'TURF FIGHT' BREWS RIVAL LATINO FACTIONS EYE OPENING IN ASSEMBLY.

Byline: Beth Barrett Staff Writer

The looming fight over filling Tony Cardenas' state Assembly seat in the Northeast San Fernando Valley pits rival Latino political factions in a battle for power that could have long-term implications for local and citywide politics.

At the center of the battle is the ambitious James Acevedo, who as a businessman and political consultant has gathered enormous power in the Northeast Valley and raised concerns among many that he is building a Latino political machine along the lines of The East Los Angeles Community Union, commonly known as TELACU.

While Acevedo isn't formally involved in the 39th District Assembly race so far, he has played and continues to maintain a leading role in the creation and sustenance of the power structure that provides the context for the race.

Acevedo has played key roles in the political careers of Cardenas, City Council President Alex Padilla, state Sen. Richard Alarcon and most members of the City Council in San Fernando. And now he is bidding to expand his base by helping Cardenas get elected to the Los Angeles City Council and backing top Cardenas aide Yolanda Fuentes to replace him in the 39th Assembly seat.

But he faces a major challenge from Alarcon and San Fernando Mayor Cindy Montanez, both of whom have fallen out with Acevedo in recent years and now are trying to wrest control of the Assembly seat.

``It's a turf fight,'' a source close to the race said, asking for anonymity because of the bitterness of the fight. ``It would be troublesome from a machine standpoint not to have a candidate supported by Alex or Tony in their back yard.''

Acevedo offers an innocent view of his role and denies he is building a political machine, saying he's focused on community activism just like Padilla and Cardenas.

``I think people with like views in a like area with like areas of interest end up supporting each other,'' Acevedo said. ``My interest has always been community politics. Tony's, after college, became community politics; Alex's parents were community activists.''

Crucial March vote

Montanez and Fuentes face off in the March Democratic primary, which is tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic district.

Oddly, they have so much in common it would be hard to distinguish them except for the war between their backers. Both are 27 and single, come from strong labor families who sent them to college and groomed them early for leadership roles in their communities.

Both woman say they're running as independent candidates with strong ideas of their own, free of their backers and mentors.

``I'm an individual, not a military sergeant. I'm not going to march (for anyone),'' said Fuentes during a recent interview at a North Hollywood cafe. ``Rumors that the old guard, that men are controlling this are absolutely not accurate.''

Montanez in an interview at her campaign office in the city of San Fernando said, ``I don't play into machine politics. I don't think they represent the best interest of the constituents at large.''

She said constituents care more about issues, and that it's no longer the case that a couple of individuals control the Northeast Valley.

``It's very grass roots,'' Montanez said of the community and campaign.

Many people, she said, ``when you say James Acevedo say, 'Who's that?' It goes beyond one individual.''

The battle is shaping up in a corner of the Valley that includes some of the city's poorest and most underserved communities - an area that only elected its first Latino state senator in 1998 and now has three legislators, with more likely to come as the Valley's demographics change.

The contest was joined in earnest last month when Fuentes, Cardenas' district director and manager of his ill-fated campaign for state secretary of state, announced her candidacy right at the filing deadline. A few days later, the third Democratic candidate in the race, San Fernando City Councilman Richard Ramos, dropped out.

Ramos, whose campaign was being coordinated by Acevedo and who had the backing of Cardenas and Padilla, said he quit for personal reasons although there was wide speculation that Fuentes was drafted to replace him to pose a stiffer challenge to Montanez.

``I think they were looking for somebody. Obviously they supported Richard Ramos' candidacy, but he dropped out,'' Alarcon said.

Alarcon, D-Van Nuys, said he's backing Montanez, his former Los Angeles City Council intern, because she's a strong leader and ``independent thinker.''

``She's not unwilling to stand up against the tide when she believes something is not in the best interest of the community,'' Alarcon said, noting her list of endorsements that includes legislators, unions and the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

Cardenas, D-Mission Hills, said Fuentes entered the race because of her commitment to the community, not to try to stop Montanez.

``When Richard (Ramos) confided that for personal reasons he had decided to step away, Yolanda said she'd like to do it,'' Cardenas said. ``She has an outstanding work ethic.''

Padilla also is endorsing Fuentes, while Acevedo said if he decides to endorse at all, he'll back her, too.

Padilla, who once worked as Cardenas' deputy himself, said he's known Fuentes and her family for a long time, attending the same high school and church. Her nephew, Felipe Fuentes, used to work for Padilla, and was appointed deputy mayor for the Valley by Mayor James Hahn.

A `no brainer'

While Padilla said he respects Montanez, backing her San Fernando City Council race, he said supporting Fuentes was a ``no brainer.''

``Yolanda has a passion to empower the community,'' Padilla said. ``She was born and raised in Pacoima like I was. I know everyone has a different answer, but for me the choice is simple.''

Acevedo, who has won wide respect for his ability to run strong ground campaigns to win over voters and get them to the polls, is backing Cardenas' bid for a Los Angeles City Council seat against Wendy Greuel. Alarcon has not taken a position in the race to succeed Joel Wachs, who resigned.

Acevedo, who recently moved to Sherman Oaks, helped run Montanez's council race, helped elect Alarcon to both the Los Angeles City Council and state Senate, helped Cardenas in his political campaigns, and helped deliver the Northeast Valley to Hahn - for which he was rewarded with an appointment to the commission overseeing the city's most valuable asset, Los Angeles Harbor, the nation's busiest port.

Since 1999, however, the political interests of the community have been divided between Alarcon, who backed Corinne Sanchez in the Los Angeles City Council race that year against Padilla, who was backed by Cardenas and Acevedo.

``I was very disappointed that Richard Alarcon did not support Alex,'' Cardenas said. ``Ever since then, I've been closer with Alex than with Alarcon.''

Acevedo added: ``I wish the world would change up there. He (Alarcon) can't get over he lost the council race. He should get over it.''

Padilla said he's forgiven Alarcon, whose Senate campaign he worked on, for not backing his candidacy. ``We've worked together (since).''

Alarcon, the first Latino to be elected to the City Council and the legislature from the Valley, and Acevedo met recently to try to mend fences but remained on opposite sides because of their dispute over the 39th district seat.

``Knowing Richard as long as I do, he wants to get his way, that's all,'' Acevedo said.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) MONTANEZ

(2 -- color) FUENTES

(3 -- 4) Democrats Yolanda Fuentes, left, and Cindy Montanez are seeking Tony Cardenas' Assembly seat, which represents residents of the Northeast San Fernando Valley.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer