One of the hottest council races in recent memory is shaping up to replace 30-year L.A. City Council veteran Joel Wachs, who left last month to head the Andy Warhol Foundation in New York.

Earlier this month, six candidates filed to represent the San Fernando Valley district, which stretches from Studio City through North Hollywood and into the foothill communities of Sunland-Tujunga. But, with the election just eight weeks away on Dec. 11, attention has focused on the two front-runners: state Assemblyman Tony Cardenas and DreamWorks SKG executive Wendy Greuel.

“This is going to be a very close and tough race,” said Coby King, president of CrossPoint Advisors, a local political consulting firm. “I would expect a lot of nasty mailers hitting after Thanksgiving.”

Turnout in the holiday season election is expected to be low, around 20 percent.

Cardenas brings wider name recognition and was the early favorite when he first announced for the seat earlier this year.

But Cardenas has one major electoral trend going against him: he’s a state legislator, and Sacramento politicians from former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa to former state Sen. Tom Hayden all failed to win election to City Council posts earlier this year.

Plus, Cardenas has more than met his match in the fundraising department. Greuel has rasied more than $100,000 twice that of Cardenas.

In the end, this election may be most noteworthy as a test for someone not on the ballot: City Council President Alex Padilla. Before winning his own election in 1999, Padilla worked as an aide to Cardenas. Now, Padilla is pulling out all the stops to campaign for his former boss.

Rodriguez Returns?

Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, who is expected to officially announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in the first week of November, has been desperately trying to get his former communications deputy Noelia Rodriguez back on board.

Rodriguez orchestrated Riordan’s public appearances for six years before Riordan named her to head the local host committee for the Democratic National Convention. After what was widely regarded as a successful run at the DNC, Rodriguez took a couple months off and then was tapped as press secretary to First Lady Laura Bush.

Now Riordan is gearing up for his highest-profile campaign ever, and he wants his trusted confidante Rodriguez by his side..

Last week, Riordan spokeswoman Carolina Guevarra confirmed that Riordan was considering Rodriguez on a short list of candidates to become his campaign manager.

But, to no one’s surprise, Rodriguez reportedly has rebuffed her former boss. With Laura Bush assuming a much higher profile in the wake of the terrorist attacks and receiving kudos for it.

Staff Reporter Howard Fine can be contacted by phone at (323) 549-5225, ext. 227 or by e-mail at [email protected].