As I wrote in Part I, which covered the Federal races: My sample ballot has arrived, indicating that California’s Silly Season has arrived. For me, that means it is time to do my Sample Ballot Analysis. For you, it means it is time for you to read my analysis and try to convince me otherwise. Hint: I’m only going to listen to positive argument based on your candidate’s positions, not negative arguments about why my candidate or choice is so bad. This post will cover the State and Local level offices and measures. Shall we dig in?
❎ State Senator – 27th District
Our current state senator, Fran Pavley, is termed out, and doesn’t appear to be running for new office somewhere else. This has created an open, likely Democratic seat… and loads of folks have jumped in. The leading candidates are Janice Kamenir-Reznik (D) and Henry Stern (D). Kamenir-Reznik is co-founder and president of Jewish World Watch, an organization dedicated to the fight against genocide. She practiced law as a partner of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Mitchell, and helped run a law firm with her husband, Ben Reznik, for more than a decade. She’s also served as commissioner on several Los Angeles County commissions. Stern is a senior policy advisor to Pavley, teaches at UCLA School of Law, and endorsed by the California League of Conservation Voters, California Nurses Association, and Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. He is also Pavley’s choice.
Also running are George Christopher Thomas (D), Shawn Bayliss (D), David Pollock (D), and the lone Republican, Steve Fazio (R). Thomas is the honorary mayor of Van Nuys, as worked as a Congressional Staffer for Rep. Brad Sherman from 1997-2001. Bayliss is an aide to Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz. Pollock is a former child actor who played Rudi on the Bad News Bears, as well as being the mayor pro tem for the City of Moorpark and a long-time city councilman there. Lastly, Fazio is the owner of Fazio Cleaners, a retired reserve police officer, and a former member of the Los Angeles City Fire Commission.
Fazio states no positions on his website, but is endorsed by a bevy of Republicans. Thomas lists no endorsements. Let’s eliminate those two folks.
The remaining democrats have varying levels of endorsements. Pollock has a few supervisors, some councilcritters and mayors, and numerous educators. Bayliss has just a few, including Brad Sherman. Stern has loads of endorsements, including lots of assemblycritters, including Pavley, Waxman, Hayden, and Beilenson. Kamenir-Reznik is endorsed by loads of LA City folks, including Mayim Bialik.
I don’t think the district would be ill-served by either Kamenir-Reznik or Stern (or, for that matter Bayliss or Pollock). Going on the theory that, when in doubt, increase the diversity. Further, I think K-R is stronger on her position regarding Porter Ranch.
Recommendation: Kamenir-Reznik. Stern is an acceptable 2nd choice.
❎ State Assembly – 45th District
This is a district where there is a fair amount of spending. There are three candidates: Matt Dababneh (D), the incumbent who has been so-so; Doug Kriegel (D), who has lots of name recognition from being a consumer reporter on KNBC; and Jerry Kowal (R), the Republican trying to get a foot in the door. According to a Daily News article, campaign filings show independent expenditure committees have poured more than $350,000 into the race to support Dababneh. Keeping Californians Working, an IE funded by oil company Chevron, the California Dental Association, and the California Apartment Association, are supporting Dababneh. Other groups backing him include the California Charter Schools Association Advocates and the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Dababneh won the seat by just 330 votes in a 2013 race against a Republican. Fundraising is also lopsided: Dababneh has more than $837,000 cash on hand for the election, according to filings, while Kriegel has $17,000 and Kowal, 41, reports $2,786 in available funds.
Kowal is a strong gun proponent, and supports English only. I can’t see supporting him.
I was never strongly behind Dababneh — he struck me as someone steered into the position through Bob Blumenfeld. You remember Bob? He had this assembly district. He was reelected for his last term in 2012, and then promptly ran for LA City Council, creating a special election. Out of the 11 candidates for that seat, the war chest was used to paper the district for Dababneh. When the runoff was between Dababneh and Shelly (R), he beat her. At the normal election in 2014, the same contest occurred… and he narrowly lost against her. I don’t have a strong impression of Dababneh, other than he doesn’t seem to be working that much for the district. I wasn’t that much in favor of him during his first primary. I’m not in favor now. I think Kriegel will be much more working for the people of the district.
Recommendation: Doug Kriegel
❎ Superior Court Judges
EWQ – Extremely Well Qualified > WQ – Well Qualified > Q – Qualified > NQ – Not Qualified
📚 Office No. 11
An open seat, with four candidates: Jonathan Alexan Malek (NQ), Debra R. Archuleta (Q), Steven Schreiner (WQ), and Paul Kim (Q). I’m going with the Well Qualified candidate, who is also the LA Times endorsement.
Recommendation: Steven Schreiner
📚 Office No. 42
An open seat, with four candidates: E. Matthew Aceves (WQ), Michael P. Ribons (WQ), Cyndy Zuzga (WQ), and Alicia Molina (NQ). Three well-qualified candidates, with Zuzga having the most experience already in the court. She’s the Times endorsement.
Recommendation: Cyndy Zuzga
📚 Office No. 60
This office has an incumbent judge, James A. Kaddo (Q), and a challenger, Stepan W. Baghdassarian (NQ). We have only one qualified candidate. LA Times endorses Kaddo.
Recommendation: James A. Kaddo
📚 Office No. 84
Another open seat, with the candidates being Aaron J. Weissman (Q), Javier Perez (Q), Hubert S. Yun (Q), and Susan Jung Townsend (Q). All are qualified. I personally know Weissman, as he is a member of our congregation and has attended MoTAS meetings. The times endorsed Townsend, without giving a strong reason why. Given that all are qualified, and that Aaron has loads of endorsements, I’m going to go with the man I know.
Recommendation: Aaron J. Weissman
📚 Office No. 120
This is another case of a challenger, Eric O. Ibisi (Q) going against the incumbent judge, Ray Santana (WQ). Ibisi won’t say why he is running and has established no website. Santana has been out lately on disability, but is more qualified… and has no website. LA Times endorses Santana.
Recommendation: Ray Santana
📚 Office No. 158
Another open office. Five candidates: Kim L. Nguyen (WQ), Onica Valle Cole (Q), Naser “Nas” Khoury (Q), Fred Mesropi (WQ), and David A. Berger (NQ). The Times explicitly disregards the NQ rating and recommends Berger. Additionally, someone has domain-squat the Berger for Judge domain and put up a blog advising folks not to vote for him. It has a private registration, so it isn’t easy to find out who is behind it. Metropolitan News has a good background piece on Berger, and it looks like the NQ rating, as well as the website, are the work of parties or parties offended by Berger’s Blog. I was going to lean towards a WQ candidate, but I think I need to stand up for a blogger. There’s something fishy in the NQ rating, given the endorsement.
Recommendation: David A. Berger
📚 Office No. 165
Another challenge to an incumbent, Kathryn Ann Solorzano (WQ), this time from Tami L. Warren (Q). Warren doesn’t say why Solorzano needs to be replaced, even though she worked in her courtroom. Solorzano has the better rating, and is endorsed by the times.
Recommendation: Kathyryn Ann Solorzano
❎ County District Attorney
The incumbent, Jackie Lacey, is running unopposed.
Recommendation: Jackie Lacey
❎ Member, Party County Committee, 45th Assy District
We have 9 candidates (Cecile BenDavid, Elizabeth Badger, Raymond J. Bishop, Marcos Sanchez, Jeff Daar, Leah K. Herzberg, Richard Mathews, Scott Abrams, and Barbara Rae Rolbin) for 7 seats in a position no one really cares about. Only one candidate (Mathews) has a campaign website; most of the rest have some information online except for Rolbin. Abrams was the campaign manager for Brad Sherman and filed FEC complains against Howard Berman in that campaign. My suggestion would be to vote for most the folks already on the committee (Bendavid, Badger, Bishop, Daar, Herzberg), except for Abrams and Rolbin. Abrams because his position strikes of patronage, and Rolbin for having nothing to inform people voting for her. That leaves space for Sanchez.
Recommendation: The incumbents — Bendavid, Badger, Bishop, Daar, Herzberg, Mathews, and Sanchez.
❎ Proposition 50 – Suspension of Legislators
We’re lucky. Only one proposition. There may be as many as 18 in November.
With respect to the one we’ve got, Ballotpedia has a good analysis. The LA Times is against this. I’m not sure I buy their reasons; I see it as a tool that is available when necessary, but that when is rarely.
Recommendation: For Proposition 50.
❎ Conclusion
And that’s it for the June ballot. As always, I welcome your opinion.
