The Chamber PAC's Endorsed Candidates For 2022 General Election

The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce PAC, the political action committee of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, today highlighted its candidate endorsements for the 2022 General Election on November 8.

“The Chamber PAC is proud to endorse our selected candidates as they have the best interest of business and the community at the forefront of their priorities,” said Jeremy Harris, President and CEO, Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “Each of the candidates is extremely experienced, at the top of their field and prepared to immediately step into these critical leadership roles.”

- Suzie Price, Councilwoman, for Mayor of the City of Long Beach - Currently, Councilwoman Price represents Long Beach’s 3rd Council District. Her priorities as Mayor are public safety and providing essential city services. Elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018, she believes that in order for Long Beach to fulfill its promise of being a truly great city, it must have a functional and competent city government. As a Councilwoman, she has worked across divisions to focus on homelessness, public safety, street repair, infrastructure investment, improving and expanding green spaces, and ensuring Long Beach remains a place where everyone can afford to buy a home and start a business.

On the Long Beach City Council, Price serves as Chair of the Port, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Vice-Chair of the City of Long Beach Public Safety Committee, Chair of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, Chair of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, and a member of the Long Beach Budget Oversight Committee. She is also an honorary board member for Musical Theatre West, the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach and an advisory member of the Ronald McDonald House.

- Kristina Duggan for election to the City Council’s 3rd District - Passionate about her East Long Beach community, Duggan was active in helping to elect Suzie Price to the Long Beach City Council, who she then worked for as a City Council staff person assisting local residents with city services, programs, and projects; cutting through red tape and bureaucracy; and providing input on various public policy matters. Through her work for Councilmember Price, Duggan developed a strong working knowledge of City Hall, which allowed her to navigate the process to resolve issues efficiently. Duggan has lived in Long Beach’s City Council District 3 for more than 22 years.

- Megan Kerr for election to the City Council’s 5th District - Kerr’s life has been devoted to civic improvement. A highly respected leader, she was an active volunteer and community advocate before winning a seat on the Long Beach Unified School District in 2014. Having served two terms on the School Board, Kerr now looks forward to bringing her leadership, her work ethic and her passion for public service to the critical work of shaping a strong, sustainable future for Long Beach. Kerr will prioritize the preservation and enhancement of the character, infrastructure and recreational facilities in District 5. She understands what it takes to create and sustain safe, healthy and successful neighborhoods.

- Joni Ricks-Oddie for election to the City Council’s 9th District - With a lifetime of experience as a leader, an advocate, and an effective representative, Ricks-Oddie looks forward to bringing her passion for public service to the work of the Long Beach City Council. Raised in the Midwest in a family that modeled service to the community, Ricks-Oddie has brought her life experience, professional experience, and enthusiasm for building brighter futures to everything she does. For more than a decade she has been actively engaged in civic leadership in Long Beach, serving on the North Long Beach Neighborhood Alliance, Uptown Property and Business Improvement District, Citizens Police Complaint Commission, and the Long Beach Planning Commission where she currently serves as Chair. Ricks-Oddie understands the value of advocacy, engagement, and effective representation and has seen first-hand the impact policy decisions have on people’s lives.

- Robert Garcia, Mayor, for the U.S. House of Representatives, California's 42nd District - Dr. Robert Garcia is an educator and the 28th Mayor of Long Beach. He was re-elected to a second term by almost 80 percent of the vote in 2018. Mayor Garcia has taken a leadership role in economic development, sustainability, and investing in technology. He is also focused on making the City of Long Beach a leader in education, economic development, and climate protection.

As Mayor, he has overseen a period of unprecedented economic growth and expansion of opportunity for city residents. He worked to launch programs like tuition-free community college, a universal basic income pilot and a pandemic recovery package to ensure every Long Beach resident could share in the city’s success. Under his leadership, the city passed an aggressive climate action plan to end the city’s reliance on fossil fuels while protecting and expanding good-paying jobs. He was the first Mayor of Long Beach to have appointed a majority of women to city commissions and boards. Upon his election, Dr. Garcia became the first immigrant and LGBTQ mayor in the city’s history, and he would be the first LGBTQ immigrant to serve in Congress.

- Al Austin, Councilmember, for election to California State Assembly District 69 - For nearly 15 years, Austin has been a regional leader for working families, delivering results on transportation, economic development, and sustainable planning. He earned the trust of his neighbors in Long Beach and was elected to the City Council in 2012 and is currently serving his final Council term, set to conclude in 2024.

- Robert Luna for election to Sheriff of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department - As police chief in Long Beach, Luna directed around 800 sworn officers and 1,200 employees. He is the first Latino chief of police in the city. Luna started as a reserve officer in 1985 and was successively promoted within every rank of the Police Department. He was appointed Chief of Police in 2014 and recently served on the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) executive board, and is active with the organization’s Homeland Security Committee and the Police Executive Leadership Institute (PELI) mentorship program. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is the largest sheriff's department in the world, employing over 10,000 sworn deputies, and over 8,000 civilian staff.

The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (PAC) is responsible for funding candidates and issues that seek to improve the economic vitality of the Long Beach business community. The PAC also recruits and trains potential candidates for office. All funding is raised separately from Long Beach Area Chamber membership dues. The PAC uses its direct contributions from donors to help fund candidate and issue campaigns.

The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (LBACC) is one of the largest membership chambers of commerce in Los Angeles County. The Chamber serves as the Catalyst for business growth, a Convener of leaders and influencers, and a Champion for a stronger community. For additional information, visit www.lbchamber.com or follow on Twitter @thelbchamber, Facebook @lbchamber and Instagram @longbeachchamber.