The first filing deadline for the June 2022 Long Beach primary elections passed over the weekend and the early financial disclosure documents revealed by the City Clerk’s office Monday show several incumbents running unchallenged and a wide-open mayor’s race.
Five of the city’s nine City Council districts are up for reelection in 2022 in addition to the mayor’s office and other citywide offices like city prosecutor and city auditor. Here are what the initial fundraising reports show:
1st District
The 1st district includes parts of Downtown and the Port of Long Beach and is currently represented by Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. Zendejas, who won a special election in 2019 after the seat was vacated by Lena Gonzalez when she won a special election for a State Senate seat.
Zendejas initial filing showed that she raised just over $40,000 between January 2021 and the end of June. That’s substantially more than Steven Estrada, who identifies himself as a community organizer and is the only other person who has announced a candidacy for the seat. Estrada’s campaign reported $2,322 during the sixth-month filing period.
3rd District
Incumbent Councilwoman Suzie Price is the only person to file papers to run for the 3rd district seat that represents southeast Long Beach and other areas including Cal State Long Beach, Belmont Shore and the Recreation Park area.
Price is pursuing a third term, something made possible by the passage of Measure BBB in 2018 that codified a third term for elected officials while eliminating the ability to be elected by write-in after that.
Her campaign reported about $79,000 in contributions through June 30, which is about $30,000 less than she raised during the entire 2018 campaign, according to financial documents filed with the City Clerk’s office.
5th District
The 5th district, which includes El Dorado Park and the neighborhoods east of Long Beach Airport, has had just two candidates announce their bids for the seat and neither is incumbent Councilwoman Stacy Mungo Flanigan, who could run for a third term in office.
Former Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who preceded Mungo Flanigan in office, is utilizing the opportunity to run for a third term and announced her candidacy in March. However, Schipske has raised just $35 in campaign contributions with an additional $200 in the form of a loan to herself, according to campaign documents filed with the city.
Attorney Michelle Dobson has also announced her intent to run for the 5th district seat and her campaign reported raising $13,327 not including a $10,000 loan Dobson gave herself.
7th District
The city’s 7th district has the most candidates who have filed to run for the seat that represents West Long Beach and parts of Bixby Knolls and Cal Heights, but also has the least amount of money raised by any districts’ candidates.
The field, which includes incumbent Councilman Roberto Uranga, who is seeking a third term on the council, community organizer Harold Dela Cruz, Connie White, whose occupation wasn’t immediately apparent, and neighborhood activist Carlos Ovalle all reported zero campaign contributions as of Monday.
Ovalle and Dela Cruz filed their intent to run for office in mid-July, weeks after the fundraising window had already closed.
9th District
Incumbent Councilman Rex Richardson’s campaign announced last week that Richardson had made “Long Beach history” with his nearly $170,000 in campaign contributions before the June 30 deadline.
Richardson is currently running unopposed but has left the door open to make a run for the mayor’s seat if it were to open up. Both Richardson and Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell have been linked to a mayoral run if Mayor Robert Garcia were to opt out of running for a third term next year.
Mayor
There are roughly 10 months until the June 7 election and Mayor Robert Garcia has yet to file paperwork to run for re-election. His departure could cause disruptions in other races if current council incumbents decide to throw their name into the mayoral race.
The last day to file an intent to run for non-incumbents is March 16.
Three candidates have already announced their intentions to run for mayor. The list includes Deb Mozer, J. Raul Cedillo and Alan Gafford, all of which have not filed contribution reports with the City Clerk’s office.
City Auditor/City Prosecutor
Both of these citywide elected positions have only one candidate declared as of Monday and both are the incumbents. City Auditor Laura Doud announced her candidacy in June but has not filed any fundraising reports with the city. City Prosecutor Doug Haubert’s campaign reported over $71,700 in contributions, which includes a $15,000 loan from himself.
City Attorney
The City Attorney’s seat will also be on the ballot in June 2022 but no candidates have declared an intention to run as of Monday.
Editors note: The story has been updated to include the City Attorney’s race, which no one has declared a candidacy for.
North Long Beach Councilman Rex Richardson pulls in record $168K in campaign contributions