Among the offices on the Long Beach ballot for the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election will be the 70th District State Assembly seat, as well as the run-off elections for mayor and city attorney.
The Signal Tribune requested that each of the candidates seeking those seats submit information on his or her campaign, the results of which are published below, in the order in which we received them by email. We asked the candidates to limit their nonprofit/professional affiliations and endorsments to five each and their goals if elected/platform to 150 words.
To register to vote, visit sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm .
Party affiliation Republican
Age 55
Years residing in city or district you are seeking to represent 11 years
Previous offices held N/A
Occupation COO WestOceanMD (WC Occupational Clinic)
Education New Jersey Institute of Technology— B.S. Chemical Engineering
Family information Single
Nonprofit/professional affiliations
Republican Jewish
Coalition
Rotary Club of Long Beach
Century Club of Long Beach
CA Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA)-
Treasurer
Long Beach Republican National Hispanic Assembly (LBRNHA)- President
Goals if elected/platform
My goals are to create jobs now, by lowering taxes and energy costs. Suggest changes to labor rule permitting a four-day work week/10-hour day with regular pay. This will improve quality of life for families and improve productivity. Protect Prop 13, develop new working energy sources, establish a strong water supply program, plus rebuild interstate roads. Revamp the CA healthcare system and ensure quality care for all patients and fair payment to medical providers. Audit every penny of education funding, post results for public viewing. School courses for trade, art, music and sports must be offered. It is crucial that pupils be prepared for today’s competitive workplace. Student expenses lowered and kept affordable. CA should have good-paying jobs available to ensure people reside in our communities. I want no-kill shelters in CA and will work with Stayin’ Alive Long Beach to get this done.
Endorsements (limit to top five)
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Earth Dr. Reese Halter— broadcaster, writer, distinguished conservation biologist and educator
Stayin’ Alive Long Beach
Pat Boone— singer, actor, writer, political activist
Pat Bunn— Young Republican
Campaign website johngoya.com
Party affiliation Democratic Party
Age 44
Years residing in city or district you are seeking to represent Long Beach resident for 18 years
Previous offices held
Long Beach City Councilmember, District 2 (2006-present)
Long Beach Unified School
District (2001-2006)
Occupation Government and community relations manager, Big Blue Bus, City of Santa Monica
Education University of California, Los Angeles, bachelor of arts degreee in economics; California State University Los Angeles, MBA; University of Southern California, doctorate in policy, planning and development
Family information Mother to 11-year-old son, Avi
Nonprofit/professional affiliations Board member, Heal the Bay;
USC Center for Sustainable Cities, Board of Advisors
Goals if elected/platform
My top three priorities are the creation and protection of middle-class jobs; reversing the tide of school drop-outs; and ending the endless debate and false choice between protecting the environment and improving the economy.
My work for the environment has won the endorsement of the California League of Conservation Voters. My persistence in pursuit of equality has won me the support of the National Women’s Political Caucus. I have the support of every local Democratic club that has made an official endorsement.
Business leaders support my platform for making California the nation’s home for advanced manufacturing and new blue-collar jobs. As a member of the Budget Oversight Committee, I made the tough decisions that kept Long Beach out of bankruptcy. I know California can lower the cost of college. Raise the fines on polluters. Increase our use of renewable energy. Decrease our crime rates. Hold the line on taxes and demand excellence in our schools. Together, we will make California better.
Endorsements
State Senator Ricardo Lara
Equality California
California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV)
Los Angeles County Young Democrats (LACYD)
National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC)
Campaign website sujalowenthal.org
Party affiliation Democrat
Age 48
Years residing in city or district you are seeking to represent 25-plus years
Previous offices held Long Beach City Council, 4th District (2004— present)
Occupation Classroom teacher, teaching high school U.S. government
Education BA & MA from California State University Long Beach
Family information Married to wife Jennifer, two school-age daughters and puppy (Puffin)
Nonprofit/professional affiliations
Minnie Gant PTA, Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, California Teachers Association
Goals if elected/platform
Our schools are our future, and we need to make sure that all students have the opportunities to succeed in college or their career by providing adequate funding to schools and affordable access to community colleges and universities.
Jobs are the cornerstone of our economy. I will make job training and creating a top priority in Sacramento, making sure our schools, community colleges and universities are providing relevant, applicable training for the jobs of the 21st century.
I will also fight to streamline and simplify the regulations and requirements for opening a business in our state and fight for smart re-investment in our infrastructure and highway system.
Safe neighborhoods. On the council I helped contribute to Long Beach’s dramatic reduction in crime, and I will continue to be an unflagging advocate for the safety of our neighborhoods, giving our front-line police officers and firefighters the tools they need to keep us safe.
Endorsements
Democratic Party
Sierra Club
Mayor Bob Foster
Long Beach Firefighters Association
Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal
Campaign website odonnell2014.com
Party affiliation Independent
Age 38
Years residing in Long Beach Three
Previous offices held N/A
Occupation Real-estate investor
Education BA in public policy, Stanford University
Family information Single, 6-year-old daughter
Nonprofit/professional affiliations
Long Beach Rotary
Faculty Fellow CSULB
Board of Directors LBUSD Education Foundation
Founder of Long Beach College Prep Academy
Goals if elected/platform
Commitment to fiscal responsibility: I will commit to maintaining a balanced budget and not committing to ongoing expenses with one-time revenues. Further, I will continue to seek ways to make government more efficient, in order to improve the delivery of services to Long Beach residents.
Growing our economy: The next mayor will need to be a catalyst to grow our economy so that we can pay for public safety, infrastructure and city services. I will provide the business acumen to assess every developable property and create a plan, evaluate our industry clusters and define strategic goals to leverage those clusters to create jobs.
Make Long Beach more business-friendly: We need to implement an exit survey for businesses that interact with our city for development permits, business licenses, conditional-use permits, inspections! The data will allow us to make informed decisions and develop intelligent solutions to correcting our course.
Endorsements Long Beach Firefighters Association
Long Beach Chamber of Commerce
City Manager (ret.) Jerry Miller
Long Beach Fire Chief (ret.) Harold Omel
Commander Long Beach Police Department (ret.) Charles Parks
Campaign website damondunn.com
Party affiliation Democratic
Age 36
Years residing in city or district you are seeking to represent 19
Previous offices held Vice mayor and 1st District councilmember
Occupation Vice Mayor/Educator
Education I hold a doctorate in higher education, a master’s degree in communication management, and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies.
Nonprofit/professional affiliations
Children Today, Board member
University of Southern California, Alumni Association
California State University, Alumni Association
Goals if elected/platform
I’m ready to move Long Beach forward with a robust plan for economic development and job creation. I want to attract business from all over the world and the region. The creation of new jobs will give this city’s economic base the financial resources to provide city services. I also want to continue our strong and responsible fiscal policy. We have gone from pension abuses to pension reform and from budget deficits to budget surpluses. We are also experiencing the lowest level of crime in 41 years. Â Education is also critical to our city. Â I’d like to link our elementary and high school system to college and universities, to create educational pathways for students to follow and succeed. I strongly believe that our best days are ahead of us.
Endorsements (limit to top five)Â
Mayor Bob Foster, Long Beach
LA Supervisor Don Knabe
Congressman Alan Lowenthal
Board of Education President John McGinnis
Long Beach Unified School District
Campaign website robertgarcia.com
James Johnson
Party affiliation Democrat
Age 36
Years residing in Long Beach Lifelong resident of Long Beach
Previous offices held Long Beach City Councilmember
Occupation Teach criminal and business law at CSULB and serve as Long Beach City Councilmember
Education Poly H.S.; Harvard University, B.A. in Economics; U.C. Berkeley School of Law, J.D.
Family information Married to Nicole Altamirano, with twins Theodore and Maria Elena
Nonprofit/professional affiliations Executive Board Member, Southern California Association of Governments; First Vice President, Gateway Cities Council of Governments; Alternate Member, 710 Project Committee; Chair, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the City Council; and Member of the Long Beach Bar Association
Goals if elected/platform
Long Beach, it is time for you to choose your city attorney. We need a proven leader in this position, somebody who can stand up to the special interests and fight for you. As city attorney, I will communicate with residents throughout the city about how this position can improve their quality of life. I will be a proactive city attorney who protects public funds so they are there for vital services. I will properly advise the City Council to avoid contract abuses that have cost our city hundreds of millions of dollars in the past and led to reductions in police services, parks, and libraries. Finally, I will aggressively combat public nuisances. Such nuisances can deteriorate the quality of life in our neighborhoods and lead to more serious issues if left unaddressed. Thus, I will make the abatement of such public nuisances a high priority.
Endorsements Endorsed by Congressmembers Alan Lowenthal and Janice Hahn, L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer, all five LBUSD Board Members, and former California State Bar President Seth Hufstedler
Campaign website johnsonforcityattorney.com
Party affiliation Independent
Age 56
Years residing in Long Beach 56
Previous offices held Long Beach City attorney
Occupation Long Beach city attorney
Education Graduated cum laude from Pacific Coast University, School of Law and received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from California State University, Long Beach
Family information Married to Terese (Schneeweis) Parkin 36 years, three adult children and one grandchild
Nonprofit/professional affiliations
Admitted to practice in California and before the United States District Court for the Central District, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court
Board of Governors (two terms) on the Long Beach Bar Association— member since 1995
Member of the City Attorney Association of Los Angeles County (CAALAC) and the California Bar Association Public Law Section
President and chairman of the Board of the Long Beach City Employees Federal Credit Union— a 300-million-dollar-plus financial institution; served as volunteer since 1998
Goals if elected/platform
It is critical to realize how vast the city attorney’s legal responsibilities are and why experienced legal leadership— not party lines— is absolutely mandatory for this elected position.
The city attorney provides legal advice to: the Port of Long Beach; the Airport; the Gas, Oil, and Water, and Health Departments; the Queen Mary; and the Convention Center. Providing counsel to this wide range of departments requires seasoned experience in the specialized practice of municipal law. That has been my area of expertise for nearly 20 years. My opponent has no municipal law experience.
This coming year will bring a great deal of change to the City. The new mayor and five new Councilmembers all deserve experienced legal guidance when putting forth their vision in July.
This isn’t about me or my opponent; this is about protecting Long Beach with the expertise that it takes to do it right.
Endorsements
Former California Governor George Deukmejian
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey
Former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill
Eighteen Long Beach City Councilmembers (current, elect, and former)
Long Beach Police Officers Association
Campaign website parkincityattorney.com
