21 candidates file for retiring Waxman’s congressional seat

Twenty-one would-be successors to longtime Rep. Henry Waxman completed the paperwork to run for the seat he is giving up when his term ends, according to Los Angeles County elections officials.

The field to succeed Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) includes 11 Democrats, four Republicans, one Green Party member, one Libertarian and four candidates unaffiliated with any party. The party affiliation, or lack thereof, of one candidate remained unclear Wednesday night.

Some candidates waited nearly until the 5 p.m. filing deadline to turn in their papers Wednesday. The county registrar-recorder still has to verify that all the filings are in order before sending them to the secretary of State, which must certify the candidates.

County Registrar Dean C. Logan said his staff hopes to have any needed corrections and other updates made by midday Thursday.

But there’s no doubt this will be a very crowded June 3 primary. Some of the candidates already have held elected office in the area, including state Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and former Los Angeles City Controller and Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, a Democrat.

Also among the better-known candidates are spiritual teacher and bestselling author Marianne Williamson, an independent, and journalist and radio co-host Matt Miller, a Democrat.

The three other independents are TV producer/director Brent Roske, who was the first to formally declare his intention to run; lawyer Tom Fox and Charles Edward Lincoln III, who did not have a ballot designation.

The other Democrats who completed their paperwork are producer/entrepreneur/historian Vince Flaherty, businessman/entrepreneur James Graf and social worker/professor Kristie Holmes; also, defense counsel/entrepreneur David Kanuth, human rights attorney Barbara Mulvaney, educational equality advocate Zein E. Obagi Jr., sports executive/filmmaker Michael Shapiro and Karl Siganporia, who did not have a ballot designation.

The 33rd Congressional District, which stretches from the Westside and Malibu through the Palos Verdes Peninsula, is strongly Democratic. But that hasn’t stopped some Republicans from joining the race.

The GOP candidates are Deputy Dist. Atty. Elan Carr, a gang prosecutor; attorney/chief executive Lily Gilani; actor/director/producer Patrick Kilpatrick and Kevin Mottus, who did not have a ballot designation.

Environmental technician Michael Ian Sachs is the one candidate from the Green Party. Libertarian Mark Matthew Herd, a Los Angeles neighborhood council member, also is running.

Under the state’s new primary system, only the two top finishers in June, regardless of any party affiliation, will advance to the November general election.

ALSO:

Gov. Brown takes swipes at GOP, praises labor unions

Republican state senators block campaign disclosure bill

California GOP has $13.6-million plan to block Democratic supermajorities

NOTE: An earlier version of this post listed David Kanuth as leaving his party preference blank on his filing form; that was an error on the part of election officials that the county registrar has since corrected; as noted above, Kanuth is a Democrat.

jean.merl@latimes.com

Twitter: @jeanmerl