Competition has escalated in two Long Beach council Districts this week as both the 1st and 5th received third candidates who will vie for the seats in next April’s election. 

In the 1st District, candidate Jason Aula filed his papers back in January and formally announced his bid via Facebook. Describing himself as a believer in “small government, free enterprise, economic freedom, personal empowerment, and individual liberty.” Last week, Ricardo Linarez–Councilmember Steve Neal’s field deputy for the 9th–announced he will also campaign for the 1st District seat. Having ran last year for a seat on the LBUSD Board of Education, Linarez hopes his efforts will prove more fruitful in the 1st.

“As your next council member, I am dedicated to investing on building safe and clean neighborhoods, improving our infrastructure such as streets and sidewalks, and improving our local economy by working with partners to attract jobs for local residents and assisting small businesses to thrive,” Linarez said in a statement. 

And most recently, 1st District Councilmember Robert Garcia’s own field deputy, Lena Gonzalez, announced through a video on social media Tuesday she will also be vying for the 1st District. Her announcement mimicks her boss’ own announcement for Mayor last week. “Over the last four years, I’ve worked closely with the First District community to improve public safety, invest in infrastructure, and expand park space. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but there is still work to do,” the West Gateway resident said.

In the 5th District, termed-out councilmember and mayoral hopeful Gerrie Schipske is leaving a gap that three hopefuls have thus far stepped up to try and fill. 

The 5th’s most recent candidate, Carl Kemp, is a local lobbyist who has served the interests of many groups, ranging from med-pot advocates to the Port of Long Beach. Kemp has lived in Long Beach for 21 years and ha has previously worked for former 7th District Councilmember Mike Donelon and former City Manager Jim Hankla before starting his own business, The Kemp Group, in 2008.

Joseph Luyben–a self-described “lifelong citizen of Long Beach”–was born and raised in Lakewood Village and has since called the 5th District his home.

“The 5th district has always been home to me,” Luyben stated on his campaign website. “I have raised my own family and started my own business here… My roots run deep here, and I care deeply about the neighborhoods and the families that live in them.  So it is not a political venture to me as I run for 5th District Representative: It is more a way of giving back to the place that has given so much to me.”

The third candidate for the 5th District seat is Stacy Mungo, who announced her candidacy back in early June. After her undergraduate work at CSU Fullerton, Mungo began working in Long Beach for the YMCA in 1997, followed by positions at the CSU itself. After completing her graduate work in Public Administration at USC, Mungo has since served the Budget Officer for the County of Los Angeles and is the current president of El Dorado Park Estates Neighborhood Association.

Mungo’s platform–surrounding the five areas of strengthening neighborhoods; focusing on critical services; easing the process of establishing businesses; promoting technology; and increasing citizen awareness–is backed by describing herself as a “dynamic, hard-working individual who has a passion for meaningful work, and is dedicated to bettering communities.”

Other odd-numbered districts are also up for re-election in 2014. 3rd District candidates include Martha Flores-Gibson and Daniel Haro; James Johnson and Larry King have announced they are running in the 7th District; and in the 9th, current councilmember Steve Neal is currently running un-opposed. 

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