Leading California Democratic Strategist Kam Kuwata Dies
source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/leading-california-democratic-strategist-kam-k...
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Leading California Democratic strategist Kam Kuwata dies [Updated]April 11, 2011 | 12:39 pm
Kuwata Democratic political consultant Kam Kuwata’s body was found Monday inside his Venice condominium, but there was no evidence of foul play, police said.
Police went to his home after friends became concerned about his welfare, said Sgt. Ron Pickering of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Kuwata, 57, served as a key Democratic Party strategist for more than 25 years. He worked on the successful campaigns of former Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
He served as then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's program director for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Kuwata was at the heart of the effort in 2002 to defeat the secession of the San Fernando Valley from Los Angeles at the ballot box.
[Updated, 2:06 p.m.: "I am shocked to hear of the passing of Kam Kuwata," L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Monday in a statement. "Kam gave a lifetime to politics and public service.
"My prayers are with his family and large network of colleagues and friends during this difficult time."]
Read more about Kuwata at the Times' PolitiCal blog.
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EthicalVegan
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Leading California Democratic strategist Kam Kuwata dies at 57
April 11, 2011 | 11:59 am
Kam Kuwata, one of California’s leading Democratic political strategists and a droll wit whose lively quotes and keen analyses enlivened many campaigns and journalistic accounts of those races, has died. He was 57.
Kuwata’s body was found in his apartment in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday morning after friends and family grew concerned when they had not heard from him for several days. The cause of death was not immediately known.
Kuwata began his political career working in the mailroom for then-U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston. He worked for Cranston’s 1984 presidential campaign and established himself as one of the state’s best-known strategists — and most quotable voices — as the voluble spokesman for Cranston’s 1986 reelection campaign. Cranston ultimately edged out Rep. Ed Zschau after a close and hard-fought campaign.
Kuwata worked for then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein in her unsuccessful 1990 bid for governor, forging a relationship that lasted the rest of his life. After helping Feinstein win election to the U.S. Senate in 1992 he helped run several successful reelection efforts.
Other clients included Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka, former Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice). In 2008, he helped then-Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign team manage the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
"He was a great, smart, savvy political mind," said Bill Carrick, a Los Angeles-based Democratic strategist and Kuwata's longtime friend and campaign partner. "Even more important, he was one of the nicest people that ever worked in politics. Generous beyond compare."
Information on services was not immediately available.
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