GLENDALE–Paula Devine emerged as the winner of the Glendale City Council race Tuesday garnering 5,111 votes or 33.69 percent. Armenian National Committee of American Glendale chapter’s endorsed candidate Vartan Gharpetian came in second with 3,338, according to results published by the Glendale CIty Clerk.
Devine will fill the lone seat being vacated by Councilman Frank Quintero, who was appointed to the seat after then City Councilman Rafi Manoukian was elected City Treasurer.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the other candidates, Rick Barnes, Chahe Keuroghelian and Mike Mohill received 3,141, 2,074 and 1,508 votes respectively, according to results posted by the Glendale City Clerk.
Paula won with 5,111 votes.
3,338 (Vartan) + 2,074 (Chahe) = 5,412 and Armenian candidates lost.
Am I doing the right math?
This assuming every Chahe voter transfers their vote to Vartan. I don’t think it’s that simple. If voters are only interested in a candidate because of his racial background, then there is something seriously wrong. if that is really the case in our community, then let the best man (or woman) win because the winner will truly represented a broader base. Otherwise, our democratic system will erode to cronyism as seen in many parts of the world..
Chahe is the physical embodiment of an Armenian phenomenon, and something that has for some time now, hindered the advancement of Armenians as a people and a political force: driven by greed, and the egocentric self-promotion of oneself instead of the candidate or individual who is most electable or best suited for an office or position. His actions once again demonstrate just how destructive the Armenian ego is for the collective, and just as he has done before, Chahe’s candidacy has once again prevented another Armenian from taking a City Council seat in a city that is 40% Armenian. I am 100% sure he is getting paid to run for office every year and divide the Armenian vote.
You nailed this one on the head.
As a previous candidate for office and a city activist for 12 years, I have a different take on this issue. In years past Armenian candidates garnered a little over 50% of the vote. This time though the combined total for Gharpetian and Keuroghelian made up about 36% of the results. Still a proportionately high turnout given that city-wide Armenians make up about 30% of the population and a significant lower citizenship rate.
So if the Armenian voters had come out to vote in the same numbers as years past, any candidate winning over 50% of the Armenian vote would have won the election.
The way I see the Armenian voting trends, you have those living south of the 134 freeway living in crowded neighborhoods with heavy traffic and lack of parkland, and those homeowners living in more affluent neighborhoods of single family homes. Chahe speaks for the former and Vartan for the latter. These are two very distinct demographics with different needs. Any thought that Chahe’s constituents would vote for Gharpetian does not make sense unless Voting “Armenian” is the only thing that matters, and assumes the voters don’t think.
The city government spent a considerable effort in the Get Out The Vote with door tags. That effort got the word out to homeowners not renters. You can’t access apartments in buildings with restrictive access. That, is my take, on how the current city government helped skew the results. Homeowners are primarily non-Armenian, and those Armenian home owners would probably not see the appeal of Mr. Keuroghelian so directly. So Paula Devine wins the non-Armenian vote, and Gharpetian the Armenian homeowner vote. Since your outvoted, Devine wins.
A candidate needs to win the appeal of the entire community; not just one group. The days that an Armenian American can win a seat on the council with only the Armenian vote is over. A younger generation of Armenian Americans can do that. We are after all first members of a community. We should look into how we can unite all the communities. Only then would a candidate emerge that would appeal to the community at large. Vartan is a good guy I was hoping he would win.
I Agree with “We are after all first members of a community. We should look into how we can unite all the communities”
Chahe demonstrates the total weakness and the non existence of a collective Armenian agenda in the diaspora that is known by our enemies very well. One individual can cause so much harm for so long to a community and nothing can be done about it? The Armenian leadership, if there is one, should pack up and leave to wherever they can go to but they have no business in Glendale.
Congratulations Paula. Wish you all the best as you represent all citizens of Glendale.