The 30th Senate District will soon be available because of term limits and many of the potentials candidates are lining up at the starting gate for what could be a hotly contested race.

According to public records, the filing date for the 30th State Senate race has elapsed and there are five names that made the list. Assemblyman and former State Senator, Mervyn M. Dymally; and State Senate assistant and former Assemblyman, Roderick “Rod” Wright are two of the most recognized names listed. The other names are Kevin J. Biggers, a community organizer; Donald L. Dear, a Water Board member; and Lydia A. Gutierrez, a neighborhood Councilmember.

Dymally has traveled a long road starting in the sixties in the Assembly and the Senate—the office to which he is presently aspiring to return to—and he was also California’s first and only African American lieutenant-governor and the first foreign-born member of the United States Congress. Dymally’s career has taken him far and wide, and along the way, he has notched a number of “firsts.” After retiring from Congress in the early 90s, he returned to the State Assembly, the place where his political career started off and was recently the chairman of the State Legislative Black Caucus.

“As a longtime resident of our area who has raised a family and understands the needs of our community, I want to make life better for the next generation,” said Dymally. He has been endorsed by a broad spectrum of the political landscape including Members of Congress, state and local elected officials, law enforcement officials, members of the religious community and labor and union organizations.

Wright represented the 48th Assembly District (South Los Angeles) for three consecutive terms after serving as chief deputy for Congresswoman Maxine Waters; he was also a past president of the New Frontier Democratic Club and vice chairman of the African American Caucus of the California Democratic Party. While in the Assembly, Wright’s focus was on improving the quality of life for the people of his district—a part of the inner-city, urban area that had a multitude of problems including gangs violence, high unemployment, a slow economic and a high dropout rate. He helped by authoring bills such as AB 250, AB 370 and AB 380, which dealt with child support payments, delinquency notices and other real life issues.

Wright has stated, “Our mission is to work with all of the cities across the district. I have been endorsed by the mayors of Long Beach and Lawndale, some of the council members in Los Angeles and Hawthorne, and the city attorney of Compton. Our plan is to build a coalition across the entire district that addresses all its needs. I have been endorsed by Ed Vincent (the incumbent of the 25th District), and I believe that I was also endorsed by former Assemblyman Jerome Horton because I represent the best hopes for this district.”

The 25th Senate district includes Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Lynwood, Los Angeles, Compton, Long Beach, San Pedro and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It is the home of hundreds and manufacturing plants and businesses, and it is also a member of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Democratic Club, which actively participates in national politics, current political and social issues.

Published in : News, Politics