Two dozen candidates will be vying in a special election Tuesday to fill the 34th Congressional District seat left vacant by former Rep. Xavier Becerra’s move to Sacramento to become the state’s attorney general.
The district stretches roughly from Koreatown in the west to the Long Beach (710) Freeway in the east and from the Santa Monica (10) Freeway in the south to the Ventura (134) Freeway in the north. It includes downtown Los Angeles, the Westlake district, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights.
If no candidate receives a majority Tuesday, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held June 6. Because of the large field, no candidate is expected to receive a majority.
Twenty-three people appear on the ballot, 19 of them Democrats looking to represent the overwhelmingly Democratic district.
Most of the candidates have never held elective office, with the exception of Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Eagle Rock, and former Los Angeles Unified School District board member Yolie Flores.
Becerra endorsed Gomez, who said he hopes to “continue to build an inclusive and diverse country that values people from all walks of life.”
Flores, a Democrat, told City News Service she hopes to be “the stronger, louder voice for children and families that we need in Washington,” now that “everything we believe in and have ever fought for is in jeopardy.”
There is one Republican on the ballot, business owner William “Rodriguez” Morrison and one candidate each from the Green and Libertarian parties, certified public accountant Kenneth Mejia and tenants’ rights paralegal Angela E. McArdle.
Immigration law administrator Mark Edward Padilla did not state a party preference.
The other Democrats appearing on the ballot are:
— Robert Ahn, an attorney;
— Vanessa Aramayo, an anti-poverty nonprofit adviser;
— Maria Cabildo, an economic development director;
— Alejandra Campoverdi, a community advocate;
— Arturo Carmona, a campaign adviser;
— Wendy Carrillo, a community advocate;
— Ricardo de la Fuente, a businessman;
— Adrienne Nicole Edwards, community organizer;
— Melissa Garza, businesswoman/producer;
— Sara Hernandez, education nonprofit director;
— Steven Mac, a deputy district attorney;
— Sandra Mendoza, public administrator;
— Raymond Meza, community organizer;
— Armando Sotomayor, community volunteer;
— Richard Sullivan, attorney;
— Tracy Van Houten, an aerospace engineer; and
— Tenaya Wallace, a civic engagement strategist.
Michelle Walker, a Democrat and community activist, qualified as a write- in candidate, bringing the field of candidates to 24.
