Preemptive strike in CD 12

Mitch Englander, the chief of staff to City Council member Greig Smith and a longtime City Hall figure, has landed the first press release of the next race for City Council — in 2011. It lets anyone else thinking of running in the 12rth district, or raising money, know that Englander has the backing of Smith, City Controller Wendy Greuel, Sheriff Lee Baca, neighboring council member Dennis Zine, Valley power brokers Bert and Jane Boeckmann and former Assemblymember Keith Richman, who won the election for shadow mayor of the Valley in the 2002 secession vote. The release also makes prominent mention of chief campaign strategist John Shallman, whose clients have included Greuel, City Attorney Carment Trutanich and DA Steve Cooley.