Another contender has emerged in the crowded race for a State Senate seat representing California’s 26th District, which encompasses West Hollywood. Variety reports that Patric M. Verrone, former president of Writers Guild of America West and the leader of the Guild strike in 2007-2008, announced his candidacy in a fundraising email.
With Verrone’s announcement, there will be six Democratic candidates in the race to succeed Ted Lieu, who is running for the Congressional seat of retiring Rep. Henry Waxman.
Other candidates are Santa Monica school board member Ben Allen; lawyer Barbi Appelquist; former Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, who lost her 2011 bid for a state Assembly seat to Richard Bloom; lawyer and women’s rights activist Sandra Fluke, and Manhattan Beach Mayor Amy Howorth. The primary election takes place June 3 followed by the general election on Nov. 4.
Verrone lives in Pacific Palisades. The 26th District runs from there along the coastline and reaches east to encompass Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and part of Hollywood.
Is that the 26th Senate District or 28th Senate District?
California’s legislative redistricting left some cities and communities outside the boundaries of State Senator Ted Lieu’s 28th District. They include Beverly Glen, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, West Hollywood and Westwood. A Senate Rules Committee decision assigned those cities to Lieu but provided that they will be part of the new 26th District in the 2014 election.