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More than 30 years ago, in an alliance that would one day transform Los Angeles politics, a group of black ministers and Jewish activists joined forces to help a little-known lawyer and former police officer become the first African American elected to the City Council.
Today, decades after Tom Bradley made history with his election to the council and again as the city's first black mayor, a new coalition--this time led by labor groups and community activists--has assembled in one of Los Angeles' true political outposts with the aim of again turning City Hall on its ear.
The unprecedented alliance has united behind not one but three candidates challenging the reelection of 15th District Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr., whose district covers the southern tip of Los Angeles.
The candidates, each coming from a different community in the ethnically diverse district, share a platform advanced by the 15th District Coalition, a politically progressive pro-union organization aligned with the countywide Coalition L.A.
The goal of the district coalition, candidates and organizers say, is to not only unseat Svorinich but to champion a legislative agenda of reform--including more funding for affordable housing, public transportation, environmental cleanup and after-school programs--that can be applied in coming years to other districts in the sprawling city of Los Angeles.
"We see our future as trying to develop . . . a permanent multicultural coalition that can move {its} agenda through an array of tactics, including running its own candidates for council," said Steve Cancian, campaign coordinator for the 15th District Coalition.
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San Pedro's Dennis Kortheuer, a university instructor making his first run for office, added: "I am not the candidate. The platform is the candidate."
If the strategy is successful, Kortheuer, co-candidate Diana Contreras of Wilmington and write-in candidate Mujahid Abdul-Karim of Watts will capture enough support from each of their communities to prevent incumbent Svorinich from receiving more than 50% in the April 8 primary election. And if no one reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters in the primary will compete in a June runoff election.
"I think it's a great strategy," said longtime Los Angeles political consultant Rick Taylor. "You are peeling away from every portion of the district votes that potentially could go to the incumbent,...