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Two well-known Long Beach politicians are in a rematch that’s more than nine years in the making to lead the city’s furthest east council district.
Fourth District incumbent Daryl Supernaw soundly defeated Long Beach City College Trustee Herlinda Chico in the March 5 primary, but the results were close enough to get her into the general election. Chico, 51, is now hoping for a much tighter race — closer to the 2015 election when Supernaw defeated her by just 353 ballots to replace then-Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell.
He’s since held the seat unopposed, in a district that has stuck behind him for nearly a decade.
With 30 years experience as a business consultant, Supernaw, 72, touts a reputation for running an efficient office that prioritizes constituent concerns; he says it has saved 46% of its operating budget, about $217,000, each year.
“If someone calls, we get back to them right away,” Supernaw said. “If someone leaves a voice message at my office that gets emailed to me instantaneously.”
With the money left over, he filled potholes, repaved four major streets and paid $250,000 to repair a hospital elevator during the height of the pandemic.
But his district has changed significantly since the pandemic began. Following redistricting in 2021, Long Beach’s District 4 was tapered east and lengthened north, swallowing single-family homes, powerful neighborhood groups, farmers markets, a pyramid, university and gated communities.
It also absorbed 30,800 new voters — most over the age of 49 — many of whom fret over quality of life issues magnified by a mortgage, kids placed in a nearby school and the expectation that change is made through their involvement.
Supernaw says he’s not worried about Chico, who has attacked him on vexing issues of crime and homelessness. He believes his decisive primary win of 48.45% to 25.51% is proof of his popularity. It was a difference of more than 3,000 votes, an exceptional turnout when there are only 34,765 registered voters districtwide.
Yet, it’s in this new swathe of voters — many of whom are more likely to vote in a hotly contested presidential election — that Chico believes she can win the seat.
For the past 18 months, she has knocked on one district door after another. She injured her foot 10 days after the primary and has since been assigned a walking boot. Against her podiatrist’s wishes, she said she avoids her boot when canvassing. She explained she doesn’t want to appear weak, especially when marching up the doorsteps of her competitor’s loyal constituents.
“It’s really important that they know I still want to earn their vote,” Chico said.
Chico still sees the primary as evidence that months of walking districts can work. Former Councilmember Gerrie Schipske, who finished third in the primary with 21.8% of the vote, has since endorsed Chico.
“Of the two, I think she’s got the better knowledge and better working skills to represent people in the Fourth District,” Schipske said Monday.
Chico has 25 years of public service experience, spanning five cities, two elected offices and the county of Los Angeles. She now splits her time between a liaison position with the county Fire Department and the Long Beach City College Board, where she has been a trustee since 2020.
Chico is quick to remind people that while she hasn’t served the district as a council member, she has served them for years. Her trustee area includes East Long Beach. She previously worked in the office of L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, coordinating with the city on her behalf.
She’s also incredibly popular among established Democrats.
Before her foot injury, she would kickbox with Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach. Former California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon donated to her campaign. Retired Rep. Alan Lowenthal endorsed her, as did his son, current Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, and four members of the Long Beach City Council.
In campaign disclosure statements since January, Chico has received more than $73,000 in contributions, including donations from state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, Councilmember Megan Kerr and scores of unions and liberal-leaning clubs.
Chico has touted these connections. Everybody is more effective as an insider, she said, adding “you have to be at the table.”
Meanwhile, Supernaw has taken in about $37,600 in the same period, mostly from retirees, dentists and two business organizations, the Los Angeles County Business Federation and the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce.
It’s familiar territory for Supernaw. During his 2015 race against Chico, “I had everyone against me but the voters,” he said.
This year, Supernaw says he’s had to endure unfair political attacks. In an interview, he lifted up a mailer with his face below a line of text: “Undercover Republican.” He chuckled.
“This is a nonpartisan office,” he said. “I serve everyone equally in the district and show no favoritism.”
In 2022, he stood alongside the mayor, council members and state elected to protest the U.S. Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade. Then last month, he stood against them to voice support for Proposition 36, which would bring tougher penalties for repeat offenders of drug and theft crimes in California. “The four council members supporting [Chico] voted against it,” Supernaw said.
Supernaw, who sits on the city Public Safety Committee, said he supports the hiring of more police officers, especially as the department faces record shortages. From the dais, he voted for an $85,000 bonus for incoming officers, sought the restoration of Fire Engine 17 and authored an ordinance that empowers police to stop street racing takeovers.
His endorsements by the Long Beach Firefighters Association and the Long Beach Police Officers Association are a reflection of his record, he said.
At a recent debate at Cal State Long Beach, Chico declined to give her position on Prop. 36. But she said she does back additional public safety hirings. In fact, she wants to take it a step further: the reinstatement of city park rangers.
It makes sense, both in the district and citywide, Chico said. The District 4 has the most parkland in Long Beach, including the 642-acre El Dorado Park.
“We have these beautiful parks,” Chico said. “But if people do not feel safe, if our families do not feel safe going to our parks. It doesn’t matter that we have them, because they’re not using them.”
At a Sept. 18 debate at the Jewish Community Center, Chico attacked Supernaw over crime in East Long Beach, inaccurately saying there’s been a 30% rise in residential property offenses. (She later clarified that she was referring to the year-to-date 30.5% increase in residential burglaries in the city’s Eastern Division; overall, property crimes in the area rose 5.6%.)
“Our kids’ bikes are being stolen, our garages are being broken into, our catalytic converters are being stolen,” Chico said at the debate.
Supernaw said the Rangers were shut down two years ago as they were shown to be too big of a liability. They carried firearms and reported to Parks and Recreation, to a supervisor with no law enforcement background. “So what she’s doing is she’s advocating for a position that was not supported by the council.”
At either debate, both agreed on the district’s chief issues: homelessness and housing.
And between the two, the solutions differ little.
Supernaw was proud to say he played a pivotal role in removing an encampment that bordered a preschool in the Los Cerritos neighborhood.
But his work is continuously stymied, he said, when encampments reside on county or state land. Getting approval to remove a site is time-consuming, raising the time it takes from two days to 45 days, he said, “To give you an example of what we’re up against.”
While Chico agreed that inter-jurisdictional rules have “plagued” the city’s homelessness handling, it’s an area in which she excels. She recalled her time with Hahn’s office when she helped create a multi-jurisdictional task force with Caltrans and Seal Beach, a program that continues today.
She said she is running for the seat to address inadequate leadership and “missed opportunities” in these eight years in District 4. At the September debate, she cited a 77% rise in homelessness citywide from 2017 to 2022. “That wasn’t under my watch,” Chico said.
On housing, Chico said she wants to see more construction focused on projects for veterans and students. Supernaw, meanwhile, points to his success in securing funding for the 26 Point 2 project near the Traffic Circle, which will offer 77-units to those experiencing homelessness. He also sits as commissioner on the city’s Housing Authority.
Chico said there “might be the appetite to explore” more low-income housing in the district but that any decision would need to be made after consulting with residents.
As the only City Council race that wasn’t decided in the primary, more eyes than usual are on District 4, but the candidates are used to the scrutiny from the area’s engaged electorate. In March more than 13,000 ballots were cast in the race, compared to the roughly 16,500 votes totaled in the other three races.
“Could I have gone to another district with lower voter turnout? And won? Sure,” Chico said. “But, you know, I live here. This is where I bought my home.”
Not to be outdone when asked if he’s afraid of Chico beating him, Supernaw pivots to what he sees one of his strongest points: his reputation with constituents. He thinks of an email he received the night before.
“I took care of something, not late at night, but 9 o’clock at night or something,” he recalled. “And they bounce back, ‘Wow, thank you. Do you ever sleep?’”
“And I replied, ‘I’ll sleep after November 5.’”