California State Assembly member Paul Koretz announced his endorsement of Michael Feuer to replace him as 42nd District Assembly representative. By choosing a Los Angeles resident to succeed him over West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land, Mr. Feuer’s opponent in the June Democratic primary race that will determine the district’s legislator, Mr. Koretz raised many political eyebrows around town. 
Three-term State Assembly member for the 42nd District, West Hollywood resident Paul Koretz. By Ryan Gierach. |
The press release from Mr. Feuer’s campaign said it all; “[t]he endorsement is of particular significance because Koretz previously served on the West Hollywood City Council with Feuer’s opponent in the Assembly race.
“Earlier in the campaign, Feuer won the endorsement of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs despite the fact that West Hollywood is a contract city for the L.A. County Sheriffs Department.”
It quotes Paul Koretz as saying, “I am particularly impressed by Mike Feuer’s intelligence, ethics and integrity. His contributions to the community are outstanding.”
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To WeHoNews.com, he said from his office in Sacramento. “I agonized over making this decision for a year. It was a tough call.” He resisted being compelled to publicly choose between two “good” Democrats in whom he has deep respect until, he said, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, an umbrella group of AFL-CIO unions in LA county, conducted its second round of candidate interviews this week. Mary Gutierrez, the Federation’s communications director, told WeHoNews.com that those interviews had taken place Monday. “The committee has made their recommendation, but they don’t decide. They take their recommendation to the delegates for a vote next Tuesday [Feb. 21].
Mike Feuer, former LA City Council member, battles WeHo Mayor Abbe Land in the 42 District Assembly context. Courtesy mikefeuerforassembly.com. |
Looking to sway some delegate votes toward Mr. Feuer, he announced for Feuer a week before the vote for maximum effect. “The biggest factor in my endorsement is my involvement over the years in labor issues, culminating in my presiding as chair of the State Assembly’s Labor Committee.”
He conceded that the decision was a difficult one to make, but once made he wanted it to have an impact. “I have had an up and down relationship with them both,” Mr. Koretz said. “That made it hard. I didn’t want to endorse, but people were calling me gutless and I began to wonder if they had a point. The Federation of Labor met [Monday], so I decided that if I’m going to make any impact on this race today was the day to announce my choice.”
He explained that part of the down side of his relationship with Mayor Land stemmed from his days on the council when, he said, “We butted heads on labor issues all the time. I battled her in closed session on all labor issues, especially having to do with the city hall union, which I helped to found when I was a staffer.
West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land stands against Mike Feuer in the race for assembly. By Ryan Gierach. |
“For me, that was a factor in becoming Labor Committee chair by forcing me to become even more knowledgeable about Labor issues to battle her effectively.”
He also noted that, while their styles, backgrounds and experiences differed substantially, he cautioned voters away from making judgments based on misperceptions. “LA City Council is the rough equivalent of being in the state assembly and LA council members and LA assembly members interchange seats all the time. But providing leadership in a city on the forefront of so many complex issues is no small task, and Abbe has done that.”
The Feuer campaign could barely contain their glee about their political coup. “These endorsements are big time,” said Feuer’s political consultant Larry Levine in the press release. “We don’t intend to concede the opposition’s home turf in this race and we will have important message carriers for the campaign in that part of the district.
“Paul Koretz has been a City Council member and Mayor of West Hollywood,” he continued, “and has represented the city in the Assembly. He is well respected in the city and we expect his endorsement will prove meaningful to many West Hollywood voters.”
Mayor Land, when asked for her reaction to the news, said, “I’m happy to have the endorsements I have from all of those currently sitting on the city council alongside me, and am honored to have State Senator Sheila Keuhl’s endorsement and all the other endorsements from other West Hollywood residents.
“I’m proud of the endorsements I have and look forward to the endorsements coming, just as I look forward to serving West Hollywood as their next State Assembly member.”
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