Two vie with Rosansky for Newport council seat

There are two new potential candidates who could face off with incumbent Councilman Steve Rosansky in November.

Attorney Michael Alti of the law firm Jackson, DeMarco, Tidus & Peckenpaugh, which is the same law firm that represents Concerned Citizens of Newport Beach, pulled papers this week to consider a bid for City Council.

Alti did not comment on any potential issues regarding the city or Rosansky, but said he was thinking about running due to a perceived disconnect between the City Council and the citizens.

Concerned Citizens leader Denys Oberman said the news of Alti’s potential run came as a surprise and was in no way connected to her organization.

Despite that, Oberman spoke highly of Alti and said she would support him.

Even though Oberman said Alti’s potential run isn’t connected to Concerned Citizens, that didn’t stop Rosansky from linking the two together.

“I think we do a great job in reaching out to the community,” Rosansky said.

“I think that his view is somewhat tainted by the views of his clients, and I think it is not representative of what most people think or feel in the city.”

The other candidate trying to get her paperwork filed before the Friday deadline is Gloria Alkire.

Alkire, a Newport Beach resident since 1976, is a former superintendent of a school district in Bakersfield and prior to that taught in the Santa Ana Unified School District.

“The number of people who may be running is a concern, but the good in that is it gives people a choice, and I think that is important for people to have,” Alkire said.

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— Daniel Tedford