Greuel to Run Unopposed for Council Seat

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel will be unopposed for reelection in March because her only challenger, soft-core adult film producer John Quinn, said Tuesday that he is pulling out of the race.

Quinn said that Greuel is fighting for the same Valley causes that led him to file candidacy papers for her seat.

“The more information I had and the more study I did on Wendy, I realized she was doing a lot of the things that I wanted to do,” said Quinn, who had filed a declaration of intent to run but has decided not to file a nominating petition by today’s 5 p.m. deadline.

He denied that his work as an independent director and producer for a Playboy Enterprises film division, and the potential controversy it might create with voters, were factors in his decision, even though a friend said he advised Quinn that his job would hurt his chances.

“I don’t think that affects people in the Valley,” Quinn said. “There are a lot of film community people in the Valley.”

Quinn, of Van Nuys, was executive producer of “Passion’s Cove,” an erotic series that Playboy made for HBO, and served as producer or director of such films as “Cheerleader Camp” and “Girl to Girl.” He said he has also worked on children’s programming.

The race for Greuel’s 2nd District seat would have been Quinn’s second run for municipal office. He ran for the 11th District seat on the council of the prospective San Fernando Valley city, which failed to materialize after the Valley secession proposal was rejected by voters Nov. 5. Even if secession had been approved, Quinn would not have won the council seat, having placed second among four candidates.

Frank Sheftel, who ran for a different Valley council seat Nov. 5 and supports Greuel in her reelection bid, said he advised Quinn that his career might become an issue for voters in Los Angeles’ 2nd District, an area extending from Van Nuys through Studio City and North Hollywood to Sunland-Tujunga.

Greuel, also a Van Nuys resident, was elected in April to fill the unfinished term of Joel Wachs, who left the council to head an arts foundation in New York.

A former executive with the film studio DreamWorks SKG, Greuel has won Quinn’s admiration by stepping up to fight runaway film production and to reform the scandal-plagued Entertainment Industry Development Corp., Quinn said.

Of the seven council seats on the March 4 ballot, it appears only Greuel’s will lack competition. Greuel said she was heartened by the lack of opposition to her reelection, which she attributed partly to the job she is doing.

Since her election, Greuel has personally supervised street repairs and cleanup efforts in her district and has championed the creation of a borough system in Los Angeles to encourage more localized decision-making.

She also proposed that the city consider buying the Studio City Golf and Tennis Center to prevent it from being redeveloped into senior housing.

“My goal when I was elected was to make sure the Valley is getting its fair share and has basic city services, and that’s what my focus has been ever since,” Greuel said. “I am pleased [Quinn] thought I can better spend my time during these coming months serving my district [than campaigning].”

Even though she will be unopposed, Greuel said she still plans to raise some money and send out political mailers to introduce her to voters in the district, which was redrawn in July so that 50% of the area is new to her council seat.