Candidates for City Council District 15 Set, Finance Reports Filed
The list of candidates to replace Janice Hahn as a city council member in the 15th district is now set. The City Clerk's office certified 11 candidates for the special election to be held on Nov. 8
The candidates include local business owners, a police officer, a firefighter and a state assembly member. The complete list of candidates can be found on the city clerk's website. The names are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot, which was determined by a random alphabetical drawing last week.
The campaigns are expected to ramp up now that the candidate list has been finalized. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote in the November election a run-off election will be held on Jan. 17.
Candidates have begun filing Campaign finance reports with the city's ethics commission. One of the more interesting finance reports thus far details which candidates have received matching funds, with three candidates reporting receipt of such monies. Joe Buscaino and Warren Furutani each reported $100,000 in matching funds and Pat McOsker reported $85,212. Candidates can opt to accept matching funds from a public coffer administered by the City Ethics Commission. Candidates Emery Soos, Walter Tayes and Jayme Wilson declined the opportunity to accept matching funds.
Potential frontrunner McOsker boasts multiple union endorsements including the United Firefighters of Los Angeles as well as the endorsement of City Councilmember Jose Huizar while State Assembly member Furutani claims the support of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Christine Detz is a graduate student at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, which has partnered with KCET-TV to produce this blog about policy in Los Angeles.