2 City Hall insiders vie for District 7
L.A.’s May 16 runoff is a referendum on who can bring muscle to Valley voters wanting their voices heard.
Los Angeles City Councilman Felipe Fuentes’ abrupt resignation last year left his northeast San Fernando Valley district without elected representation.
For some residents, Fuentes’ departure was the latest slight by City Hall.
In Pacoima, locals say illegal dumping is rampant, and the city has failed to control it. In Sunland, ranchers want political leaders to join them in fighting the planned bullet train.
And in Sylmar, 20-somethings question why city leaders haven’t helped bring in new restaurants and bars — the type of nightlife options that have opened in North Hollywood and Studio City.
Against a backdrop of voter discontent looms the May 16 election, when District 7 voters will choose between two longtime City Hall insiders: Monica Rodriguez and Karo Torossian.
The election is a referendum on who can bring “political muscle” to the district and give residents a voice at City Hall, said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.
“Residents feel ignored, and it’s hard to argue that they don’t have a case,” Sonenshein said. “These are people who really don’t feel represented.”
Rodriguez, 43, and Torossian, 33, advanced to the runoff after the March primary, which drew 20 candidates.
Both have advantages as they campaign in the final days of the race.
The majority of the primary candidates are backing Torossian, while Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed Rodriguez and is raising funds for her.
His longtime political advisor Rick Jacobs and his chief of staff, Ana Guerrero, are also raising funds for
Rodriguez, Garcetti spokesman Yusef Robb confirmed.
An outside group led by Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents bus drivers, child-care aides and other workers, has raised more than $500,000 to help Rodriguez and Los Angeles Board of Education candidate Imelda Padilla in the runoff.
Unions are also aiding Torossian, having raised about $90,000 through an outside group.
Save Angeles Forest for Everyone, a 45-member group of community members in neighborhoods including Shadow Hills, is backing Torossian.
With the high-speed rail route near Los Angeles still being debated, the Angeles Forest group has expressed concern about the displacement of business and homes if the train goes through the San Fernando Valley.
Group member David DePinto cited Torossian’s work at City Hall on fighting a planned above-ground train route.
“He’s been immersed in this issue,” DePinto said. “We liked his mastery of land use and the environment.”
Jose Sandoval, president of the Latino Democrats of the San Fernando Valley, said voters should back Rodriguez because she grew up in the district and is endorsed by Garcetti.
Torossian moved into the area last year from a neighboring San Fernando Valley district.
“The benefit for us is to have a connection to City Hall,” Sandoval said of Rodriguez’s experience as a Board of Public Works commissioner. “She can pick up the phone and make something happen.”
Hansen Hills resident Connie Saunders, who ran in the primary, believes the race will be decided by the candidates’ positions on homelessness, crime and high-speed rail.
She described a feeling of dismay in the district after Fuentes’ decision to step down to take a lobbying job.
“Voters feel left down,” said Saunders, who doesn’t plan to vote for either candidate. “Residents want someone who will listen.”