Al Austin

The race for California’s newly vacated District 33 Senate seat heated up on Monday with Long Beach Councilman Al Austin officially announcing his bid.

The seat, vacated by Ricardo Lara after he was elected as California Insurance Commissioner, includes many southeast Los Angeles County cities and most of Long Beach.

Austin, a former aerospace worker and longtime labor leader, will run against fellow council member Lena Gonzalez, who announced her bid last month with hefty endorsements from Lara and Mayor Robert Garcia.

alaustin8thdistrict
Al Austin

Endorsements for Austin include fellow council members Dee Andrews, Suzie Price and Daryl Supernaw, as well as former state Sen. Betty Karnette.

“Al has always demonstrated a deep commitment to our community,” Karnette said in a statement.  “I know a thing or two about the State Senate and Al will be the accessible leader we need here in the 33rd Senate District. That’s why I am proud to endorse Al to be our next Senator.”

In a statement, Austin, who is serving his second term representing the city’s 8th District, said he plans to focus on transportation, economic development and government transparency.

“I’m proud of the work I’ve done throughout this region and I’m running for State Senate to take that experience to Sacramento to continue bringing together community members, unions, and local small businesses to get results that improve economic opportunities for all residents,” he said.

Austin has long planned to run for the seat, which was due to open in 2020 or sooner. He initially filed fundraising papers in late 2017 and as of June had generated about $14,000.

Council member Roberto Uranga also filed fundraising papers in a bid for the seat but later decided to drop out of the race and endorse Gonzalez.