Brad Smith: 'We Did the Best We Could'

Brad Smith, runner up for City Council in the 12th District, praised the other candidates in the race and offered guarded good wishes to Mitchell Englander, who won the seat from the northwest Valley.

"The other candidates deserve credit," he said on Wednesday, following his first day back at his job as a business development specialist for a Pasadena engineering firm. "As far as Mr. Englander, the city is going to be facing some incredible challenges. I hope he's up to it."

Smith did not immediately concede the election to Englander as the votes turned against him on Tuesday, in the hopes that there might be a runoff election.

Smith was heavily outspent by an opponent who raised more money than any other candidate in any of the City Council races. "We did the best we could with the resources we had," he said.

"Maria (Smith's wife) and I were incredibly heartened by the support and the kindness that our friends in the community gave us," he said. "All we wanted was to give people a choice and I think we did."

Smith said he had no regrets about entering the race. Asked whether he would run again, he said, "I haven't any idea."