Current 7th District Councilmember James Johnson has opted out of running for a second term in his district in favor of seeking the open spot for City Attorney.
The position was vacated earlier this year by Robert Shannon and will pit the Long Beach native against current acting City Attorney Charles Parkin, who also has the added bonus of Shannon’s blessing.
Johnson is, however, no stranger to law: He studied law at Berkeley and went on to practice commercial litigation at one of California’s largest law firms, Morrison & Foerster LLP. He also doesn’t consider this an abandonment of his current position, but more of a chance to strengthen the City.
“I’ve been teaching law a lot at CSULB over the past few years,” Johnson told the Post. “The City Attorney is not just a lawyer but a leader and administrator—and not just as the civic level but within the community as well. I think my skill set proves I can truly take this office to the next level.”
Johnson is also no stranger to the inner-workings of the City of Long Beach, having headed the Long Beach City Clerk Department as Senior Policy Advisor following his work with Morrison & Foerster.
It is safe to say that here, Johnson established his roots with the City. Following his position at the City Clerk Department, he then put his undergrad Harvard degree in economics to use when he served as Assistant City Auditor from 2008 to 2010.
In June of 2010, Johnson ousted Tonia Reyes Uranga’s attempt to garner a third term as a write-in and has since, according to his own belief, harnessed a diverse district to do its best through democracy. And with this, he emphasizes the importance of the City Attorney position being chosen through electoral processes rather than appointment.
“There’s a reason this isn’t an appointed position,” Johnson said. “It’s to ensure than an independent person the people are comfortable with can then give the City the highest quality legal advice—sometimes legal advice that folks may not want to hear. But that’s the core of a strong municipal City Attorney.”
In regard to his leaving the 7th without a second term, he emphasizes his faith in the strength of the 7th and its denizens.
“It has been an absolute pleasure and honor serving the 7th,” Johnson said. “And the reason I am running is because my constituents have asked me to run. Not just once or twice but many times… I feel I have one of the most active districts in the city and I am entirely confident someone strong will stand up for the City Council seat. I don’t believe in ‘passing on the reins’ but I do believe in Long Beach deciding who will be the best not only in my district, but in all the districts. This isn’t passing the reins; this is about making Long Beach better.”
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