City Controller Wendy Greuel endorsed former Paramount Pictures executive Christine Essel as her replacement on the City Council.
At a news conference Thursday morning, Greuel announced she will support Essel in the Sept. 22 special election to fill the 2nd District seat on the 15-member City Council. The seat has been vacant since July 1, when Greuel was sworn in as city controller.
Greuel's announcement comes two days after Essel's main rival, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, was unanimously endorsed by the San Fernando Valley Democratic Party.
Essel has raised at least $118,000 for her campaign while Krekorian has so far managed only $50,000. However, Krekorian's campaign manager, Areen Ibranossian, claims the Democratic Party endorsement is a ``game-changer.''
"It will give us a huge source of volunteers," he said. "Money is not going to be a factor in this council race. This campaign is going to be won on the ground, talking to voters directly."
Essel has also been endorsed by former Mayor Richard Riordan, and by the only women on the City Council, Janice Hahn and Jan Perry.
Krekorian has the support of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Councilman Paul Koretz, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, and Reps. Brad Sherman and Loretta Sanchez.
The other candidates in the race are prosecutor and Los Angeles Unified School District board member Tamar Galatzan; Jozef "Joe" Thomas Essavi, a member of Los Angeles County's Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission; Los Angeles County commissioner ; Neighborhood Council members Michael McCue and Mary Benson; community organizer Pete Sanchez; neighborhood advocate David ``Zuma Dogg'' Saltsburg; candy factory owner Frank Sheftel; and businessman Augusto Bisani.
Los Angeles' 2nd District stretches from Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills to Big Tujunga Road in the Verdugo Hills. It includes the communities of Lake View Terrace, La Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and Van Nuys.
Meanwhile, City Clerk June Lagmay announced today that poll workers are needed for the Sept. 22 election. They must be American citizens, registered voters, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and able to speak, read and write English, or be bilingual.
The city clerk's office is especially seeking poll workers who can speak both English and one of the six-federally-mandated languages used in election materials: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
Poll workers do not have to be residents of the 2nd District to qualify.
For service on election day, they will be paid a one-time stipend: $80 for clerks and $100 for inspectors. They will receive an additional $25 for attending a mandatory two-hour training class.
Those interested in volunteering may call the city clerk's Poll worker Recruitment Section at (866) 899-VOTE (8683) or at 213-978-0363.
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Greuel Backs Former Paramount Exec as Replacement
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