45th Assembly District: Blumenfield vs. Kolski Election Results 2012

Update 10:30 p.m.: Although vote counting had barely begun, Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield Tuesday night was looking forward to continuing to serve in Sacramento.

"It's been great and I'm excited about the fact that I can go back and get this next budget done," he said to a crowd at the election night party he was sharing with U.S. Rep. Howard Berman at a Ventura Boulevard restaurant.

"I'm not going to give you a long speech today, but I just wanted to really, from the bottom of my heart ...  I just really want to thank all of you for being there time in and time out and being a part of it because nobody does this alone and we can't change California and we can't change the world alone but together we are all unstoppable."

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Democrat Bob Blumenfield, who is seeking to retain his seat in the 45th Assembly District, is also launching a campaign for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council.

He is opposed by "Liberty Republican" Chris Kolski who has criticized Blumenfield for seeking both offices.

Elected in 2008 to the District 40 seat, state redistricting has shifted Blumenfield's area into District 45. Kolski sees that as making Blumenfield vulnerable.

If Blumenfield is elected to both the Assembly and the Los Angeles City Council in March, a special election will be held to fill his state seat.

"I can walk and chew gum at the same time," Blumenfield told the Daily News.

Kolski criticized the cost of a special election.

Blumenfield has worked as a staff aide to U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley and Rep. Howard Berman. Blumenfield later worked for Berman as district director. The two shared campaigns for re-election, with both their names appearing on campaign signs. They are also having a joint vote-watching party Tuesday evening.

Kolski made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2010. He's currently chairman of the Los Angeles Republican Central Committee, and organizer for "The San Fernando Valley Ron Paul Campaign for Liberty."

Assembly District 45 covers central  San Fernando Valley, stretching from the 405 Freeway to Woodland Hills, north to Chatsworth and south past the 101 into the Santa Monica mountains.

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