy Greuel filed to run for city controller, joining Nick Patsaouras, who recently resigned as president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners; business owner Kathleen "Suzy" Evans; and Sherree Saperstein, a neighborhood council treasurer, who filed earlier. Incumbent Laura Chick is barred from seeking re-election because of term limits.
— City Attorney: City Councilman Jack Weiss, environmental attorney Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich, Deputy City Attorney Michael Amerian, criminal prosecutor David Berger and attorney Gregory W. Smith and Noel Weiss, attorney/police advocate, are seeking to succeed Rocky Delgadillo, who is barred from seeking re-election because of term limits.
— City Council District 1: Incumbent Ed Reyes; Nathaniel Garcia, director, arts education; Sylvia Luna, Los Angeles County employee; Mathew Mitchell, project manager; William "Rodriguez" Morrison, state precinct chairman; Joshua Adam Olivas, activist/executive recruiter; and Jesse Rosas, businessman/community activist.
— City Council District 3: Incumbent Dennis Zine; Jeff Bornstein, small business owner; Cary T. Iaccino, neighborhood council board member; and Nellie I. Keller, business manager.
— City Council 5th District: Former Assemblyman and West Hollywood Mayor Paul Koretz; Adeena N. Bleich, director non-profit organization; Ron Galperin, neighborhood advocate/attorney; Yuval Daniel Kremer, educator/residential activist; Jasmine Nazarian Maghsoudi, community speaker/student; Robert Schwartz, attorney; Robyn Ritter Simon, community leader/businesswoman; David T. Vahedi, member, neighborhood council; and Ethel Mae Williams, sub contractor. Weiss' decision to run for city attorney leaves his City Council seat open.
— City Council District 7: Incumbent Richard Alarcon; Margie Carranza, retired administrative assistant; Guillermo Huesca, television show host; Richard Perry, financial services advisor.
— City Council District 9: Incumbent Jan Perry; Keith T. Manns, parent.
— City Council District 11: Incumbent Bill Rosendahl; Harry "Craig" Wilson, hydrographer.
— City Council District 13: Incumbent Eric Garcetti; Keith Hardine, youth trainer; Gary Slossberg, public interest attorney.
— City Council District 15: Incumbent Janice Hahn; Chris Salabaj, educator; James P. Weston, graphic designer/manager.
— Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education 2nd District: Incumbent board President Monica Garcia; David Gold, freelancer worker/actor.
— LAUSD 4th District: Seven candidates have filed to run for the seat being vacated by the retiring Marlene Canter. They include parent/community advocate Bill Ring; Benjamin Austin, a director of a parents association; teacher Mike Stryer; teacher/community organizer Steve Zimmer; attorney Geoff Forgione; educator arts advocate Bev Meyer; and psychologist David J. Jimenez.
— LAUSD 6th District: San Fernando City Councilwoman Maribel De La Torre; parent Angelique Zobel-Rodriguez; and Mary Majera, an education advocate, filed for the 6th District school board seat being vacated by the retiring Julie Korenstein. San Fernando Mayor Nury Martinez and teacher educator Louis Pugliese filed earlier.
— Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees Seat No. 2: Incumbent Angela J. Reddock; Manuel "Manny" Aldana Jr., neighborhood council boardmember; Lady Cage-Barile, teacher/activist/businesswoman; Steve Finley, recreation director; Sandra Mero, government employee; Tina Park, teacher/counselor/auditor; Yvette Lizette Silva, pharmacy manager; and Art Sims, businessperson/engineer.
— LACCD Seat No. 4: Incumbent Kelly Candaele; Roy Burns, teacher; David C. Crowley II, college student; Margaret Ibarra, government employee; Sandra Lee Needs, businesswoman/farmer; Charles "Duke" Russell, student sports activist; Florian "Dr. Thompson" Thompson, doctor, dental medicine; and William D. Zuke, disability rights advocate.
— LACCD Seat No. 6: Incumbent Nancy Pearlman; Greg Akili, labor/community organizer; Livi Bakozvich, director, marketing management; Kevin M. Collins, educational consultant; Jozef Thomas Essavi, board member, neighborhood council; Robert Nakahiro, attorney/nonprofit boardmember; Jane Ardigo Scott, retired professor/activist.
— LACCD Seat No. 7: Incumbent Miguel Santiago; Kiro Cerepnalkoski, teacher/union co-chair; Andrew Corona, government employee; Mark I. Lewis, project manager; Jacob Andrew Lohr, college student; Hector Fermin Gurule, businessman; Kurt S. Lowry, school administrator/businessowner; and Samuel "Song" Park, entrepreneur/senior legislator.
All occupational designations are supplied by the candidates.
