Dababneh Takes Early Lead Over Shelley in 45th Assembly District Special Election

By City News Service

Democrat Matt Dababneh took the early lead Tuesday night over Republican Susan Shelley in the special election in the West San Fernando Valley to fill the vacancy in the 45th Assembly District.

Dababneh, the district chief of staff for Rep. Brad Sherman, had 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent for Shelley, with one of 137 precincts and vote by mail ballots counted, according to figures released by the Secretary of State's Office.

The special election was necessitated by Bob Blumenfield's election to the Los Angeles City Council in March.

Dababneh topped the field of seven Democrats, three Republicans and one candidate who declined to state a party preference in the Sept. 17 primary with 24.7 percent of the vote.

Shelley, who had been a writer and associate producer of the television game show "Jeopardy!" was second with 21.1 percent.

Because no candidate received a majority, a runoff was required.

Shelley told City News Service she ran because "things are not OK in California" and it feels "somebody has to do something about it."

"Kids can't get jobs when they come out of school that will pay off their student loans," Shelley said. "People are being cut back to part-time and part-timers are having their hours cut."

Dababneh, who could not be reached for comment, said on his website he ran "to ensure future generations will continue to look to California as my great-grandparents did as a place of hope, opportunity and prosperity."

"As a fourth-generation Valley resident, I am ready to be an advocate for the people, businesses and organization that call the Valley home," Dababneh said. "As a fourth-generation Californian, I know that a better California can start right here in the West San Fernando Valley."

Shelley said "many people" told her to run for the Assembly after she finished fifth in the seven-candidate field in the 2012 primary for the 30th Congressional District seat, receiving 4 percent of the vote.

"I looked at what was going on in Sacramento and I saw that they were right," Shelley said. "The government is mismanaged.

"They say that they have a balanced budget or even a surplus and that's not true. They're not looking at how underfunded the teachers' pension is, how underfunded (the California Public Employees' Retirement System) is and most of all, they're not looking at the money we're borrowing from the federal government to pay unemployment claims."

Dababneh has called for reducing "red tape obstacles stunting economic growth"; empowering "a green economy" though energy rebates and tax credits; "financing public infrastructure and private development that promotes a healthy climate for jobs, contributes to a strong economy and improves California communities."

Dababneh said he also supports extending and increasing tax credit programs for movie and television productions, including making animated films and television pilots eligible for tax credits and supports stricter laws to combat piracy.

"I will work every day to make sure the Valley remains the heart of the entertainment industry and continues to provide our friends and neighbors with good paying middle class jobs," Dababneh said.

If elected, Shelley said she would support reducing the requirement of AB 32, passed in 2006, of 33 percent of the electricity sold in California in 2020 come from clean sources of energy to 20 percent.

The higher requirement "is very destructive," resulting in higher electricity costs for businesses and homeowners, Shelley said.

"We have this situation where we're making ourselves uncompetitive," Shelley said. "We're costing people a lot of money. What are we accomplishing by that?"

Dababneh said he is "committed to protecting our environment" and "will do everything in my power to not only protect the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, but all of the open spaces in the San Fernando Valley."

"I will help California remain a leader in regulating motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and requiring higher fuel economy standards," said Dababneh, who touted his endorsements from former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, and actor Ed Begley Jr.

"I support investing in clean energy and will champion efforts to replace use of gasoline with new clean technology."

Shelley said she would like to stop the "toxic climate of lawsuits" in California.

"Every year the Assembly or the Senate is introducing proposals to make it easier to sue businesses over something," Shelley said. "This creates across the country a sense California is business unfriendly. Even if they those things don't pass, every year they're reintroduced and there's always the threat."

Shelley said she would oppose all the efforts in the Legislature to reduce Proposition 13's thresholds to pass bonds or approve parcel taxes.

Dababneh said he is "committed to protecting Proposition 13," the landmark property tax reduction measure approved by voters in 1978, "and making sure homeowners are not subject to oppressive taxes."

The district includes all or portions of Canoga Park, Encino, Northridge, Reseda, West Hills, Winnetka, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and the Ventura County community of Bell Canyon.