ACA-PAC Endorsed Candidates Victorious in LA City Elections

LOS ANGELES – The Armenian Council of America-PAC (ACA-PAC) is pleased to announce the victory of ACA-PAC-endorsed candidates for the March 3rd elections.

“We had faith in the candidates we endorsed and are elated that they will be serving the community in their respective seats,” Read the ACA-PAC statement. “Having the opportunity to work with these well-deserving elected officials will allow us to help meet the issues and concerns of the Armenian-American community and we are looking forward to having a very productive working relationship with them.”

In a landslide victory, incumbent Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Jose Huizar and Herb Wesson expressed their gratitude to the Armenian American community and thanked the ACA-PAC for their longstanding support and trust. Councilmember Martinez emphasized that she is looking forward to working with her growing Armenian-American constituency in Council District 6, which includes the areas of Sun Valley and Panorama City. Running unopposed, Councilmember Mitch Englander held on to his seat in Council District 12, which includes the heavily Armenian populated areas of the Northwest San Fernando Valley.

For the Los Angeles Community College District Board Seat 5, longtime ACA-PAC friend, Scott Svonkin collected the highest number of votes. He reiterated his support for the Armenian-American community and conveyed his appreciation for the overwhelming support he has received. Another ACA-PAC-endorsed candidate, Andra Hoffman also proved victorious for the LACCD Board Seat 1 and thanked ACA-PAC publicly via twitter. For the Los Angeles Unified School District Board 5, Bennett Kayser will face his opponent in the May 19 runoff.

“These wins are especially important as the LACCD has a large Armenian-American student body and the Board is responsible for many decisions that affect the nine campuses throughout Los Angeles,” Read the ACA-PAC statement. “These candidates proved that they are advocates of quality education and their dedication to the community is why they garnered the most votes.”

Incumbent Councilmember Paul Krekorian held onto his Council District 2 seat which he first ran for back in 2009. Armenian-American candidates who lost in this election cycle included Rostom Sarkissian who ran for the widely contested LA City Council District 4 seat consisting of eleven candidates, ACA-PAC-endorsed candidates Sam Kbushyan for Los Angeles Community College Board Seat 3 and Sam Kartounian for Redondo Beach City Council.

“It’s wonderful to see so many young Armenian-Americans involved in the political process,” Read the ACA-PAC statement. “Although these candidates did not achieve the results they were looking for, the fact that they reached out to the community and inspired younger generations of Armenian-Americans to run for office in the future speaks volumes, and I am certain that this will create more civic participation in our community, and these candidates will continue to represent the values which Armenian Americans hold so dear.”

The Armenian Council of America is a grassroots organization dedicated to working with all political leaders, offering Armenian related news, analysis and resources for policymakers, media, students and activists, advocating issues important to Armenian Americans. The Armenian Council of America aims to strengthen U.S. – Armenia and U.S. – Nagorno Karabakh ties, the development of programs promoting sustainable economic growth and good governance in Armenia, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship.