By City News Service
A field of 16 candidates has filed to succeed Rep. Adam Schiff, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk announced on Dec. 14.
The field in the predominantly Democratic 30th Congressional District consists of 12 Democrats, two Republicans, one Peace & Freedom Party candidate and one with no party preference.
Democrats who filed by Thursday’s deadline include former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer; state Sen. Anthony Portantino, who represents Burbank; Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, who represents Burbank; Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education member Nick Melvoin; West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne; Dr. Jirair Ratevosian, a former State Department official; and actor Ben Savage.
The district stretches from West Hollywood to Pasadena and Echo Park to the Angeles National Forest, and includes all of Burbank.
Schiff has not made an endorsement. He is running for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein after being a member of the House since defeating then-Rep. Jim Rogan, R-Glendale, in 2000.
The filing period concluded Dec. 8 for most county, state and federal offices in Los Angeles County on the March 5 primary election. However, under state law, the filing period was extended five days to Wednesday when an eligible incumbent does not file to run for re-election.
Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, Mary Ann Lutz, a member of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, workers’ rights advocate Greg Hafif and health care advocate and businessman Kurt Jose are the other Democrats who filed.
Three Republicans filed — clinical psychologist Pedro Antonio Casas; lawyer/entrepreneur/educator Daniel Jose Bocic Martinez; and government affairs administrator Elvira Moreno — along with two candidates without a party preference, teacher Erskine Levi and commissioner Marie Manvel.
The March 5 ballot will also include primaries for president, all of California’s 52 congressional seats, 20 of the 40 state Senate seats, all 80 seats in the Assembly, three seats on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Los Angeles County district attorney.
The list of candidates who have qualified for the ballot will be announced Dec. 29, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
First published in the December 16 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
