A run-off in the 43rd Assembly District race
It’s Democrat Mike Gatto against the only Republican on the ballot, Sunder Ramani.
I dropped by a couple of polling places in Burbank on Tuesday evening and was told by the poll workers that the turnout was way better than expected. A small sampling, but it turned out to be right on the mark. The Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder County Clerk’s office posted the following election results on its website.
April 13, 2010 43rd Assembly Special Election
Mike Gatto (D) 10,584 32.34%
Sunder Ramani (R) 10,403 31.79%
Nayiri Nahabedian (D) 7,298 22.30%
Chake Keuroghelian (D) 4,444 13.58%
Total ballots cast 32,912 16.35%
I was disappointed in the showing by Nahabedian, who got drawn into a negative campaign battle with Gatto. Both candidates hammered and jabbed at each other in a mountain of expensive political mailers. The negative campaign hurt both candidates with Nahabedian apparently suffering the most damage.
Sometimes you need to throw a few punches when you’re under attack. I can relate to that. I understand that. Nevertheless, an election is not a boxing match. Voters really don’t want to watch candidates beat-up on each other. We are more interested in candidates talking about the issues; showcasing their ideas and plans for improving our communities.
There is still time for Gatto and Nehabedian to make campaign changes. It ain’t over yet. In a strange political twist, this was the first of four elections for the same office. Gatto and Ramani will square off on June 8 for the right to finish out Paul Krekorian’s term which ends on November 30, 2010. Krekorian left early to campaign and win election to the Los Angeles City Council.
Also on June 8 there will be a primary, which will include candidates running for the next two-year term for the 43rd Assembly District. Gatto, Ramani, Nahabedian, and Keuroghelian, will be on that ballot as well.
Did you have trouble finding your polling place?
I heard some voters showed up at the wrong polling places. Probably because they went back to where they voted in the last election and discovered their names were not on the rosters. They were still able to vote provisionally, but that takes a little longer or they were given directions to the correct polling place.
I was assigned to a new polling site as well. In fact, I passed two polling locations on East Providencia Avenue in route to the First Christian Church on 6th Street where I voted. How smart was that? The folks that draw up these precincts for the elections have a strange logic. No wonder so many voters are skipping the polling places all together. In this Assembly election, 18,989 local voters cast their ballots by mail.
TV late night changes
New music director for “The Tonight Show”
Recently “Tonight Show” Music Director Kevin Eubanks has been hinting he might bow out soon and early this week, he did just that. Eubanks announced on Monday’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” that he’s calling it quits after 18 years with the late night talk show.
Stepping in as the new music director the Emmy-nominated and very talented Rickey Minor, who has made guest appearances with the “Tonight Show” band numerous times. For the past few years, Minor has been the music director over on “American Idol.” Before that the accomplished musician and arranger worked with super-stars like Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, and Beyoncé.
Minor debuts as “The Tonight Show” music director on June 7th. Here’s the NBC press release about it.
Conan O’Brien should tape his new late night talker in Burbank
A lot of chatter out there about the new TV deal for talk show host/comic Conan O’Brien. Negotiations were going on with Fox, but Monday TBS announced O’Brien had signed on for an 11 p.m. show on that cable network. No doubt, there was a ton of wheeling and dealing that went on behind the scenes.
O’Brien’s new one-hour late night show kicks off in November and he will own his new cable talker, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Also, there are reports the new O’Brien show will be based in the Southland. Probably Los Angeles. Hey, why not Burbank? We have plenty of studio space and talent in Media City to help the former “Tonight Show” host put together a terrific late night program.
Spec script market still hot
Spec scripts are still going out and getting bought! Spec Chaser reports “Romeo’s Redemption” by Dave Lease was snatched up by Gold Circle Films. The crime drama is about mob-enforcer-turned-informant who leaves the safety of the witness protection program to save the only person he’s ever really loved — his ex-wife — from his former mob associates. Nice hook.
More about this script sale and other spec screenplays being shopped here. Good inspiration for the screenwriters out there and especially the Burbank scribes I know who are writing scripts and pitching projects right now.
