Kelsey Mays
Staff Writer
With hometown dedication, a few lessons learned from Pepperdine and his parents at his side, junior Gregory Martayan continues to build his political resume. This comes despite a defeat in his bid last Tuesday night to win a seat in Los Angeles’ Fifth City Council District.
Martayan
Martayan, a Los Angeles native, lost to incumbent Jack Weiss, who won his second term with 72 percent of the vote. Challengers David Vahedy claimed 22 percent and Marta-yan, the remaining 6 percent.
Martayan began his campaign last October with 900 signatures — 400 more than City Hall required for candidate qualification. He entered the race at the advice of several community members, coupled with his own vision for stability and accountability in the position. His chief issue was safety and how existing officials managed only lackluster efforts to promote it.
“The city is not secure,” he said. “Police budgets have been cut and school resource officers have been pulled out of our schools. Violent crimes within our communities have not dropped, and neither has violent crime within our schools.”
Martayan served on governing boards and councils regarding national and local matters, leading him to meet national and international dignitaries. Among these many role models, he finds his father the favorite.
“He was never a politician, but he is the most honest and integrity-filled individual I know,” Martayan said. “He always taught me to ‘treat people the way you want to be treated,’ and I decided to turn that into a life of service.”
A second inspiration toward service was Pepperdine University. Martayan called Pepperdine’s motto, “Freely ye received, Freely give,” a source of guidance for his campaign.
“No matter where we were or what community we were in, the reason for us being there was to give that community a voice,” he said.
The Fifth Council District, stretching from near the 10 and 405 freeways interchange up to Encino, has about 260,000 residents. Weiss was widely expected to win the popular vote, although some speculated whether challenger Vahedy might pose a serious threat. Martayan, meanwhile, ran as the lone Republican candidate — though City Council candidates are officially undeclared, their party affiliation is implicit to many campaign insiders.
Dr. Stan Moore, a Pepperdine political science professor who taught Martayan in three classes, noted that he stood little chance as a Republican in that area.
“If he wants to win, he’ll have to change parties,” Moore said, but also noted he does “think (Martayan) will do better next time … He’s had a lot of wonderful positions most people wouldn’t get.”
Martayan is proof that students do not have to shy away from political activism because of their age; there is actually plenty of work college-aged individuals can do.
For those aspiring politicians, Pepperdine political science professor Dr. Chris Soper offers some advice.
“Be active in whatever local organization there is,” Soper said. “Go to (political) party meetings, do voluntary work for parties, get your foot in the door … work your way up the ranks to be successful. Hopefully, you’ll gain some support within the party.”
Martayan plans to run again after Weiss’ term is up. “My campaign has not disbanded,” he said. “We will continue to be a voice for those who need advocates.”
Moore saw the defeat as a stepping stone in Martayan’s political career. “At this age, most people who run know they are going to lose, but they still run to get their name out,” he said. “Greg learned a lot. It’s good experience, what he’s done. He’s got a long way to go, though.”
Weiss’ wide victory margin characterized most of the races in Los Angeles’ 15 districts; only in District 11 did the vote come close, where neither cable television executive Bill Rosendahl nor community activist Flora Gil Krisiloff were able to attain the required 50 percent majority, in a three-way race with attorney Angela Reddock. Rosendahl, with 45 percent of vote, will face off against Krisiloff, who received 41 percent, in a runoff vote May 17.
Also on May 17, incumbent Mayor James Hahn and City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa will face off for the city’s mayoral election. Neither was able to break the 50 percent vote requirement, but both led a pool of 12 candidates after last Tuesday’s election. Villaraigosa received 33 percent of the vote, while Hahn received 24 percent. Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg received 22 percent of the vote, while Councilman Bernard Parks received 13 percent.
Two ballot measures, Charter Amendments 1 and 2, both passed with solid majorities. Amendment 1 includes Port of Los Angeles police officers into the city’s fire and police pension plan. Amendment 2 modifies the fire/police pension plan to close over-excessive pensions.
03-17-2005
