Political Director’s Report – January 2022
Assessing the Political Landscape
By Antonio Sanchez
The delay of the redistricting process is resulting in one of the more rushed and hectic political years I have experienced. Throw in COVID-19 and the fact that we’re seeing longtime institutional leaders like Congressmembers Alan Lowenthal and Lucile Roybal-Allard retire, including other incumbents, and that makes for a lot of political action and maneuvering. To me, the situation just means we must be more methodical and meticulous as we move forward with endorsements and campaigns.
The June 7 election will include a few open seats for Congress, for the state legislature, and for a large number of city council and school board seats. Let me give you a few highlights of what’s happening in L.A. County.
As you may already know, IBEW Local 11 endorsed L.A. Councilmember Jos Buscaino for Mayor. Buscaino is running a smart campaign focused on solving homelessness. He is well-positioned to make the run-off. The field of mayoral candidates also includes L.A. Councilmember Kevin de Leon and L.A. Congressmember Karen Bass. So now we need to endorse someone running to fill the Congressional seat that Bass leaves behind. The new Congressional District 37 includes a majority of South Los Angeles and Culver City.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia is running for the new Congressional District 42 (CD 42). The new 42nd includes the cities of Downey and Bell which Congressmember Lucile Roybal-Allard represented. CD 42 also includes all of Long Beach, which was represented by Congressmember Alan Lowenthal. Mayor Garcia has been an effective leader in Long Beach. He spearheaded the approval of a city-wide PLA and helped the Building Trades secure PLAs in Long Beach Unified School District, at Long Beach City College and at the Port of Long Beach. Garcia has multiple challengers and is our endorsed candidate.
Former Assembly member Cristy Smith is challenging Congressmember Mike Garcia. Garcia has voted against prevailing wage and many other labor values so it’s easy to decide that we won’t be supporting him. Smith lost to Garcia by about 300 votes a few years ago. This time will be different. They are both running for the new Congressional District 27 (CD 27). CD 27 is made up of a majority of Democrats.
This is just a short preview of the many races we will be tracking. Know that we will be providing a full list of endorsements in the next newsletter, just in time for the June election.
Lastly, I want to highlight a section of our IBEW Local 11 website (www.ibew11.org) that shows the exact locations of the projects receiving federal funding because of President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill. At the moment, we can track 70 jobs that are valued at close to half a billion dollars, all happening in Southern California. Remember, we’re involved in the political process to secure and protect job calls. That’s why we supported Biden: because we knew he was going to deliver jobs for IBEW.
as been an effective leader in Long Beach. He spearheaded the approval of a city-wide PLA and helped the Building Trades secure PLAs in Long Beach Unified School District, at Long Beach City College and at the Port of Long Beach. Garcia has multiple challengers and is our endorsed candidate.
Former Assembly member Cristy Smith is challenging Congressmember Mike Garcia. Garcia has voted against prevailing wage and many other labor values so it’s easy to decide that we won’t be supporting him. Smith lost to Garcia by about 300 votes a few years ago. This time will be different. They are both running for the new Congressional District 27 (CD 27). CD 27 is made up of a majority of Democrats.
This is just a short preview of the many races we will be tracking. Know that we will be providing a full list of endorsements in the next newsletter, just in time for the June election.
Lastly, I want to highlight a section of our IBEW Local 11 website (www.ibew11.org) that shows the exact locations of the projects receiving federal funding because of President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill. At the moment, we can track 70 jobs that are valued at close to half a billion dollars, all happening in Southern California. Remember, we’re involved in the political process to secure and protect job calls. That’s why we supported Biden: because we knew he was going to deliver jobs for IBEW.
Antonio Sanchez
Political Director
IBEW Local 11
