L.A. Councilman Parks celebrates narrow victory; Hogan-Rowles won't seek recount

Celebrating his narrow victory on Friday, Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks said voters "saw through the facade" of the well-funded campaign mounted against him by public service unions in the March 8 city election.

"There was a perception of unfairness of other people trying to pick their leadership," said Parks, whose win gives him a third term representing the 8th District.

According to final election tallies released early Friday, Parks won 51.21% of the vote, escaping a runoff with his chief challenger, Forescee Hogan-Rowles. Their contest was the only council race with preliminary results close enough to potentially turn on the absentee ballots that were counted in recent weeks.

In a statement Friday, Hogan-Rowles said her opponent's narrow victory "sends an important message to elected leaders like Bernard Parks, who ignore their constituents and the workers who keep our city working."

Public employee unions spent at least $1.2 million to defeat Parks, who has called for layoffs and furloughs and has argued that city employee pensions are too generous. Brian D'Arcy, the leader of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, whose political action committee spent more than $617,000 to defeat Parks, said the election showed that nearly half the voters in the 8th district "were deeply dissatisfied" with his leadership.

"Despite his endorsements by community icons, Parks' slim margin underscores the discontent with his record within his district," D'Arcy said in a statement. "We are committed to continuing to work with our allies to support candidates who will stand up for the working men and women of Los Angeles."

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18 all opposed Parks. In the 8th District, the unions' spending amounted to about $174 for each ballot cast for Hogan-Rowles. Outside groups including the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce spent $144,000 to boost Parks — about $18 per vote.

The Los Angeles City Clerk's office has not calculated the turnout in the 8th District, which stretches in a "T" shape from Baldwin Hills and the neighborhoods around USC south almost to the 105 Freeway. According to the final tallies, Parks won 9,482 votes and Hogan-Rowles won 8,058 (or 43.52% of the total votes). A third candidate, Jabari Jumaane, won 975 votes ( 5.27%).

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who served as councilman in the 8th District before Parks and who campaigned hard on behalf of Hogan-Rowles, said he thought Hogan-Rowles could have forced a runoff if the election had been held a week later. The fact that Parks avoided the runoff by only a few hundred votes, he said, should be "very unsettling for the incumbent."

But Parks said his victory was a vote of confidence. He said that in his third term he planned to call for election reforms that would limit the role of nonprofits in elections and institute harsher consequences for false campaign attacks. 

Already considered one of the most hawkish figures on the City Council on budget matters, he promised to be an even stronger voice for fiscal responsibility. Term limits mean this will be his last, and Parks said he was looking forward to governing without worrying about reelection.  

"I've been holding back for 45 years," Parks said. "Now I can say what's on my mind."

RELATED:

Final city election tallies give Parks a third term

L.A. City Council OKs LAPD hiring freeze

-- Kate Linthicum and Maeve Reston at Los Angeles City Hall

Photo: Bernard Parks. Credit: Nico Smedley / Los Angeles Times



Comments

[Tony Thomas]

Now that the Votes have finally been counted, Councilman Parks can focus on Jobs, Economy, City Budget, and Crime. Mrs. Hogan- Rowles can focus on LEARNING the 8th DISTRICT and then she might be able to when a Campaign without "THE HELP OF UNION MONEY AND HELP" but with the people of her District that she is running for. REAL TALK......

TONY T.

[Charl E Janeke]

I'm happy today. Bernard Parks is a worthy Councilman.

[TAM]

I did not vote for Mrs. Hogan-Rowles because DWP's unions were supporting her, and voted too many times to raise our rates for nothing. Furthermore, the Pint Size Mayor was backing her. I have never voted for the Pint Size Mayor, and he will not get my vote on anything.
I hope our next council person will be for all of the people of their district, and not a select few.

[Jay]

Forescee is un-informed and unqualified. She didn't know the district boundaries and doesn't understand the City government. She was a poor choice for the unions and Mark Ridley-Thomas to select as their puppet candidate. I would be pissed if I were a dues-paying union member and my leadership just wasted $1.2 million of my hard-earned dues on an unqualified candidate in a failed campaign. Way to go Brian D'Arcy and Mark Ridley-Thomas!!

[BISHOP L J GUILLORY]

The Bishop is known to keep it Real. So when many counted Old Man Parks out! The Bishop Continued to Stand with him. The Honorable Ombudsman General who is also "The Bishop" Guillory, remembered what he learned long ago in California political wars! "Fight what you can see and be ready for whatever you can't see!"

The Honorable Los Angeles Councilman Bernard Parks has become controversial yet many of the 'old school' power brokers still support him. And, this time The Old School Proved that they still have the beat of the Real Community.

Most on lookers would have put money on the fact that Parks would have had a run off. "As long as our people continue to allow the Real leaders to fight for them and not some of the Fly-By Night Voices that have come to cause confusion at this most paramount time in our political future- We'll be fine!" "We don't have time to fight one another and the other side as well!" Said, Bishop L.J. Guillory.

Parks declared victory early Friday, and held on to his lead of over 51.2% of the vote. Beating The Unions Who spent more than 1.2 Million, Hogan-Rowles who was supported by Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley.

Millions was spent and the vote proved that people wanted Parks to represent the 8th District. Looks like the unions are going to have to get to the table with the Real Leaders and the Old School/Heads. Millions of Dollars don't buy votes of The Real (smile) Community! Remember, not all of do it for the money!