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One candidate was thrown out of Berkeley in the 1960s for being too politically active. Two others marched with Cesar Chavez. One championed women's issues in Africa while another fought for gay rights in Los Angeles.
In this, the city's most ethnically diverse and ardently progressive council district, it should come as no surprise that an eclectically liberal group of individuals--all with strong pro- labor leanings--has joined the race to succeed former Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, who was considered the most liberal politician ever elected to the City Council. She won a seat in the state Assembly last year.
Eight candidates in all are vying to represent the 13th District, which stretches from Hollywood, Silver Lake, Atwater Village and Glassel Park to the tip of Mount Washington.
Five of the candidates on the April 10 ballot are serious contenders, among them a former council member, a former assemblyman, the son of a former district attorney, and the brother and a staff assistant of the former councilwoman. With most of the candidates collecting nearly $200,000 so far for their campaigns, a runoff election in June appears likely.
"The district truly is the melting pot of the city," said political consultant Rick Taylor. "But even though there is a lot of social activism in the district, people are also concerned with the basics--like making sure their streets are clean and the potholes are filled."
For all the candidates' talk about human rights and the global environment, the numerous community debates have focused largely on the mundane: how to improve the neighborhood parks, how to restore the Los Angeles River and how to ease the traffic on Silver Lake Boulevard.
Although Belmont High School is in the neighboring council district, the fate of the new campus--and whether it can be made environmentally safe--is a hot topic in this contest because many teenagers in the 13th District attend the crowded, aging Belmont.
All but one of the major candidates support completing construction of Belmont Learning Center--located on an old oil field- -because they believe the environmental hazards can be mitigated at the site. Former Assemblyman Scott Wildman is opposed to opening the school because he does not believe it can be made safe.
Also dominating discussions is the issue...