Results tagged “election” from Press Corps

City Council members Tonia Reyes Uranga and Patrick O'Donnell are endorsing Third District Long Beach Unified School Richard Lewis, his campaign announced today.

Lewis seems to be the chosen one for this seat to replace Michael Shane Ellis, who resigned. Council members Robert Garcia, Suja Lowenthal and Val Lerch, and the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce have also endorsed Lewis in the Dec. 29 special election.

Lewis, a financial controller, is a member of the Downtown Long Beach Associates' executive board and president of the East Village Association.

In case you're wondering who was behind those candidate endorsements announced Thursday by the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, keep reading.

The Chamber's Political Action Committee chose the endorsements, although only 10 of the 14 PAC members were able to attend candidate interviews, according to Chamber President and CEO Randy Gordon. Gordon said that PAC members are chosen by the existing PAC based on interviews with the Chamber members who are interested in joining.

Following is the list of the PAC members who were involved in the endorsement process, as provided by Gordon:

• Matt Kinley (Co-chairman of the PAC) - attorney with Tredway, Lumsdaine & Doyle, LLP
• David Neary (Co-chairman of the PAC) - president of WestLand Construction
• Randy Gordon (PAC secretary) - president and CEO of the Chamber
• Joanne Davis - president of Davis Group political consulting firm
• Lori Lofstrom - attorney for Holmes Lofstrom, PC
• Trini Jimenez - director of government affairs for Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co.
• Jerry Miller - managing consultant for IMC Municipal Consulting and former Long Beach city manager
• Joshua Owen - president of Ability/Tri-Modal, a trucking, warehousing and distribution company
• Jay Davis - president of Universal Healthcare Insurance Agency
• Nancy Ahlswede - executive director, Apartment Association, California Southern Cities

While the PAC membership includes a few notable names, the one that jumps out at me is Jerry Miller, former city manager and now lobbyist. Miller was (perhaps still is) working for Los Cerritos Wetlands owner Tom Dean to convince the City Council to engage in a deal to exchange the wetlands for several city properties. The still-unresolved deal is highly controversial and faced criticism from fiscal conservatives and environmentalists alike.

What's interesting is that council members Val Lerch and Gary DeLong both voted for the deal, and now the PAC of which Miller is a member has unanimously endorsed both of them. Meanwhile, Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, who was one of four council members to vote against the land exchange, didn't receive the Chamber PAC's endorsement, which instead chose to stay neutral in the 7th District race.

Is there a connection? It's hard to say. To be fair, the Chamber has endorsed DeLong and Lerch in the past, but has never endorsed Uranga. One could also argue that Miller's experience as city manager makes him an ideal PAC member to opine who should lead Long Beach. Still, DeLong also happens to be running against two vocal critics of the wetlands deal, Tom Marchese and Terry Jensen. I can't imagine Tom Dean would be too happy if he learned that Miller had endorsed one of them.

Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske is getting her re-election campaign rolling with a fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Cirivello's Pizza, 4115 N. Viking Way. It isn't exactly cheap pizza -- from $35 to $350 -- but I guess the money isn't really paying for food.

We haven't heard much from Schipske's only opponent so far -- Mike Hedges, president and CEO of Pacific Striping in Signal Hill. RSVP to www.schipske4council.com.

Assistant City Auditor James Johnson will kick off his campaign for the 7th District City Council seat at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at Necho's Restaurant, 2380 Santa Fe Ave. Johnson is one of four candidates so far in what should be an exciting and competitive race. Two-term 7th District Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga announced last week she is running for a third term as a write-in candidate. Also running are Jill Hill, president of the Wrigely Area Neighborhood Alliance, and Jack Smith, who works as a Hollywood line producer and is a local homeless and housing advocate.

To attend Johnson's campaign kickoff, RSVP to Mike by e-mailing RSVP@johnsonforcitycouncil.com or by calling 562-522-9096.

There's been much speculation about whether 7th District City Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga would run for a third term as a write-in candidate after her husband, Roberto Uranga, dropped out of the race two weeks ago. Now it's official (almost).

Uranga released a statement today that she will officially announce her re-election bid at a Thursday morning press conference. Uranga has been a staunch union supporter, and the release says that labor and community leaders will be joining her at the press conference. It will be interesting to see who has her back in what could be a very difficult race.

Running as a write-in creates a significant challenge for incumbents, with the only real local success story being then-Mayor Beverly O'Neill's successful write-in campaign in 2002. Long Beach's mayor and council members can only run for a third term as a write-in candidate. Uranga was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. Also running as a write-in next year is 9th District Councilman Val Lerch.

So far, the other candidates in the 7th District race are Assistant City Auditor James Johnson, who has already raised a sizeable campaign war chest; Jill Hill, co-president of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Association; and Jack Smith, who works as a Hollywood line producer and is a local homeless and housing advocate.

Uranga released the following statement today:

A write-in campaign is a difficult thing, and the decision to run was not made easily. But my heart is and has always been with the residents of the Seventh District. So, after encouragement from numerous community leaders, I decided to follow my heart.

I have never backed down from a challenge, and the next few years will be a real challenge for our city. This past year we passed a very lean budget for our city, and the economy does not look like it's going to get better any time soon. We have lost many of our residents and businesses to the economic downturn because of jobs and foreclosures.  Times have been difficult for working families and difficult times require bold and passionate actions.

Included in Uranga's press release was a statement of support from John Taeleifi, President of the West Long Beach Association:

We need a strong experienced leadership to get us through this critical time. Tonia has always been there for us, and we want to keep her there fighting for the District.

The next City Council election isn't until April, but it's never too early to start getting to know the candidates. 7th District council candidate Jill Hill, president of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance, is having a meet and greet event Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Bonanza Restaurant, 1810 W. Willow St.

The public is invited to the free event, and there will be appetizers and refreshments.

Running against Hill are Assistant City Auditor James Johnson and Jack Smith, a Hollywood line producer and local homeless and housing advocate. A third candidate, Long Beach City College Trustee Roberto Uranga, had been in the running, but he dropped out last week. However, his wife, 7th District Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, whose seat is supposed to open up next year, has said she may run for a third term as a write-in candidate.

Long Beach City College board member and 7th District City Council candidate Roberto Uranga has been elected vice chairman of the Association of Community College Trustees' national board of directors, he announced today. The nine-year member of the LBCC board member will be the next in line to head the ACCT in 2011. No Southern California member or Latino has ever led the ACCT board, Uranga said.

  Good news for Uranga and Long Beach, of course, but perhaps just another piece of candidate publicity in the slowly building fight for the 7th District seat to replace Uranga's wife, Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga.

Other candidates in the 7th District race are Assistant City Auditor James Johnson and Jill Hill, co-president of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Association; and Jack Smith, a Hollywood line producer and local homeless and housing advocate.

Neal Coonerty, Supervisor, Santa Cruz County

Dave Cortese, Supervisor, Santa Clara County

Ken Yeager, Supervisor, Santa Clara County

Ruth Uy-Asmundson, Mayor, Davis

John Heilman, Mayor Pro Tempore, West Hollywood

Pete Aguilar, City Councilmember, Redlands

David Benavides, City Councilmember, Santa Ana

Ryan Coonerty, City Councilmember, Santa Cruz

Kevin Dowling, City Councilmember, Hayward

Marlen Garcia, City Councilmember, Baldwin Park

Robert Garcia, City Councilmember, Long Beach

George Gastil, City Councilmember, Lemon Grove

Todd Gloria, City Councilmember, San Diego

Lamar Heystek, City Councilmember, Davis

Lindsey Horvath, City Councilmember, West Hollywood

Kevin McCarty, City Councilmember, Sacramento

Bill Quirk, City Councilmember, Hayward

Jose Medina, Trustee, Riverside Community College

Rachel Norton, Commissioner, San Francisco USD

Steve Ngo, Board of Trustees, City College of San Francisco

Viet Tran, Human Relations Commission, Riverside

Gary Alford, Chair, Fresno County Democratic Central Committee

Sergio Carrillo, CDP Regional Director, Region 17

Nick Caston, First Vice Chair, Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee

Robert Dobrich, Vice Chair, El Dorado County Democratic Central Committee

Lawrence DuBois, Chair, Placer County Democratic Central Committee

Cynthia Ellsmore, President, Sierra County Democratic Central Committee

Robert Golling, President, Rocklin-Roseville Area Democrats

Bruce Harmon, Vice President, Butte County Democratic Central Committee

Kimberly Haswell, Vice Chair, Placer County Democratic Central Committee

Jay Hubble, Vice Chair, Fresno County Democratic Central Committee

Leslye Janusz, Chair, Auburn Area Democratic Club

Robert Kalonian, President, West Hollywood Democratic Club

Ryan Loney, Vice Chair, Yolo County Democratic Central Committee

Ted Perle, California Democratic State Central Committee

Judy Pipkin, Voter Registration & Community Services Director, Santa Clara County Democratic Party

Mia White, President, Silicon Valley Young Democrats

The District Weekly reported over the weekend that Terry Jensen, a former Redevelopment Agency board member who gained recognition last year for opposing the Measure I infrastructure parcel tax, plans to run against Councilman Gary DeLong in the 3rd District. Jensen certainly gained a following among gadflies and council critics, but will he have enough support -- financially and otherwise -- to unseat DeLong?

Read the District's story here, and stay tuned for a follow-up by the Press-Telegram as well.

Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has announced on her Facebook page that she will have a campaign kick-off and fundraiser Sept. 12.

So far, Schipske only faces one challenger in next April's election, Mike Hedges, president and CEO of Pacific Striping in Signal Hill. Hedges is a political newcomer that so far hasn't drawn much attention to himself. Schipske, on the other hand, is a master at getting her name and face in the media, stirring up controversy and mobilizing her constituents.

A controversial figure, Schipske is often at odds with other council members, city management and especially Mayor Bob Foster. But she also has earned a reputation as one of the most active and responsive council members, staying in touch with East Long Beach residents and responding to their concerns. She maintains a blog as well to keep her constituents informed.

So far, I would consider Schipske a lock for a second term, but it is still very early in the campaign. Who knows what challengers might surface in the coming months, or what Hedges might bring to the table. While Schipske has much going for her, there is also enough controversy in her political history and a few decisions that have upset residents to become ammunition for challengers to use against her.

A political neophyte has pulled papers to run for the 7th District City Council seat, bringing to four the total number of potential candidates who hope to replace Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga.

Doug Seagraves, 52, a four-year 7th District resident and five-year Long Beach resident who has worked in public relations and acting but is unemployed following a battle with lung cancer, has filed his intent to run with the City Clerk's Office. Seagraves told me last week that he is an advocate for disabled veterans and the poor. He said he was prompted to run for office after seeing how state budget cuts and local cuts to the Police Department's Youth Services Division and truancy patrols are likely to affect 7th District neighborhoods.

"I'm tired of the powers that be balancing their budgets on the backs of the poor and the disabled," Seagraves said.

The other three 7th District candidates so far in next April's election are Roberto Uranga, a Long Beach City College trustee and husband of the current councilwoman; Jill Hill, of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance; and Assistant City Auditor James Johnson.

Last week Uranga officially kicked off his campaign.

I posted this a couple of weeks ago, but I'm bringing it back to the top of the blog to remind anyone who might be interested.

Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske wants to let you know how to run for public office. Her monthly Wake Up Long Beach event will feature City Clerk Larry Herrera and two political consultants who will explain what steps are necessary to run for office.

You've got to give Schipske credit for hosting such an event. She is, after all, up for re-election in April 2010 in her East Long Beach district. So too are council members in the other four odd-numbered districts, as are Mayor Bob Foster, City Attorney Bob Shannon, City Prosecutor Tom Reeves and City Auditor Laura Doud.

Wake Up Long Beach will take place at 8 a.m. Wednesday at El Dorado Golf Restaurant, 2400 Studebaker Road. There is a $10 cost for breakfast. RSVP to 562-570-6932 or district5@longbeach.gov.

First District City Council candidate Bill Grisolia has finally submitted his campaign finance report that was due Feb. 26. He turned in the paper filing last Friday, 22 days late, which will result in a $220 fine for the embattled candidate.

Candidates also are required to file an electronic version of the finance statement, which makes it available online, but Gini Galletta of the City Clerk's office said that Grisolia had technical problems and that for now he won't be fined any further. The clerk's office is awaiting a ruling from the City Attorney's office, she said.

Grisolia's finance report for Jan. 1 through Feb. 21 lists only a handful of contributions, despite early endorsements from several powerful unions before his tax problems and an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol were revealed this month (see story here). The report says he had $4,800 in contributions, including a $2,500 donation from the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices, and a $100 donation from 7th District Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga.

The lion's share of Grisolia's campaign funding came from $18,500 in loans he made to himself. Yet, Grisolia owes back taxes to the state and federal governments from the 2005 bankruptcy of his restaurant, Island Sunfish Grill, and was laid off from his job with DaVita dialysis center in January.

Grisolia explained this week that he has been supported by his family and friends since losing his job.

One of the most anti-establishment candidates in the 1st District City Council race, Rick Berry, released a video Tuesday night poking fun at candidate Robert Garcia.

While Berry has received few endorsements -- and says he doesn't want them -- Garcia has been endorsed by the city's police and firefighter unions, the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, and a range of local and state politicians. Garcia, a community college dean and neighborhood advocate, has touted this extensive support as evidence that he isn't beholden to special interests on the left or the right and says he would bring new ideas and youthful energy to the council. However, Berry, a product management consultant and musician, is critical of city government and city unions, which he blames for Long Beach's budget problems.

Apparently, the video below, which was released on youtube, is the first of several to come from Berry's campaign before the April 7 special election. Besides Berry and Garcia, four other candidates are in the race.

Dan Pressburg, whose North Long Beach home has become a center of local politics, is hosting again this weekend a brunch for local political candidates and area politicians.

Pressburg's home, the former site of the historical Long Beach Dairy and Creamery, will be open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 167 E. South St. The brunch provides an informal setting where the public can meet candidates and ask them one-on-one about their views. Candidates for Long Beach City Council's 1st District and those running for Signal Hill City Council have been invited, as well as a bevy of other local officials and politicians.

You never know who will show up, and often there is a surprise or two. At the very least, the food is always good. RSVP by Wednesday to 562-428-7710.

Voters and residents got their first look Thursday night at the 1st District City Council candidates, and it was quite interesting to see the contrast in their personalities, speaking styles and policy stances.

The large crowd too was an interesting mix, with a few rambunctious groups supporting various candidates and several local political figures, including Vice Mayor Val Lerch, Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, and Gabriella Holt, the Republican candidate for the 54th District of the state Assembly last November.

The forum resulted in a bit of big news and some tough words. See my story that went online last night for a full account of the event. It's worth checking out.

Expect a long election night, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan warns on his election Web site.

"An estimated two million voters have visited 4,394 polling places in Los Angeles County today," the Web site says, and that was at least a couple of hours before polls close at 8 p.m.

The county has about 4.2 million registered voters, but the 2 million voters from today don't include those who voted by mail or voted early Monday. Logan says that the 26,278 poll workers around the county have their hands full. From his press release:

Voter turnout today was extremely heavy and polling places are staying open until the last voter in line at 8:00 P.M. has been allowed to vote. Actual poll closings tonight may be as late as 9:00 P.M. or later. The delay in poll closing and the transportation of ballots to the central counting facility will delay the reporting of election results.

At the end of voting today the polling place staff must perform closing procedures that include counting the number of voted ballots and voter signatures signed in the roster, they must pack up voting booths, voting devices and voting supplies. Voted ballots are placed in a designated red box, secured with a special seal which is signed by the two senior poll workers. All of the polling place materials are then transported by two or more poll workers to a nearby central check-in center, typically a city hall or public building, where the individually sealed red ballot boxes are placed in a special fireproof bag for final transport to the central counting facility by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

That means the numbers will come in slowly, and tomorrow's newspaper surely won't have any final results. But we'll be giving local election updates throughout the night and Wednesday, so come back to www.presstelegram.com to get the latest news.

If children were hitting the polls today, the election outcome would be clear.

In the "Every Kids Votes" program sponsored by Studies Weekly, a Salt Lake City company that publishes textbooks in the form of newspapers and magazines, children ages 6 to 12 overwhelmingly chose Barack Obama for president, according a press release from the company. Almost 1 million children from all 50 states participated in the voting activity, in which they learned about both candidates, as well as their voting rights and responsibilities, before casting a ballot.

The young "voters" chose Obama with 473,919 votes to 333,092 votes for John McCain, the company reported. The map below shows the distribution by state. It will be interesting to see how much the actual election results reflect these children's preference.

I've received some new information after I listed locations to watch the election in the Long Beach area in today's newspaper. Several area organizations and businesses are having election watch parties tonight, many with drink or food specials. The two new ones added to the list are Galaxy Sport's Bar and the Daily Grill. Here's the list:

• Galaxy Sport's Bar, 1810 E. Carson St. in Carson, 7 p.m. to midnight. Free beer with an 'I voted' sticker.
• Daily Grill at 1 World Trade Center in Long Beach, 4 to 11 p.m. The election night specials won't just be at the restaurant's Long Beach location, but at all 24 locations around the county, except Los Angeles International Airport. Voters will get a free appetizer and happy hour prices will be available at the bar until the restaurant closes. Call (562) 753-2170 for more information.
• Smooth's Sports Grille, 144 Pine Ave., 8 p.m. Several groups are gathering to watch the election results, including the Bonnie Lowenthal for Assembly campaign and the Long Beach Democratic Club.
• Palos Verdes Peninsula GOP headquarters at the Promenade on the Peninsula shopping center, 550 Deep Valley Drive in Rolling Hills Estates. 54th Assembly District candidate Gabriella Holt's campaign will be watching the election returns come in.
• Rhythm Lounge, 245 Pine Ave., 7:30 p.m. to midnight, sponsored by The Mombasa-Long Beach Sister Cities Association. Cost is $5 for those wearing an "I voted" sticker and $10 without. There will be light refreshments, music and televised election coverage. Guests can learn more about the organization and sign up for membership. Visit www.mombasalb.org for information.
• Hamburger Mary's, 740 E. Broadway, 6 p.m. Televised election coverage and food and drink specials.
• Michael's on Naples restaurant, 5620 E. 2nd St., 6 p.m. The restaurant will have a "bailout recovery" three-course dinner special for $35, televised election coverage and free pizzettes for voters. Space is limited and reservations are recommended by calling (562) 439-7080. More information is at www.michaelsonnaples.com.
• Shore Books, 3064 E. 2nd St., 5 p.m. The free event will include pizza donated by Nino's Italian Restaurant and live Caribbean steel drum music.

Evan Braude, who served on the City Council from 1986 to 1994, is "considering" running for his old 1st District seat if the current council member Bonnie Lowenthal is elected to the state Assembly next week.

That makes Braude, who is in a 20-year relationship and lives with Lowenthal, the fourth known potential candidate for the position.

"I've talked to people about it, but I haven't made any decision yet," Braude said. "I won't make a final decision until after the (November) election."

Because term limits restricting council members to two terms weren't approved until 1992 during Braude's second term, he can serve out the remainder of Lowenthal's term and still serve another full term as well, according to Chief Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood.

If Lowenthal wins the Assembly seat Tuesday -- she's the favorite in the race -- and if Braude and the other men who have expressed an interest in the council seat go ahead with their campaigns, that will create an odd dynamic in the race.

While Braude is in a relationship and lives with Lowenthal, another person who has expressed an interest in running has connections to her son.

That possible candidate is Robert Garcia, the recently promoted dean of students at Long Beach City College and president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance. He sits on the board of the Long Beach non-profit group Children Today, and is friends, with Josh Lowenthal, Bonnie Lowenthal's younger son.

Endorsements from any members of the politically powerful Lowenthal family -- from Bonnie Lowenthal as the previous 1st District council member (assuming she goes to Assembly); from her ex-husband, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal; or from Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, who is married to Bonnie's older son -- likely would be highly prized in a 1st District race.

The other unofficially announced candidates in the still unofficial race are council gadfly Harvey Cochran, a movie theater employee, and Bill Grisolia, a Long Beach homeless advocate, former restaurant owner and musician.