Glendale, California voters showed they want a strong, local voice on issues affecting their neighborhoods, streets, and schools in yesterday’s city elections. Those with strong track records of service at the local level beat well-financed opponents, whether incumbents or challengers.
Councilwoman-elect Laura Friedman, first-time challenger who received the largest number of votes for city council, had strong backing from local homeowner groups. Her five years on Design Review Board as a consistent force for neighborhood compatability and code enforcement gave her a running start with this important constituency.
Ann Ransford, also a first-time challenger, received the largest number of votes for a seat on the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees. Ransford has an exemplary record of service to the college, where she worked most recently as Executive Director of the college foundation raising more than $10 million for endowments, scholarships and programs.
Incumbent Ara Najarian received the second largest number of votes for city council; the points he stressed in voter forums and mailers were his confidence in and good working relationships with Glendale’s Fire and Police departments, and his ability to represent Glendale on the MTA board in regional transportation planning.
Incumbent Frank Quintero, also a strong proponent of city public safety staffing and budgets, has strongly supported neighborhood preservation and been attentive to homeowners’ concerns during his campaigns and council terms. Quintero’s years of work supporting the local business community also worked in his favor.
Voters were reluctant to hand two school board seats to candidates backed by the Glendale Teachers’ Association. They re-elected incumbents Greg Krikorian and Joylene Wagner, who have resisted past union demands. The union spent large amounts to promote Christine Walters and Eric Sahakian. While Walters, a long-time PTA member with two sons in Glendale schools, managed to unseat incumbent Chakib Sambar, Sahakian trailed in fifth place in final returns.
Re-elected community college board incumbents Armine Hacopian and Anita Quinonez Gabrielian, who supported Ann Ransford in joint election advertising for the three open positions, held strong leads as a result of their past board service records.
The Glendale City Clerk, who ran unopposed and was re-elected, has posted final election results on glendalevotes.org.