PAUL KREKORIAN WINS CITY COUNCIL RACE

Asbarez
Dec 9th, 2009

Candidate Paul Krekorian with his son Andrew, 4, votes Tuesday in
the special election for the Los Angeles City Council 2nd District
seat in the library at Ulysses S. Grant High School in the Valley
Glen neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley. Photo by: Brian Vander
Brug of the Los Angeles Times

NORTH HOLLYWOOD-Voters in the San Fernando Valley sent a resounding
message throughout Los Angeles Tuesday night as Paul Krekorian won
the special election in the Second Council District, defeating his
opponent Christine Essel by a margin of more than 13%.

"Today, the voters of CD2 demanded profound change and soundly
rejected the domination of this city by Downtown insiders," Krekorian
said. "This victory is the beginning of a fundamental transformation
of the government of Los Angeles, and it sends a strong signal that
the people of the San Fernando Valley are not satisfied with business
as usual."

Krekorian spoke to about 200 campaign volunteers, supporters, staff
and family members who jammed his North Hollywood campaign office to
celebrate the victory.

"The task now ahead is for us to build a city government that will
work for the people and that is marked by integrity, honesty and
accountability," he said. "To succeed, we need to start healing the
divisions that have resulted from this campaign and begin bringing
our community together."

More special interest money-$910,877.91 in so-called independent
expenditures -was spent to elect Essel than any candidate in L.A.

history. According to the unofficial results from the City Clerk’s
office, Krekorian received 10,810 votes (56.56%), while Essel gathered
8,304 votes (43.44%).