Change Agents: General Election Endorsements

“F*ck That Guy…He’s with the Blacks.”
- Nury Martinez on DA Gascón

As I sat down for lunch, the events of the past weeks weighed heavily on my mind. To me, it was the casualness of the racism that was the most jarring and I was thinking about how deep this bigotry lies within the halls of power. After eating my corporate Chinese food I opened my fortune cookie and was struck with how appropriate its message was to this moment in our city’s history:

Ever the optimist, I still have hope that the status quo can eventually be broken. America’s greatness lies not in our historical record but in what we aspire to be. I believe that the same can be said about Los Angeles. Yes, we have made progress toward equality for all, but this last week is a reminder that our journey has just begun.

In order to achieve change, we must be demanding of our leaders. That starts with our selections in the voting booth. I believe the following candidates are the change agents that we need and hope that you will consider giving them your vote. Even better, contact their campaigns and find out what you can do to help get them elected. Change is not a passive endeavor.

EDUCATION

LAUSD District 2: Dr. Rocío Rivas

Dr. Rivas is an LAUSD parent who earned a doctorate in Comparative and International Education from Columbia University. This background gives her the foundations needed to understand the changes that are needed in the district to strengthen public education and to provide better support to our students so that they can reach their full potential. She understands the challenges facing students with special education needs and her empathy with these families gives her the drive to follow through.

Riva’s opponent, Maria Brenes, is embedded within the corruption that prevents change within our political systems. Not only was she a member of the redistricting commission that provides the foundation for the current scandal, but her husband drew the boundaries of the district where she is now running. She has not answered the allegation that she has promised Monica Garcia the position of Chief of Staff in exchange for her support. In fact, she did not answer any of the questions that I sent to her throughout the campaign.

LAUSD District 6: Marvin Rodríguez

Serving the students of the LAUSD on the school board would be just one more example of Rodríguez serving his adopted country. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was part of the military operations in Iraq after the September 11th attacks. Upon his return, he completed his college degree and became a teacher. He is currently in his 18th year of teaching and also has two students in LAUSD public schools. His wife, Janette, has previously worked in the district in special education programs, which helps to inform his views on how to help our district’s most vulnerable students.

Rodríguez’s opponent is incumbent Board President Kelly Gonez. Gonez was elected to the board with the financial support of the charter school industry. She used the power of her presidency to ensure that the Parent Engagement and Special Education Committees were not allowed to meet during the pandemic. Gonez has also been at the forefront of limiting the public’s ability to speak during board meetings and has done nothing to solve the problem of her fellow board members ignoring what is said during public comment.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond

I actively campaigned for Thurmond when he first ran for office but have been disappointed in his lack of action during his term. That being said, a record of inactivity is better than actively destroying public education the way his opponent would. Republican challenger Lance Christensen is a certified culture warrior who “railed against Newsom, teachers unions, comprehensive sex education, [and] critical race theory”. Even worse, he has endangered lives in families with members that are medically fragile by opposing masks in schools during COVID-19. This makes Thurmond an easy choice.

Proposition 28: Yes

As a struggling high school student, looking forward to band class is often what got me through the day. Studies have shown that there are strong links between music and achievement in both math and reading. Yet, music programs are often the first to get the ax in rough economic times. Voting for Proposition 28 helps to ensure that this will not happen in the future.

Los Angeles Community College District Seat 7: Nancy Pearlman

Pearlman is an experienced educator and environmentalist who is seeking a return to the Board of Trustees. She has a strong drive to serve community college students and the courage to confront the status quo.

Los Angeles City

City Controller: Kenneth Mejia

Mejia has not even been elected yet and is already doing the job. His website includes resources and tools that provide valuable information to the citizens of Los Angeles. His drive to succeed is backed up by his certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Council District 15: Danielle Sandoval

Sandoval is running against Tim McOsker, the establishment candidate who has the endorsement of seven current City Council members including Gil Cedillo and John Lee. He was also endorsed by disgraced former City Council President Nury Martinez.

Her desperate opponent has dragged Sandoval’s name through the mud by dredging up a years-old employee dispute. This does not change Sandoval’s strong support of public education which was evident in a conversation that I had with her early in the campaign.

Los Angeles County

Sheriff: Robert Luna

The current sheriff, Alex Villanueva, ran as a reformer but has instead protected corruption within the department, resisted any attempts at oversight, and battled the Board of Supervisors. He has stood by as his deputies violently assaulted the press and violated the rights of protestors. The citizens of Los Angeles were endangered by his refusal to enforce mask mandates. The actions of his department at the Kobe Bryant crash site cost county taxpayers $16 million. Instead of attacking the problem of illegal deputy gangs within his department, he has denied their existence.

I am voting for Robert Luna and hoping that he is the actual reformer the corrupt department needs. If he isn’t…

Measure A: Yes

There needs to be oversight of an office as powerful as the head of the sheriff’s department. Villanueva has proven that our current systems are useless when the Sheriff refuses to cooperate. Measure A would allow a supermajority of the Supervisors to take action when a Sheriff is found to be unfit for office.

State Legislature

Assembly District 40: Pilar Schiavo

Schiavo is the type of independent voice we need more of in Sacramento. An unapologetic liberal she is willing to call out the establishment, even when they are from her own party. As an activist, she has sought solutions for the homeless crisis, fought for universal healthcare, and stood up to police corruption. Her opponent is a Trump Republican who traffics in the Big Lie and opposes a woman’s right to choose. I will proudly place my vote for Schiavo.

Federal

Congressional District 27: Christy Smith

In a district that is increasingly blue, incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia has vowed to “Crush Democrats.” After being endorsed by Trump, Garcia voted to object to election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania in support of the twice-impeached president’s lies, even after the attempted coup. He also has an “A+” rating from SBA Pro-Life America.

In comparison, Christy Smith is labeled as “a levelheaded centrist” by the Los Angeles Times. She supports a woman’s right to make her own choices about abortion. Unlike her opponent, she would co-sponsor HR 5984 which would finally fully fund special education services.

Congressional District 29: Angelica Dueñas

The incumbent, Tony Cárdenas, is an example of a career politician, jumping from office to office since 1996. Dueñas provides the constituents of the 29th district an opportunity to be represented by a working-class voice who will fight for public education, the right to have access to healthcare, and criminal justice reform.

Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He was elected to the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and is the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.