Both Felipe Fuentes and Cindy Montañez have been persuaded to drop out of the 7th council district special election and make way for Richard Alarcon. I assume Fuentes will now get key backing to run for the state Assembly seat that Alarcon will vacate if he wins, but I wonder what the powers-that-be will do for Montañez. Cushy six-figure state post? They both say they will endorse Alarcon in the March primary and that no political deals were cut — but they both dropped out the same day. Former Alarcón staffer Monica Rodriguez says she's staying in, has hired John Shallman and has a fundraiser coming up with ex-mayor Richard Riordan.

Coverage: Robert Greene at the LAT's Opinion LA (scooping his own paper's reporters), Daily News, Times

Meanwhile: Activists David Hernandez and Ted Hayes filed suit to block Measure R, which — ironically — if struck down would probably mean that Alarcon would want to stay in the Assembly after all. DN

Edited post