Elections 2009

Heather Foster initially felt unabashed pride, followed by a touch of sheepishness. "We're awesome," then, "Well, we have been better." Foster is the registrar of voters in Sierra County, which showed the rest of California how it is done in Tuesday's anemically attended special election. The unofficial voter turnout in the conservative, rural enclave was 53.

San Pedro lawyer Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich claimed victory Tuesday in the race to become the next Los Angeles city attorney, a result that marked an apparent defeat not just for his rival, City Councilman Jack Weiss, but also for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who had backed him. In the race to replace Weiss in the council's 5th District, stretching from Cheviot Hills to Encino, former Assemblyman Paul Koretz held a lead over neighborhood council member David "Ty" Vahedi.

State Board of Equalization Vice Chairwoman Judy Chu jumped to the lead Tuesday night in her bid for the open 32nd Congressional District seat, running well ahead of fellow Democrat state Sen. Gil Cedillo but falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff. Political newcomer Emanuel Pleitez, who surprised politics watchers with his significant fundraising and campaign of personal contacts and energetic volunteers, was running a strong third.

Tuesday's state election has all the rough feel and harsh sounds of a referendum -- a referendum on the performances of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature. That's unfortunate, because some very significant public policy is at stake. But it's also human nature. If you don't like certain people, there's a tendency to view things contrary to their positions. What they support, you oppose. Never mind that it may be akin to cutting off your nose to spite your angry face.

The hotly contested race to replace Los Angeles Councilman Jack Weiss in a Westside-to-Encino district could be summed up in three words: insider versus outsider. An array of City Hall players have lined up behind former State Assemblyman Paul Koretz as he seeks the edge over neighborhood council member David T. Vahedi in Tuesday's election for the 5th District. Eleven of 15 council members have endorsed Koretz. Veteran lobbyist Harvey Englander opened his home for a fundraiser.

A ferociously contested congressional race in the San Gabriel Valley has emerged as a classic test of the power of ethnic politics in the aftermath of Barack Obama's racial breakthrough in the presidential election. The election Tuesday to fill the House seat vacated by U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis also spotlights the clashing political aspirations of two of California's fastest growing ethnic groups, Asians and Latinos.

The race for Los Angeles city attorney has involved an increasingly bitter exchange of charges between the two candidates. City Councilman Jack Weiss has hammered at his opponent, defense lawyer Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich, for refusing to disclose the names of his law firm's clients. Trutanich has fired back by repeatedly questioning Weiss' ethics.

He's just 26 and making his first election bid in a crowded field of candidates that includes two seasoned, well-financed officeholders -- just the sort of hopeful who usually gets lost in the pack. But Emanuel Pleitez has collected enough money -- much of it in online donations from across the nation -- to put on a substantive mail campaign, bolstered by an energetic staff of young volunteers.

Two weeks before the special election, the head of the state Senate continued Wednesday to warn that Californians face dire consequences if voters reject budget-related measures on May 19. The measures include a spending cap that would extend newly enacted tax hikes for up to two years and a plan to borrow up to $10 billion against future revenue from the California Lottery, according to Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento).

In the primary race for Los Angeles city attorney, Westside Councilman Jack Weiss held a 2-1 advantage over San Pedro attorney Carmen Trutanich, but Trutanich has erased that advantage in the first phase of their runoff campaign, according to new finance reports. Both candidates began fundraising anew after the March 3 primary. In the period ending April 4, Weiss raised $408,815 and Trutanich raised $410,068 in cash contributions. The attorney also got an infusion of $122,203 in matching funds, bringing his cash balance to $523,665.