Braude Endorses Ex-Aide Miscikowski

Retiring City Councilman Marvin Braude has thrown his support behind his former chief deputy, significantly strengthening her position in the race to replace him.

Cindy Miscikowski initially had antagonized Braude, a powerful force in the district he has represented for 30 years, by declaring her intent to run against him in the April election. On Tuesday, however, she won not only Braude’s endorsement, but support from his longtime campaign manager.

“I’ll do whatever she asks me to do,” said Braude, who employed Miscikowski first as an aide and then as chief deputy for nearly 22 years.

The endorsement, said Democratic campaign consultant Howard Sunkin, “is the crown jewel” in a race like that in Braude’s 11th District, where nine candidates are vying for a seat left open by the veteran representative.

“There’s a deep love for Marvin Braude in that council district,” Sunkin said. “I think [voters] are going to listen to him.”

Meanwhile, an endorsement from Mayor Richard Riordan has not materialized for Miscikowski’s chief rival, onetime Riordan field deputy Georgia Mercer.

“There are no plans at this time for an endorsement in that race,” said Riordan press aide Jason Greenwald.

Miscikowski said she was pleasantly surprised by Braude’s endorsement, which came just a day after the deadline to file for office.

“He said he was going to withhold judgment until after filings closed,” Miscikowski said. “He talked to other candidates.”

The candidate said she regained her boss’ favor after he withdrew from the race.

“There was a little bit of awkwardness initially,” she said, “but I think we overcame it when Marvin made his decision not to run.”

Along with Braude’s nod came a decision by Steve Afriat, the councilman’s former campaign manager, to support Miscikowski. After Braude pulled out of the race, Afriat said, he called Miscikowski and told her he would back her. He is also considering working in her campaign.

Candidate Mercer, a former San Fernando Valley field representative for Riordan, met with Braude in hopes of gaining his endorsement, said her campaign manager, Larry Levine. But he and Mercer are not very surprised--or worried--that the nod went to Miscikowski.

“I don’t think the election is Marvin Braude’s to hand off to anybody,” Levine said. “In a highly visible campaign like this, the voters have too much information to be swayed much by endorsements.”

Those who think endorsements are all, Levine said, need look no further than the failed campaign of Barbara Yaroslavsky, who ran unsuccessfully to replace her husband, Zev, in the 5th City Council District in 1995. She was bested by Mike Feuer.

Mercer has won other endorsements, Levine said, including that of retired Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills). An endorsement from Riordan is not expected to materialize, Levine said, because the mayor is concentrating on his own reelection campaign.

“I imagine the mayor’s advisors are telling him to stay out of other people’s fights,” he said.