Candidates for Schiff’s seat in U.S. Congress spar at debate
Super Tuesday is March 5 — Vote!
Super Tuesday is here!
Technically, the presidential primary election is Tues., March 5, but for many residents, their choices have been made, with ballots marked and in the mail.
For everyone else, there are still a few days to ponder critical electoral contests —by March 5, including the conclusion of the presidential primary in California.
For local readers, the most interesting and contentious races probably are two — the one for the 30th District U.S. Congress seat long held by U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (now running for U.S. Senate) and the Los Angeles County District Attorney race, where 11 candidates are challenging the incumbent, George Gascón. Some Larchmont Chronicle readers also get to vote for a city councilmember for Council District 10 and/or a Los Angeles County Supervisor for District 2.
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES (10 of the 15) for California’s District 30 spoke on Feb. 10 at The Ebell and included (alphabetically, left to right) Francesco Arreaga, Alex Balekian, Steve Andraé Dunwoody, Mike Feuer, Laura Friedman, G. “Maebe” Pudlo, Nick Melvoin, Anthony Portantino, Jirair Ratevosian and Sepi Shyne.
U.S. Congress seats
Adjoining the highly contested 30th California Congressional District are Districts 34 and 37. Both have incumbents. Jimmy Gomez is running again in his Congressional District 34, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove is running again in her District 37.
Note the Letter to the Editor in this issue where a campaigner for a challenger for the Gomez 34th District seat — democratic socialist David Kim, who almost beat Gomez in 2022 — takes the Chronicle to task for ignoring her candidate in our last issue.
For most local voters in Greater Wilshire and Mid City, there are two local elections where their votes make the biggest difference, each election featuring a multitude of candidates: the California 30th District House of Representatives seat long held by, and being vacated by, Adam Schiff, and the District Attorney seat currently held by George Gascón.
Adam Schiff seat
Ten of the fifteen candidates seeking the 30th Congressional District seat — held by Adam Schiff since 2000 — appeared on the stage of the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 10, and those 10 are pictured above. Top contenders in the race include former city attorney Mike Feuer, state Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Los Angeles Unified School District board member Nick Melvoin and state Sen. Anthony Portantino.
The remaining 11 candidates in this race are: Josh Bocanegra, G. “Maebe” Pudlo, Francesco Arreaga, Sal Genovese, Jirair Ratevosian, Steve Andrae Dunwoody, Sepi Shyne, Alex Balekian, Emilio Martinez, Erskine Levi and Ben Savage.
Visit lavote.gov for more information.
District Attorney seat
Eleven candidates are challenging incumbent Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who was elected in 2020. Some of the challengers are from his own office. Like other county and City of Los Angeles races, the D.A.’s election is nonpartisan.
In the running against Gascon are: Eric Siddall, Jonathan Hatami, Maria Ramirez, John McKinney, Nathan Hochman, Debra Archuleta, Jeff Chemerinsky, Lloyd Masson, Craig Mitchell, David S. Milton and Dan Kapelovitz.
City Council
The only local Los Angeles City Council contest (even-numbered council districts this time) is for CD 10, along the southern and eastern borders of the Larchmont Chronicle readership area.
Running as the incumbent in this nonpartisan race is Heather Hutt, the appointed replacement for her convicted predecessor, Mark Ridley-Thomas. Also seeking this City Council seat are Eddie Anderson, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Aura Vásquez and Grace Yoo.
Board of Supervisors
The County Board of Supervisors contest on the ballot locally is for District 2 in the southern part of the Chronicle readership area.
This also is a nonpartisan race, and the incumbent running for reelection is Holly J. Mitchell. Challenging her are Katrina Williams, Clint D. Carlton and Daphne D. Bradford.
California Legislature
In the State Assembly, two local seats seem secure, with Rick Chavez-Zbur (Assembly District 51) and Isaac Bryan (Assembly District 55) running for reelection.
In the 54th Assembly District, which includes a bit of the southeast corner of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council area, there are three candidates running for the seat currently held by Miguel Santiago, who is running for the Los Angeles City Council in the Downtown 14th Council District seat now held by Kevin de León, who is running there for reelection. Of the three candidates for Santiago’s Assembly District 54 job, Mark Gonzalez has virtually all of the Democratic establishment endorsements.
U.S. Senate and more
Statewide, there are 27 candidates running for the vacant U.S. Senate seat of the late Dianne Feinstein, and there are two ballot propositions to be voted upon locally (one state and one City of Los Angeles measure).
Statewide Proposition 1 will raise bond money and is controversial. City of Los Angeles Measure HLA is controversial because it could require spending unbudgeted local dollars on things like street narrowing (known as “road diets”).
There also are 23 candidates trying to be selected as nominee for the position of President of the United States.
Learn more about voting from the Secretary of State at:
Story by John Welborne and Suzan Filipek
Category: News