Glendale News Press
June 7, 2006
Krekorian swamps Quintero at polls
*Rep. Adam Schiff will face William J. Bodell and Rep. David Dreier
will face Cynthia Matthews.
By Fred Ortega, News-Press Leader
GLENDALE — Paul Krekorian handily bested Glendale Councilman Frank Quintero
Tuesday night, earning the Democratic nomination to the 43rd Assembly
District seat after an acrimonious campaign that included allegations of
voter fraud and veiled racist attacks.
With all 239 precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Krekorian with
56.6% of the votes to Quintero’s 43.4%. That translates to 14,137 votes for
Krekorian and 10,863 for Quintero, according to the latest figures from the
county registrar’s office.
Total turnout for the election was low, with 17% of Glendale voters hitting
the polls and nearly 18% of registered Burbank voters casting ballots.
Despite Krekorian’s wide margin of victory, the race was very close at the
polls in the two candidates’ home cities. Quintero took Glendale by a mere
112 votes, 3,383 to 3,271, while Krekorian, a Burbank Unified School District
Board member, won the poll count in that city by just 700 votes, 2,735 to
2,038, according to officials at the registrar’s office. Final absentee
ballot counts, as well as vote tallies in the other district communities of
North Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Toluca Lake, were not available
as of press time Wednesday.
Krekorian, who faces an advantage in November over Republican challenger
Michael Agbaba in the heavily Democratic district, was ecstatic about his
win.
“I am thrilled at this resounding victory, especially because of the
circumstances of the last week,” Krekorian said Wednesday, referring to a
mailing sent out by an independent expenditure committee that linked him and
the Armenian National Committee to a terrorist suspect. “This was really a
clear victory of hope over hatred, and it was a victory for a common vision
instead of ethnic division.”
Quintero has denied involvement in the distribution of the mailer, which was
put out by the Oakland-based California Latino Leadership Fund.
Krekorian said he had already received congratulatory calls from prominent
Latino leaders including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Assembly
Speaker Fabian NuC1ez and other members of the Latino Caucus.
“I plan to work closely with them on the healing process and to work together
toward a common interest as Americans,” Krekorian said, adding he does not
have much time to rest before heading up to Sacramento with all of the
Democratic nominees for a gathering at the request of NuC1ez. “We are going
to continue to do what I have been doing, to talk to people about the need to
have the finest schools possible providing the best 21st-century education to
all of our students.”
In addition to education, Krekorian listed universal healthcare for all
Californians, environmental protection and rebuilding the state’s
infrastructure as his top priorities if he wins the Assembly seat in
November.
“I am so grateful to the people of the 43rd Assembly District who entrusted
me to take on this job and voted based on the message I have been talking
about,” he said. “These are the things that matter to Californians much more
than the issue of character assassination.”
Agbaba released a statement Wednesday congratulating Krekorian for his win
and setting a conciliatory tone for the battle ahead.
“I look forward to a good, clean campaign based on issues facing our
communities and our state,” the Burbank-based electrical engineer wrote.
“This will be a very challenging election for both of us.”
Quintero, who led Krekorian in cash on hand at the end of the race $243,964
to $178,687, according to the Secretary of State’s office, threw the
accusations of personal attacks back at his opponent.
“I am disappointed in my opponent’s strategy; if you review the mailers I
sent out, they were focused on the issues,” said Quintero, who condemned the
Latino Leadership Fund’s mailer and added that his campaign did not initiate
the voter-fraud issue.
“That was initiated by the registrar of voters, and is now under review by
the district attorney,” said Quintero, referring to the more than 100
absentee-ballot requests submitted by the Krekorian campaign that are being
scrutinized for possible forged signatures. “We will be watching that
criminal investigation very closely,” Quintero said.
He admitted, however, that the 100 ballots in question would not make a
difference in Krekorian’s margin of victory and that he was not planning on
asking for a recount.
“I enjoyed the campaign, talked to thousands of people in the district, and I
was encouraged by many people to run,” Quintero said. “I was honored to have
the support from such diverse groups, and I look forward to continuing to
serve the residents of Glendale and enjoying my time on the City Council.”
In other local races, Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff easily fended off fellow
Democrat Bob McCloskey in the fight for the Democratic nomination to the 29th
Congressional District, 82.5% to 17.5%. He will face William J. Bodell, who
ran unopposed for the Republican ticket, in November. The district, which
Schiff has represented since 2000, includes Glendale and Burbank.
And Rep. David Dreier appears headed for a 14th term representing the 26th
Congressional District, having beat second-time challenger and La CaC1ada
Flintridge businessman Sonny Sardo for the GOP nomination, 64.9% to 26.9%. A
third Republican contender, Mel Milton of Walnut, garnered 8.2% of the vote.
Dreier will face Democrat Cynthia Matthews, who beat challengers Russ Warner
and Hoyt Hilsman for the Democratic nomination with 47% of the vote, in the
fight for the mostly Republican district that includes La CaC1ada Flintridge,
La Crescenta and Montrose.
* FRED ORTEGA covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by
e-mail at [email protected].