Report: Zine in Race for Dababneh Seat

Former Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine is running for an Assembly seat representing the west San Fernando Valley, according to media reports. Zine’s entry in the race brings to seven the number of candidates running to fill the 45th District position vacated by Matt Dababneh, who resigned in December after being publicly accused by a lobbyist of sexual misconduct and other inappropriate behavior. Dababneh has denied the allegations. Zine, who served on the council from 2001 to 2013, made his announcement official when speaking with a reporter from the Daily News, according to the newspaper. Zine told the Daily News that his decision to enter the contest is “born of frustration” about crime, homelessness and freeway gridlock. The special primary is on April 3. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes, a runoff will take place June 5, which is also the date of primaries for regular state elections. Also running to fill the last year of Dababneh’s term are Democrats Jesse Gabriel, Tricia Robbins Kasson, Daniel Brin, Ankur Patel and Raymond Bishop; and Justin Clark, a Republican. Zine filed to run as an independent, according to the Daily News.