Zine announces candidacy, then drops out of the race




Dennis Zine

Dennis Zine

Former Los Angeles City Council member Dennis Zine put his name in the running to represent California’s 45th Assembly District.

Monday, two weeks later, he was out.

The seat previously held by San Fernando Valley native Matt Dababneh became vacant after multiple women came forward last December and accused Dababneh of sexual assault and harassment.

A special election to fill Dababneh’s seat will be April 3. The winner will represent a legislative district that includes Calabasas, Hidden Hills and the greater San Fernando Valley.

The seat is up for election again in November as part of the 2018 regular election.

“After discussions with his family, (Dennis Zine) has decided to withdraw from this race and plans not to run a campaign and not raise or spend any money on this effort,” Zine campaign consultant Rick Taylor said in a statement.

The 70-year-old Zine—who filed as an independent— was an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for 28 years before entering politics. He served three terms on the Los Angeles City Council from 2001 to 2013. His last bid for office was L.A. City Controller in 2013, which he lost. Taylor said Zine had decided to run for the Assembly upon the encouragement of former constituents— but plans changed.

“I will be announcing shortly a great opportunity that has come my way at the professional level,” Zine said in a statement.

To win the seat, a candidate has to receive more than 50 percent of the April 3 vote.

If the special election doesn’t produce a winner, a runoff will be held as part of the June 5 primary.

According to reports, Zine was accused by a female officer of making inappropriate advances while he was in the L.A. Police Department. A police disciplinary board cleared Zine of all charges.

“The woman who made those allegations was fired three weeks later for making other false allegations,” Taylor said. “(Zine) won an election 16 years ago and the voters knew about it then. They rejected it and believed him. It should be put to rest, because he was cleared. We don’t want false allegations made and, in this case, it was a false allegation. He went through due process and he was cleared.”

Calabasas Councilmember James Bozajian said he was excited about Zine’s initial decision to run because it put the role of the independent back in the spotlight. He thought Zine had a chance.

“This is a very democratic leaning district,” Bozajian said. “But I think Zine can win. It’s extraordinarily rare for an independent to get anywhere in California. It just changes the balance, because the Democrats are on the cusp of losing their two-thirds majority.”

The April special election will also choose representatives to finish the terms of Raul Bocanegra and Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. Bocanegra, a Democrat representing California’s 39th district, also resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment. Democrat Ridley- Thomas, who represented the 54th district, stepped down from his office for health reasons.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Republicans called for State Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi and Christy Smith, who is running to represent the 38th District in the State Assembly, to return funds donated to them by Dababneh and Assemblymember Bocanegra, who also stepped down after being accused of sexual assault.

“Muratsuchi and Smith’s silence and willingness to accept political contributions from two disgraced Assemblymen speaks volumes,” said Zaira Cedano, executive director of the Republican Party of Los Angeles. “If Smith and Muratsuchi believe the women making the allegations, they should immediately condemn their former colleagues’ alleged actions and return all donations Dababneh and Bocanegra have made to their campaigns.”

A statement from the LA GOP office said that Dababneh donated $4,000 to Smith’s 2016 campaign for state Assembly.

“If I had in fact received funds in the 2016 cycle I would definitely return them,” Smith said. “I have to look in the records but it’s certainly something I don’t mind doing.”

A representative from Assemblyman Muratsuchi’s office said that any money received from Dababneh and Bocanegra had been donated to charity organizations after the two men were accused of sexual harassment.