UPDATED by Long Beach Post Staff | With the filing period for the April 14th special election now closed, Richard Lindemann, a retired sales manager, has joined Daryl Supernaw and Herlinda Chico in the race to fill the 4th District City Council seat vacated by Patrick O’Donnell.
Candidate statements for Chico and Supernaw have been posted on the Long Beach City Clerk’s website. They appear in their entirety below.
Candidate Statement for Herlinda Chico
My extensive public service and private sector knowledge over the past 20 years will ensure that I’m ready to lead the 4th District on day one. My work history includes serving five different municipalities in various legislative and public information roles as well as working for one of Los Angeles’ largest business improvement districts.
Currently, I serve as the City of Commerce’s Media Specialist where I oversee the day to day communications, event management and marketing campaigns between City Departments and the general public.
I have a long history of collaborating with community groups and non-profits; from working with young women transitioning out of the foster care system to furthering positive relationships between law enforcement and community members.
I’m running for City Council to continue my work as a community advocate and ensure that the residents of the 4th District have a strong voice at City Hall.
As your Councilwoman, my priorities will include:
• Economic Development
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Public Safety
• Community Engagement
I’m honored to be endorsed by hundreds of community members and small business owners throughout the District and I hope to earn your support as well.
Please learn more about my vision for the 4th District at www.HerlindaChico.com.
Candidate Statement for Daryl Supernaw
Three years ago, over two thousand district residents voted to make me their next councilperson. We came up short in 2012, but voters now have a second chance.
I am a lifelong fourth district resident and 30-year community advocate. I attended local schools – Buffum, Stanford, Wilson – and received both my B.A. and M.A. from CSULB.
I am a charter member of the LB Sustainable City Commission and currently serve as commission chair.
As a neighborhood leader, I have worked directly with LB Public Works to get things done. This included leading the fight and delivering on the $3 million Atherton ditch beautification and safety improvement project.
I am a business consultant and have no further political aspirations. I will use my many years of private sector experience to bring new businesses and jobs to Long Beach and fill our many retail vacancies.
As the son of a former LB firefighter, I have a keen understanding of our public safety systems. I will work to restore critical public safety services and continue the work on pension reform.
I believe I have both the business acumen and leadership ability to help return our city to economic health and a sustainable future.
No candidate statement for Richard Lindemann is currently available. The Post has reached out to Lindemann for comment and will update this story with his response.
UPDATED 1/16/15 4:24PM by Long Beach Post Staff | With the filing period for the open 4th District City Council seat special election closing today at 5:00PM, Daryl Supernaw has qualified, joining Herlinda Chico, who qualified yesterday.
“As a lifelong resident of the 4th District and community advocate for many years, I cannot remain on the sidelines while our council district and entire city face such tough budget challenges. I believe I have both the business acumen and leadership ability to help return our city to economic health and a sustainable future,” Supernaw told the Post.
Supernaw, who has owned his own consulting businesses since 1985, said he will take his 30 years of business consulting experience and apply it to his position on the City Council. He cites his previous successes applying private sector business strategy to public sector issues, including his involvement spearheading the $3 million effort to cover and beautify the open-air Atherton ditch, as well as his role in securing $1.5 million in traffic mitigation funds as part of the year-long closure of the 7th Street bridge.
Supernaw says he believes the primary concern for the 4th district residents he hopes to represent are property crime and the City’s economic health. On the east side of the district, he says residents are concerned with maintaining the current airport noise ordinance, while those on the west side are concerned with violent crime.
John Watkins, a retired Long Beach police officer who dropped out of the 4th District race Wednesday, told the Press-Telegram that he was putting his support behind Daryl Supernaw, calling him “mature and stable” and the best candidate.
PREVIOUSLY: 4th District Special Election Filing Period Closes Tomorrow; One Candidate Confirmed, More Expected
1/15/15 2:24PM | With the filing period for the open 4th District City Council seat special election closing tomorrow, only one candidate has officially filed paperwork with the city clerk’s office, but that number is expected to rise tomorrow.
Herlinda Chico, a 15-year resident of the city and former and current media specialist in the City of Commerce announced her intentions in December to run for the position vacated when Patrick O’Donnell stepped down after being elected to the State Assembly. Chico previously served as an aide to former Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, wife of current 7th District Councilman Roberto Uranga.
“My father and grandfather taught me from a very early age the value of giving back to your community and I am looking forward to continuing to implement those values as I run for City Council,” Chico said in statement put out by her campaign last month. “My 20 years of experience in both the private and public sectors will give me the needed tools to represent the 4th District’s vast business community and residents well.”
Yesterday, on her Facebook page dedicated to her City Council campaign, Chico received a handful of endorsements, including LBUSD Board Members Megan Kerr and John McGinnis, Long Beach Community College District Trustee Sunny Zia and current 1st District Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez.
“I’m supporting Herlinda Chico for City Council because she is well qualified to represent the 4th District and our city from day one,” Gonzalez said on Chico’s Facebook page. “She has over 20 years of experience in both the private and public sectors that will give her the strength to work through tough policies and advocate best for her community. I look forward to working alongside her to ensure she is elected to represent all the residents of Long Beach.”
The special election was called for after O’Donnell took office at the State level on December 1. The council declared a formal vacancy later that month and Mayor Robert Garcia elevated his former Chief of Staff Sharon Weissman to temporary overseer of the 4th District until a more permanent replacement is elected on April 14.
The city estimates that the special election will cost about $6.50 per voter, according to Assistant City Clerk Poonam Davis. At 27,000 registered voters in the 4th district, the total cost could surpass $175,000.
Although Chico is the only one to fully qualify with the clerk’s office, several other potential candidates have taken out nomination papers and filed a 501 form (intention statement) with the City Clerk’s office. Among those are Denny Thompson, Edward Watson, Richard Lindemann and Daryl Supernaw, who lost a runoff election to O’Donnell in 2012.
Davis said that Supernaw has made an appointment to meet with the City this afternoon with the intention of formally filing his paperwork.
Supernaw warned of the posiibility of O’Donnell running for a higher office, and the cost of a special election if he did, when the two faced off for the 4th District seat in 2012.
“If elected, I promise to serve my full term and not seek higher office,” Supernaw said in an open letter written in January 2012. “I also promise to be an independent voice for the 4th District, and my votes on issues over these next four years will be what is best for the constituents, not what is best for the next office. I will serve with honesty and integrity, and my word will always be my bond.”
Because the special election comes three years into O’Donnell’s term, whoever wins the seat in April will only serve on the council for one year before they must vacate or run for the seat again. A ten day review process of the candidates’ statements is scheduled to begin January 17 with the council expected to designate an official ballot listing of the candidates January 27.