Following up on our earlier Voter Guide, we’re back with our picks for endorsements for the upcoming Nov. 5 election.
Measure LB
Measure LB removes a tax exemption for electrical corporations and government agencies using natural gas for electricity. This would potentially raise $15 mil per year that would go into the city’s general fund. Since the general fund could provide more funding for transit and active transportation, we support the removal of this exemption.
District 4 – Herlinda Chico
From our earlier post:
The current incumbent, Daryl Supernaw, has been a net negative for transit in his district. He recently voted to oppose even studying a proposed BRT line from Long Beach to Sierra Madre Villa Station along Lakewood and Rosemead Boulevards. This is not the guy we want. He also did not respond to our questionnaire, which was not really a surprise.
Our mantra for this district was essentially “Not Supernaw,” and with that being said, Herlinda Chico had the better answers between the two candidates who filled out our questionnaire. Chico has voiced support for increasing the subsidy for Long Beach Transit, as well as committing to representing Long Beach at the Gateway COG in support of the Lakewood/Rosemead BRT.
State Senator – Lena Gonzalez
We think Lena’s done a great job so far in office. She’s been a champion of removing oil drilling in Long Beach, and her voting record for mobility has been stellar. She was the third highest-ranked senator in Street’s for All’s 2023 mobility report card, behind only Scott Wiener and Dave Min. She should keep her job. The alternative is a Trump supporter.
Assemblymember – Josh Lowenthal
Assemblymember Lowenthal has also done a good job voting to advance mobility options in the 69th District. He has helped create a task force to get Caltrans to pay more attention to PCH, and voted in support of every single mobility bill in the 2023 legislative session. His opponent is a Trump supporter.
US Representative – Robert Garcia
For many Long Beach residents, former mayor Robert Garcia may be a sore subject, and his time as our US Representative may have only worsened that sentiment. However, he has expressed strong support for a Green New Deal to decarbonize our economy, introduced the People Over Parking Act last year in Congress, and has been a champion of urbanism in Long Beach and his district.
We owe our protected bike lanes on Broadway and the bike share program to a lot of the advocacy and political capital that Garcia spent to get those things started. And again, the alternative is a Republican whose entire platform revolves around the security of the US-Mexico border.
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