Mary Zendejas was sworn in Tuesday night during the first Long Beach City Council meeting of December, less than a month since she was victorious in a special election held Nov. 5.

Zendejas was heralded by her new council colleagues for her decades of work in the community of West Long Beach, the area which she will now represent as the city’s 1st District City Council representative.

She won the November special election by capturing just over 31% of the vote (858 votes) and outpaced her closest competitor by about 160 votes. In total 2,723 ballots were counted for the election that filled the seat vacated by now state Sen. Lena Gonzalez who also won a special election in June.

Gonzalez left for the state senate with over three years remaining on her term that began in 2018. She was appointed to a second term as the 1st District City Council representative after no one filed to run against her in 2018 so Zendejas will serve out the rest of her term that expires in July 2022.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, center, along with Councilwoman Stacy Mungo and Vice Mayor Dee Andrews looks on as Mary Zendejas is sworn in as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Local business owners Javier and Hilda Ortiz swear in Mary Zendejas as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Mary Zendejas addresses the audience after she was sworn in as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Mary Zendejas addresses the audience after she was sworn in as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Its a full house in the council chambers as Mary Zendejas is sworn in as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Mary Zendejas takes her place on the city council in the council chambers as she is greeted by Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce after Zendejas was sworn in after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Local business owners Javier and Hilda Ortiz hug Mary Zendejas after swearing her in as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Local business owners Hilda Ortiz and her husband Javier swears in Mary Zendejas as the Long Beach 1st District City Councilwoman after winning a special election in Long Beach Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.

Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.