The Los Angeles County Business Federation on Thursday joined other local business groups and endorsed former Santa Monica councilman and Kennedy clan member Bobby Shriver in next month’s hotly contested election for a Valley-area supervisorial district. The business federation, or BizFed, also endorsed former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for another seat on the county board. “Each of these candidates has demonstrated the critically-needed experience to be proactive, pragmatic and visionary leaders,” said BizFed PAC Chair Laura Olhasso. “We believe these candidates have the skills to successfully lead our county government through the challenges it faces and to grow our economy and communities.” Solis is the presumed frontrunner to replace Gloria Molina in the First District, which includes East Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley and the Mid Cities area. She holds wide fundraising and polling leads over her two rivals. But Shriver is in a close race to replace Zev Yaroslavsky in the Third District, which ranges from the Westside and Agoura Hills all the way to Van Nuys, Universal City and San Fernando. It excludes the northwest Valley. Both sitting supervisors were forced out by term limits. Shriver is up against longtime frontrunner and former state legislator Sheila Kuehl. Shriver opted not to abide by campaign spending limits and has poured in at least $300,000 of his own money. The other leading candidates in the race include West Hollywood Mayor John Duran and former Malibu mayor Pamela Ulich. In endorsing Shriver, brother of former California First Lady Maria Shriver and son of the late Sargent Shriver, BizFed joins several other local business groups, including the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Kuehl has not won endorsements from business groups. Her support comes from unions and local Democrat and activist groups.
