Mike Newhouse launches council bid with rally by the beach
By Nick Antonicello
Mike Newhouse, the popular Venice local and former two-term president of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc.org) was favorably received Tuesday evening with a “meet and greet” as he launched his bid to succeed outgoing Councilman Mike Bonin in a race that is crowded and controversial.
A proud Venetian for 25 years, Mike and his wife Ruthie are homeowners on Harrison Avenue, and their two school-age sons, Holden and Dylan and a family dog named Marley.
Newhouse has been a community advocate for Venice for decades and is the founder of the Newhouse Law Group based in Century City where he employs a staff of eight. The firm’s expertise is land use and planning.
A board member for numerous volunteer, charitable and not-for-profit organizations, Newhouse filed 1,000 signatures Tuesday with the LA City Clerk’s Office and announced he has financial commitments for over $100,000 in campaign donors and contributors in just a few weeks in the race.
Newhouse will be having a campaign fundraiser March 12th here in Venice at the eclectic “Lantern House” and he announced Tuesday evening he will be running a “positive, issue-oriented campaign because in these difficult times that’s what residents, stakeholders, homeowners, tenants and the business community want and demands.”
Newhouse described himself as a “candidate of consensus, a leader who listens with a demonstrated track record of getting things done for the community.”
With about 125 supporters and friends in attendance, many of them recognizable Venice community activists, board members and neighbors, Mike and his musical band launched into a series of songs for the crowd and then took questions from anyone who had one for the newly minted council hopeful.
An accomplished musician, Mike has served as the MC for the annual Venice Sign Lighting, recognized as the #1 holiday event here in Dog Town which was revived in 2021 in wake of the COVID pandemic with about 1,000 in attendance.
Newhouse talked passionately how removing the homeless from the streets of Venice and the rest of CD-11 was priority #1 should he become the district’s new council member.
Newhouse stressed this as his priority because everything else that needs to be accomplished hinges on fixing this public health crisis being addressed with compassion and care.
“We can do this in a dignified manner that alleviates what is happening on the streets while getting our public spaces cleared, cleaned and functional for all. We can do this with respect and we can do this together.”
For more information about the Newhouse campaign, visit www.NewhouseForLA.com
