Paul Krekorian | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2010 | |
| President of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office October 18, 2022 – September 20, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Nury Martinez Mitch O'Farrell (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Marqueece Harris-Dawson |
| Member of theLos Angeles City Council from the2nd district | |
| In office January 5, 2010 – December 9, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Wendy Greuel |
| Succeeded by | Adrin Nazarian |
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the43rd district | |
| In office December 4, 2006 – January 5, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Dario Frommer |
| Succeeded by | Mike Gatto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1960-03-24)March 24, 1960 (age 65) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Paul Krekorian on independent redistricting for theLos Angeles City Council Recorded October 26, 2023 | |
Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960) is anAmerican politician who has represented thesecond district on theLos Angeles City Council from 2010 until 2024. A member of theDemocratic Party, he served as thepresident of the Los Angeles City Council from October 18, 2022 to September 20, 2024. He was previously a member of theCalifornia State Assembly, representing the43rd Assembly district. Krekorian is the firstArmenian American to be elected to office in the city ofLos Angeles.
Krekorian was born inCalifornia'sSan Fernando Valley, as a third-generation San Fernando Valley resident. He is the son of JoAnn, aNorth Hollywood native, and Erwin Krekorian, a Marine Corps WWII veteran.[1] His father was ofArmenian descent and ran a small business on Saticoy Street inVan Nuys. Krekorian completed his primary education entirely within theLos Angeles Unified School District, graduating fromCleveland High School in Reseda.[2] As the first member of his family to attend college, Krekorian enrolled in theUniversity of Southern California, where he first became active in political causes. He worked with then-Assemblyman Tom Bane, became the campus organizer forJerry Brown's 1978 gubernatorial campaign and helped lead USC's Democratic student group. After graduating with a B.A. degree inpolitical science from USC, Krekorian went on to earn aJ.D. degree from theUniversity of California, Berkeley School of Law. Krekorian became an organizer forBill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and co-chaired the Saxophone Club, theDemocratic National Committee's nationwide young professionals group.
Krekorian practiced law, with a focus on business, entertainment, and intellectual-property litigation, at the firms Skadden Arps, Dewey Ballantine and Leopold, Petrich & Smith, and Fisher & Krekorian, where he was a name partner. He served on the board of trustees of the LA County Bar Association, the Board of Trustees of the LA County Law Library and the California State Legislature's Task Force on Court Facilities. In the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Krekorian was counsel to the Webster Commission and was appointed to the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. Krekorian has been praised for his efforts in preserving women's rights for his pro-bono work in the fight against domestic violence,[3] and a program he developed for at-risk youth, called GenerationNext.
Krekorian lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife Tamar and children Hrag, Andrew, and Lori.
Krekorian has served the San Fernando Valley for more than two decades, first as a member of the Burbank School Board and then as a California State Assemblymember. He served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council until he termed out in December 2024, representing District 2 in the southeast San Fernando Valley. Council District 2 includes the communities of North Hollywood, Studio City, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Toluca Lake, and parts of Sun Valley and Van Nuys.
Krekorian was also the founding president of the Democrats for Neighborhood Action.[4]
In a bid to succeed DemocratScott Wildman for the43rd State Assembly district, Krekorian, who resided inToluca Lake, faced two opponents in the race:[4]Dario Frommer, GovernorGray Davis's former Appointment Secretary (who resigned in order to run),[5] andUSC healthcare administrator John Hisserich.[6]
Krekorian was endorsed by the Democratic Party ofSan Fernando Valley and state senatorAdam Schiff; meanwhile, Frommer was endorsed by theCalifornia Democratic Party, city councilorAlex Padilla, andUnited Teachers Los Angeles.[6] Prior to the primary election, Frommer pulled an upset when he won the endorsement of theVerdugo Hills Democratic Club, which Krekorian was favored to receive due to his more senior membership in the club, by a margin of one vote.[4] In March 2000, Frommer defeated Krekorian by a narrow margin.[7]
In 2006, Krekorian was elected to the 43rd district of the California State Assembly, succeeding term-limitedAssembly Majority LeaderDario Frommer. During his first term in office, Krekorian held one of the best records in the Assembly with the highest number of bills signed into law by any freshman legislator.[8] He was named Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the State Assembly, the third ranking leadership position in the Assembly, by then-SpeakerKaren Bass. Krekorian's legislative priorities included making government more accessible and responsive, saving and creating jobs, protecting the environment and increasing public safety. He created the "Government at Your Doorstep" program in response to complaints about speeding, graffiti, and noise pollution in his district.[9] As the state battled to pass a balanced budget in early 2009, Krekorian authored a historic bill to ensure film and TV production in California stays local. His bill was the first successful tax incentive aimed at saving California jobs by addressingrunaway production. On-location feature production increased 9.1 percent in the second quarter of 2012, generating 160 production days in Southern California.[10] Krekorian also introduced legislation that restrictedplastic pollution in ocean run-off, expanded renewable energy generation for California public utilities and reduced carbon emissions. He worked closely with local police departments to reduce gang violence, along with crime in his district and throughout the state. In his first Assembly term, Krekorian's Weapons and Ammunition Nuisance Abatement Act of 2007 gave apartment owners greater latitude to evict tenants who harbor guns and ammo. That year, Krekorian also introduced and passed a bill to encourage participation with federal authorities to siphon off the state's stock of weapons.
On December 8, 2009, Krekorian won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, representingLos Angeles City Council District 2. He is the Chair of the city's powerful Budget and Finance Committee, the Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, and sits on the Energy, Climate Change and Environmental Justice Committee; Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee; Executive Employee Relations Committee; and the Board of Referred Powers. He also serves on the board of theLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) andMetrolink, and sits on the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments, a coalition of leaders advocating for the Valley's two million residents.
In 2012, Krekorian was tapped to lead the Budget and Finance Committee, inheriting the responsibility of overseeing a multi-billion dollar General Fund budget.[11] Since taking the helm, he has taken a "difficult but responsible approach to solving a $220 million deficit and enhancing the city’s solvency."[12]
Krekorian has advocated for expanding rail and bus transit in the Valley, including electrifying and eventually converting theG Line (Los Angeles Metro) to light rail,[13] completing the East Valley North-South Transit Corridor and Sepulveda Pass projects, linking the Red Line to the Hollywood Burbank Airport and connecting the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys by rail. He has also led the efforts to connect North Hollywood to Pasadena with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line.
On October 18, 2022, Krekorian was elected the president of the Los Angeles City Council following the resignation of former council presidentNury Martinez.[14]
His campaign officially began on July 10, 2009, when Krekorian officially announced his candidacy to fill the vacant District 2 seat in a special election. The primary was held on September 22, in which Krekorian placed first with 34% of the vote. A runoff was scheduled for December 8 and, aided by support from a number of public safety, environmental, and Democratic groups, includingLos Angeles Daily News,[15] the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City,[16] the Los Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club,[17] and the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, Krekorian soundly defeatedChristine Essel with more than 56% of the vote, despite being outspent 2–1 in overall campaign dollars and 13–1 in third-party political committee donations.
He was overwhelmingly elected to his first full term in 2011 and again in March 2015 and June 2020. In their editorial endorsing his March 2015 campaign, the Los Angeles Times called Krekorian "smart, knowledgeable" and a "voice for fiscal responsibility and responsive government."[18]
In response to the 2020Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Krekorian introduced a resolution in theLos Angeles City Council, stating that "The savage invasion of Artsakh is a blow against freedom, democracy and self-determination everywhere."[19]
In a joint letter regarding the2022 blockade of the Republic of Artsakh,[20] addressed to PresidentJoe Biden, Krekorian andMayor of Los AngelesKaren Bass demanded the following:
At an October 2022 fundraiser brunch forGALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society hosted byCalifornia State AssemblymemberAdrin Nazarian, Krekorian honored the organization with a proclamation.[21]
| California Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theCalifornia Assembly from the43rd district 2006–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theLos Angeles City Council from the2nd district 2010–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Mitch O'Farrell Acting | President of the Los Angeles City Council 2022–2024 | Succeeded by |
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