Public records show that Long Beach 1st District Councilmember Lena Gonzalez, vying for the 33rd-district state Senate seat, was arrested in 2012 for driving under the influence (DUI). At the time, Gonzalez was field deputy for then-1st District Councilmember Robert Garcia.
The public records were shared directly via email with the Signal Tribune, other media outlets and discussed online through political forums.
Gonzalez issued a statement, in which she expressed regret about the situation, also adding that the issue has been “dismissed” and “cleared.”
“I’m focused on the residents of Senate District 33 and working together for a better California,” she said.
Records indicate that Gonzalez was arrested on Aug. 21, 2012. About a month later, Gonzalez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay fines. The case was closed three years later.
In a press statement Feb. 13, Leticia Vasquez Wilson, candidate for the 33rd-district state Senate position, criticized Gonzalez.
“Drunk driving and drug-impaired driving is the leading killer on our roads and claims the lives of more than 10,000 people in the United States each year […],” she said. “[…] Councilmember Gonzalez has violated the trust placed in her as an elected official, and with the news of her DUI only now being revealed, it will ultimately be up to the voters to decide if she is best fit to continue to lead in their city and represent them in the state Senate.”
Gonzalez filed paperwork Dec. 14 to replace California Insurance Commissioner-Elect Ricardo Lara in the California state Senate. In an interview with the Signal Tribune Dec. 18, she said working with Long Beach residents and community members gives her the necessary experience to excel in the position.
“I am certainly qualified,” she said in a phone interview. “I don’t know if there is a certain box that you have to check to become a state senator, but I do think the experience, having been a leader on the State Legislative Committee, […] has helped me advocate with elected leaders about issues relative to Long Beach.”
The special election for the state Senate seat will be Tuesday, March 26.
