Assembly Candidate Torie Osborn Picks Up Key Backer in 41st District Race

Liberal activist Torie Osborn received the backing of Assemblywoman Julia Brownley Sunday in her bid to be the next representative of the 41st state Assembly District, which includes Encino. Brownley, the 41st District's current representative, endorsed Osborn for the 2012 race at a campaign kickoff event in Pacific Palisades.  

"It was a very easy choice and a quick conclusion when Torie asked me," Brownley told the event attendees.

Osborn had already picked up several significant endorsements, including Sheila Kuehl (who was the 41st District representative from 1994 to 2000), Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl. 

"This is a big, big deal to have the sitting member give you her support," Kuehl said.

Osborn has worked in Villaraigosa's office and has known him since about 1991 when she headed the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. 

"Torie is a progressive, but she'll be able to reach out and work with people across the aisle too," Villaraigosa said. "On behalf of myself and anyone I have the tiniest influence over, I want to stand up for someone who wants to change the world."

Brownley introduced Osborn to a crowd of more than 100 supporters as a "seasoned candidate" with more than 40 years of experience working for social change. Osborn then outlined her priorities for change in California on the issues of education, the environment, health care and civil rights. She supports raising taxes to acheive these goals.

"I spent all those years fighting homophobia, it's time to fight taxophobia," Osborn said.

Osborn said she feels the time is right for to join the state Assembly.

"I've loved my decades of advocating for change mostly from the outside of government, but there is a season for everything and I feel called to this leadership role in these tough times," Osborn said.

The campaign event was a fundraiser for seed money for the year-long campaign leading up to the primary election in June 2010. Osborn's main opponent at this time is Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom, a fellow Democrat.

"What makes this impressive is not that this is a year out, but that people don't know exactly what the boundaries are going to be, yet despite that, people seem to be rallying around Torie," said Mike Bonin, Osborn's campaign advisor. "Torie is kind of a hero for L.A.'s progressive movement."

The  were released Friday. The proposal has Encino moving outside of the Democratic-dominated 41st Assembly District. In its current form, the district covers a wide area that includes portions of the Valley and Ventura County. The new plan has the district stretching along the coast from Malibu to Marina del Rey (the current boundary is on the south end of Santa Monica) with an inland attachment that includes new additions West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

The primary election is in June 2012. The top two vote-getters from that contest, regardless of party affiliation, will face off in the November general election. Brownley is not eligible to run due to term limits.