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Who is the Outsider?

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Both candidates for the open District 2 City Council seat runoff are trying to portray their opponent as an "insider" for forces not in tune with the district's needs and identity--and thus an "outsider" for the district's voters.

Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and businesswoman Chris Essel were both portrayed as carpetbaggers of sorts during the initial election, and now both are turning the accusation on each other. The Daily News has details:

In mailings, in robo-calls, in attacks on one another, businesswoman Chris Essel and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, D-Burbank, have sought to portray each other as the "insider" who cannot be trusted.To Krekorian, Essel is the "downtown special interest" candidate who has received endorsements from a number of City Council members, city employee unions and Controller Wendy Greuel, who was the council member of the district until her election last March. To Essel, Krekorian is the Sacramento political insider - he is Assembly assistant majority leader - who has brought the state to the brink of bankruptcy and is a "career politician" who has jumped from the Burbank school board to the Assembly and is now looking to be on the City Council.

Both candidates are spending wildly for the most valuable city political office around, an L.A. council seat:

Jill Barad, who founded the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils and has endorsed Krekorian, said the main thing she has been watching is the amount of money spent on the race - more than $1.4 million between the two, making it the second most costly City Council election so far after the Greuel-Cardenas election in 2001, when $2.1 million was spent.Essel has raised the most - $475,000 compared with Krekorian's $242,000 - and also has been the recipient of the most in independent expenditures - $606,000 compared with Krekorian's $171,000.

Ron Kaye condemned them both as carpetbaggers during the initial election, but now endorses Krekorian. Mayor Sam's blog has also been following this runoff election closely and extensively--here the blog is mocking Essel for making misleading statements about Krekorian's fundraising, and for lacking his volunteer base.Previous City of Angles blogging on CD-2 election news.

The image associated with this post was taken by Flickr user Alexbcthompson. It was used under user Creative Commons license.

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