Results tagged “campaign”

Despite his aggressive campaign full of neighborhood town halls across the state, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced this afternoon that he has dropped out of the race for California Governor. He was the only major name running for the position but his fundraising and poll numbers lagged behind Attorney General Jerry Brown, who has yet to officially announce a run for Governor. Gavin's statement is below:

A Field Poll released this morning has Attorney General Jerry Brown comfortably leading San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom by 20-points in the race for governor. Results indicate Brown at 47 percent with Newson at 27 percent. Meanwhile, the three Republican candidates have less succinct results. "About half of GOP primary voters (49%) are undecided. Among those offering a preference former eBay head Meg Whitman receives 22% of the vote, former Congressman Tom Campbell 20% and State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner 9%," explained the poll.

As announced earlier, Gavin Newsom's gubernatorial campaign has been endorsed by former President Bill Clinton, who will be at the San Francisco Mayor's side today at two events in Los Angeles.

You would think it was at least 2010 yet. No, it's still 2009. You would think that Attorney General Jerry Brown has at least announced he is running for governor. And no, he filed paperwork Tuesday to form an exploratory committee. Yet still, Jerry Brown yesterday received endorsement from some powerful Hollywood folk, according to Variety.

One day after submitting paperwork to explore a run for Governor, Attorney General Jerry Brown has been challenged by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to debate in all 11 media markets in California. “Our state is in need of real reform—we have a broken system that must be fixed,” said Newsom in a statement. “And now that there are two candidates for governor, we owe the Democratic voters of California an opportunity to compare our visions and platforms side-by-side.”

A poll released the day before Attorney General Jerry Brown announced possible gubernatorial aspirations said he would likely win if pitted against the three current Republican candidates.

>It has been all but official until now. Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown filed papers for the "Brown for Governor 2010 Exploratory Committee." The move allows him fundraise more aggressively as he decides whether or not to run for the state's top position. The 71-year-old Brown, who already has raised more campaign money than Democratic opponent, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, may not decide to run until next year.

More details about former President Clinton's visit to Los Angeles in support of San Francisco Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom. The pair will visit Los Angeles City College on Monday, October 5th before heading off to a fundraiser for Newsom's campaign.

A mini-controversy is already surrounding Republican candidate for California Governor Meg Whitman. The former eBay CEO's first record of voter registration was found in 2002, when she was 46 years old. Whitman has admitted and apologized for the bad example that is her non-voting record, but says she had voted in some elections prior to 2002. However, a Sacramento Bee search of public records could not confirm that.

With former Governor Pete Wilson as her campaign chairman, former eBay executive and Reublican Meg Whitman formally announced her run for Governor yesterday in Orange County, already gain criticism from an annoyed Governor Schwarzenegger.

Yesterday was election day for those in Los Angeles' second district, spanning a slice of the Valley from Sherman Oaks to the Northeast Valley. Ten candidates put in a bid, but only two came out strong enough to turn the race into a runoff, which will take place on December 8th. Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and Businesswoman and City Commissioner Chris Essel dominated the results, something that was not too surprising, one bit. Here are the full results:

It's always been known that L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn has had larger aspirations, most recently thought to be a candidate for congress. But yesterday, it was reported that she's exploring the idea of running for Lt. Governor and if she wins, she'd be the first women in that role for California. "I'm going to look at it until the end of the year and see what kind of responses I get and see whether it makes sense for me to serve in this capacity," said Hahn to the Daily Breeze. It's no surprise she would be looking into something soon, she definitely has been sending an increasing amount of press releases and statements to the media this summer. Hahn, sister to former Mayor James Hahn and daughter of former LA County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, won her third and final reelection this past March. Her term ends in 2013, but if she runs and wins a bid for Lt. Governor, she would leave Los Angeles early.

Attorney General Jerry Brown may officially not be running for Governor yet, but he's raised a lot more money than San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who aggressively has been holding town hall meetings across the state. Today Newsom'e campaign announced that Former President Bill Clinton will join him at two events in Los Angeles, one of which that will be a fundraiser. A look at the first half of 2009's filings with the Secretary of State show that Newsom has about $1.2 million to work with while Brown has about $7.3 million for his campaign, currently for another run at Attorney General. However, if Brown decides to run for Governor, that money goes with him. Newsom is the only major Democratic candidate so far in the 2010 gubernatorial race.

Although California Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown hasn't officially declared his gubernatorial intentions, he's winning against candidate and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, according to two polls reported by the San Francisco Chronicle: "On the statewide level, a poll taken last week of 600 likely Democratic voters by the Sacramento firm Moore Methods showed Brown in the lead for the 2010 primary, 49 percent to 20 percent. A second poll by David Binder of 423 likely Democratic voters in San Francisco - where Newsom has enjoyed years of record-high approval ratings - has him trailing even at home." Newsom has been working especially hard holding a good number of town halls across the state. No matter, this looks like it could be a good primary if Brown enters the race, which seems likely.

After spending the weekend in Chicago at an Obama event, San Francisco Mayor and Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom is back in the Los Angeles area for like the billionth time today and tomorrow for his "Conversations About California's Future" tour. He'll discuss the economy, health care, education and will hold a question and answer period with the audience. Tonight he'll be in Long Beach and in Santa Ana tomorrow followed by Riverside next week Thursday. All three events are open to the public. Newsom is the only frontrunner Democratic candidate running for Governor. L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa decided not to run and former Governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown's campaign website is intended for his re-election to his current post, not governor.

The grassroots, but powerful San Fernando Valley Democratic Club yesterday endorsed Assemblyman Paul Krekorian for the 2nd District Council Seat in Los Angeles, according to wire reports. Krekorian is considered one of the front runners in the race along with Studio Exec Chris Essel and city prosecutor and LAUSD boardmember Tamar Galatzan--he currently represents portions of the Valley and over-the-hill neighborhoods like Los Feliz and Silver Lake. The endorsement gives the Democrat an edge on Essel, who has raised the most money and has been endorsed by former Mayor Richard Riordan. No matter, "money is not going to be a factor in this council race," says his campaign manager. "This campaign is going to be won on the ground, talking to voters directly." The primary for the district, which runs from Sherman Oaks to the Northeast Valley, will be held on September 22nd.

San Francisco Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom is once again back in Los Angeles on the campaign trail. Today he sits down with Los Angeles' business community at the L.A. Chamber of Commerce as part of their California Candidates Series. Newsom will discuss public and private-sector jobs and how they could revitalize the economy to the group who could offer a powerful endorsement later in the race. According to his campaign, Newsom "was a business-owner who created more than 1,000 jobs before entering public service." Newsom has been traveling around the state presenting a program called "Conversations About California's Future," which hit San Bernardino yesterday and will soon arrive in Long Beach, Orange County, and Riverside.

The campaign for Chris Essel for Council District 2 has been gearing up for a big announcement this morning, but the LA Times scooped away what the press conference was supposed to announce later this morning. “In both the private and public sectors, Christine Essel has proven that she has the skills and the commitment to get the job done,” Riordan will say, according to a statement obtained by the Times. Essel has served Los Angeles as a mayoral appointee on several difference occasions. She was on the board of the Community Redevelopment Agency during the Bradley and Riordan administrations and on the Board of Airport Commissioners under Villaraigosa as well as the California Film Commission and the California Workforce Investment Board.

State Assemblyman Paul Krekorian will be soon be voting on the proposed budget solution, which severely impacts local governments including Los Angeles. If it passes, Los Angeles could lose millions and has leaders like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Council President Eric Garcetti worried. Krekorian also happens to be one of the frontrunners in the race for Los Angeles Council District 2. That's quite a pickle of a situation and when pressed about it, his office declined to comment. Will he vote along Democratic party lines to approve the budget, which could hurt Los Angeles yet immediately help the state, or will he make a statement as someone who really wants to represent Los Angeles on the City Council? No matter what he does, it's not a black or white situation--it's not like the Democrats have many choices with Schwarzenegger, who basically is unwilling to compromise with many workable ideas. Still, politics are politics: if he votes for the budget, expect that to be a major issue his opponents will use against him in future debates.

When Wendy Greuel became City Controller, her seat in the popular 2nd District of Los Angeles opened, leaving over 10 candidates vying for the spot. Before any debates have occurred, community organizers are bringing together the community this Saturday to "lay down a community based platform that will drive the issues that frame the upcoming election for the open CD2 City Council seat," according to an e-mail blast. "The CD2 Town Hall is designed to put the needs and desires of the community first, to frame the campaign with a real focus on the issues that matter, and to position the candidates so that the debates and forums start with a real foundation of vision and commitment to improving the quality of life in CD2." Greg Nelson, retired General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, will open the town hall. There is also a blog dedicated to the council district race. Info for Saturday's town hall is below:

All things gubernatorial seem to be Gavin, Gavin, Gavin these days. At least for the Democrats. Where's Jerry Brown? Will there even be a primary? Gavin has been to the Los Angeles area on a regular basis hosting town hall style meetings and today he's back, this time in South LA. Tonight's event is open to the public and is a "Conversation About California’s Future."

It's pretty much been known for months, but today Assemblymember Paul Krekorian announced his campaign for Los Angeles Council District 2, which crosses the Valley from Sherman Oaks to North Hollywood to a handful of Northeast Valley neighborhoods like Shadow Hills and Tujunga. Currently, Krekorian represents the 43rd Assembly District, which covers Burbank, Glendale and portions of LA including Valley Village, Valley Glen, Toluca Lake, Atwater Village, Silver Lake and Los Feliz.

Now that Wendy Greuel has officially vacated her seat as the 2nd District Councilmemember for her City Controller post, we're going to begin to hear more about those who are officially running. Councilman Jack Weiss' popular Valley field deputy Joan Pelico was rumored to be taking a stab at running, but it seems not any more. She's been re-hired by Weies' successor Paul Koretz at the satisfaction of a handful of neighborhood groups who urged him not to replace her. Following in the footsteps of Greuel's film industry to politics move, Chris Essel of Paramount has announced her campaign. Additionally, a local medical marijuana dispensary owner, Frank Sheftel, announced his intentions to run at various community meetings. While there's been no official announcement, Assemblymember Paul Krekorian is "still strongly considering stepping into the CD2 race," a spokesman told us. No official word yet from City Attorney and LAUSD School Board Member Tamar Galatzan or Director of Street Services Bill Robertson.

Margaret Prescod, a KPFK radio host and founder of the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders, announced a new campaign last week to inform the community about the notorious Grim Sleeper, who has alluded police for over 20 years, killing at least 11 since 1985 and most recently in 2007. The Stop the Serial Murders Community Information Campaign will flyer the community with information about the murders in hopes that someone knows something or at least connects the dots and contacts police. "People don't know much about the murders," Prescod told the LA Weekly. "These murders have not been a priority of [Police Chief William] Bratton, the mayor and most of the media." Making it harder to spread the word, this campaign was announced as Michael Jackson's death took the world by storm. Christine Pelisek, who broke the serial killer's story, faithfully attended the press conference.

Shortly after LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that he will not run for Governor, candidate Gavin Newsom released a statement. Looking for an endorsement? Probably. Doing what any good candidate should do? Yes. "I look forward to continuing to work with him, sharing our experiences as mayors, and collaborating on innovative solutions that will take California in a new direction... As Mayor Villaraigosa has said so eloquently recently, state government needs to change and I believe we can work together to make that a reality." The full statement is below:

California Governor-hopeful and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is part of a trailblazing trend: Politicians and social media. Along with current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Golden State politicos are part of what is re-shaping the face of campaigns, according to an Associated Press report:

Online social networks are rapidly making traditional political advertisements obsolete, said veteran political strategist Joe Trippi, who used Internet fundraising to propel Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign. The social networks are giving elected leaders like [Newark, NJ Mayor Cory] Booker and Newsom a new way to satiate the public’s hunger for transparency. “These are the first politicians to build considerable followings on Twitter, and they’re doing it by taking the filter out and showing people who they really are,” Trippi said of Booker and Newsom. “Twitter and these other social networks and new media demand authenticity. This is the future.”

Young politicians have an awful lot of social networking and "new media" at their disposal to make reaching out to their potential constituents a lot faster and easier. Like many people in their 20s, Emanuel Pleitez, who recently challenged veteran politico Gil Cedillo for the 32nd Congressional District seat vacated by US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, made use of his personal Facebook profile to share news items and images with his "friends."

Other than Prop 1F, all the budget ballot props have failed, according to the Sacramento Bee: "With about a quarter of the state's precincts in as of 9:30 p.m., the Secretary of State's Office reported none of Propositions 1A through 1E were garnering more than 41 percent of the vote. Only Proposition F, which would freeze the salaries of state elected officials in bad budget years, was winning - and it was winning big." Contests for LA City Attorney and the 5th District are still up for grabs. As of 10:30 p.m., Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich is up 3 points over Jack Weiss for City Attorney with 22% of the precincts reporting. In the 5th District, Paul Koretz leads David Vahedi by 5 points. Only 10% of the precincts reporting in that race.

Los Angeles is in heavy need for watchdog websites like this. Now, thanks to MapLight Los Angeles, you can easily search campaign contributions to Los Angeles city politicians by date, industry and more. The information has always been available via the City Ethics Commission website, but MapLight parses out the data to be more easy-to-use and accessible. For example, City Attorney candidate has taken $8,500 from the Outdoor advertising services industry--you know, billboards and supergraphics--while Carmen Trutanich has taken $1,500. “Special interests would not be spending millions to fund politicians' election campaigns unless they wanted something in return,” said Daniel Newman, MAPLight.org’s executive director, in a media release. “MAPLight.org Los Angeles shines a much-needed light on the river of money that flows through the second largest city’s government so citizens can make informed decisions at the polls, and hold elected officials accountable when in office.”

It's frowned upon for police chiefs to endorse candidates during campaigns. But so far, Chief William Bratton has endorsed candidates appearing on next Tuesday's ballot, including City Attorney hopeful Jack Weiss. “If Weiss gets in, he is going to owe Bratton,” warned former Chief Daryl Gates in an LA Weekly story by Daniel Heimpel today. That would be a "real problem since one of the city attorney’s purported jobs is to rout out corrupt cops, including police brass," the Weekly notes.