VAN NUYS, Calif—On Tuesday, July 23, a special election will be held to elect a new Los Angeles City Councilmember to represent the City of Los Angeles’s 6th Council District, which encompasses the East San Fernando Valley neighborhoods of Panorama City and Lake Balboa along with parts of North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Arleta, and Van Nuys. In early June, the East San Fernando Valley chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA-SFVE) announced its endorsement of Cindy Montañez, a former California State Assembly-member, for the office.
“Cindy Montañez is the best qualified candidate who can bring all communities within the 6th Council District together to tackle the challenges that we currently face,” said Levon Baronian, Chairman of the ANCA San Fernando Valley East Chapter. “There are approximately 25,000 Armenians residing within the 6th Council District and about 100,000 Armenians in the eastern San Fernando Valley. Therefore, it is important for the ANCA-SFVE to endorse a candidate who will understand and cater to the needs and priorities of the local Armenian-American community, which is why we support Cindy Montañez.”
Avo Ovayan, a long-time leader of the East Valley Armenian community said that after meeting and getting to know both candidates for the office left vacant by Tony Cardenas, who was elected to Congress late last year, it came down to choosing the candidate “who could be counted on to be there for the Armenian-American community after assuming office.”
In addition to providing its endorsement, the ANCA-SFVE and its members have been supporting the Montañez campaign with phone-banking, canvassing, fundraising, and networking within the Armenian-American community. As a testament to the ANCA-SFVE’s grassroots appeal, a broad spectrum of ANCA-SFVE activists have volunteered their time and support to the campaign, including students, retirees, business-owners, and even a dentist.
“I’m extremely busy, but when the ANCA-SFVE asked me if I’d be willing to volunteer for Cindy’s campaign, I couldn’t refuse an opportunity to help elect someone who I think can really make a difference for the community,” said Dr. Lisa Baronian, a dentist from the East San Fernando Valley.
The ANCA-SFVE strongly urges all registered voters in the 6th Council District to vote for Cindy Montañez on Tuesday, July 23rd or, if they are registered to vote by mail, to mail out their absentee ballots immediately. The Armenian-American vote has the potential to become the determining factor in this tightly contested race. If you require assistance or need information regarding any voting-related matter, please contact the ANCA-WR office at (818) 500-1918. For more information about the ANCA-SFVE, please visit its website at www.ancavalley.org. The ANCA San Fernando Valley East Chapter is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization in the eastern San Fernando Valley.