Anthony Portantino

Anthony J. Portantino
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 44th district
In office
December 6, 2006 – November 30, 2012
Preceded by Carol Liu
Succeeded by Chris Holden
Personal details
Born 1961
Long Branch, New Jersey
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Alma mater Albright College

Anthony J. Portantino is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly.

Political Career

Assemblyman Portantino served two terms on the La Cañada Flintridge City Council, from 1999 until 2006. There, he was mentored by now State Senator Carol Liu, who endorsed him to succeed her in the California State Assembly.[1]

At the request of the Screen Actors Guild in 2010, Portantino proposed an anti-gatecrashing law that would make party crashing a misdemeanor with punishments being up to six months in jail, or a $1,000 fine, or both. He said that party crashing posed a threat to public safety.[2]

In 2011, Portantino introduced legislation banning open carry of firearms, even if unloaded,[3] and introduced legislation to remove tattoos from victims of forced prostitution.[4]

After his term finished in the California State Assembly, Portantino initially stated that he would run for Congress against David Dreier, even though the district had yet to be drawn.[5] He later contemplated a run against Senator Carol Liu in State Senate District 25 [6] but opted against it, citing personal reasons.[7] In 2013, Portantino began actively campaigning to fill the seat of Senator Liu, who will be forced out of the District 25 position by term limits in 2016.[8]

Controversy

In 2013, Portantino endorsed Zareh Sinanyan for City Council in Glendale.[9] That same year, it was discovered that Sinanyan had made several racist and homophobic remarks online, using slurs to describe gays, threatening rape, making fun of Mexican-Americans, and calling people of African descent, "monkeys."[10][11] Sinanyan apologized for doing so, however the controversy caused most of Sinanyan's supporters to withdraw their endorsement of him, except for Portantino.[12][13] Sinanyan has subsequently endorsed Portantino, who is running against a woman of African American heritage.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Liu Endorses Portantino for Assembly". La Canada Valley Sun. 2005-10-13. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  2. ↑ Closing the door to gate crashers Los Angeles Times, 2010-08-14.
  3. ↑ Miller, Terry (April 12, 2011). "Portantino’s Bill Banning "Open Carry" of Handguns Passes Key Committee". Pasadena Independent. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  4. ↑ "Portantino's Tattoo Removal Bill Passes Legislature". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  5. ↑ Abendschein, Dan (2011-06-07). "Portantino Preparing for 2012 Congress Run, But Will He Face David Dreier? - Government". Sierra Madre, CA Patch. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  6. ↑ Kellam, Mark (2011-12-14). "Portantino struggles to find political footing". Glendale News-Press. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  7. ↑ Kellam, Mark and Joe Piasecki (2012-01-19). "Portantino bows out of senate race". Pasadena Sun. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
  8. ↑ Gold, Lauren (2013-06-27). "Anthony Portantino kicks off run for State Senate". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
  9. ↑ http://asbarez.com/108162/portantino-endorses-sinanyan-for-glendale-city-council/
  10. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/01/local/la-me-ln-glendale-councilman-apologizes-20130501
  11. ↑ http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2015/09/26/admitted-racist-homophobic-glendale-mayor-zareh-sinanyan-supporting-montebello-mayor-jack-hadjinians-election-campaign/
  12. ↑ http://www.dailynews.com/article/ZZ/20130403/NEWS/130409696
  13. ↑ http://tropicostation.blogspot.com/2013/03/adam-schiff-withdraws-sinanyan-city.html
  14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhOTvfZMrqM

External links

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