At City Hall, a new campaign for governor

Reporters attending a post-election news conference this morning on the south lawn of Los Angeles City Hall headed instinctively for the stage and the red-and-white balloons. They were confused to find a big banner reading, "Trish Novak for Governor."

Turned out the setup was for the "The Amazing Mrs. Novak," a TV pilot about an ordinary supermarket-manager mom who runs for governor in New Jersey.

The news conference for Proposition 11, the redistricting initiative, was moved to the much smaller, less grandiose north side of City Hall.

While California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and about 15 other elected officials and nonprofit leaders drew about 10 reporters and camera people, there were, sad to say, more extras crowded around the fictional gubernatorial candidate on the other side of the building.

-- Jia-Rui Chong

Photo: Los Angeles Times