Former Santa Monica Mayor joins long list of elected officials backing the Venice local
By Nick Antonicello
Richard Bloom, the popular California state legislator and former Mayor of the City of Santa Monica has joined a long list of elected officials endorsing Erin Darling for LA City Council for the open seat to succeed the retiring incumbent Mike Bonin.
Bloom, who has served in the California General Assembly since defeating Betsy Butler in 2012 is term-limited for reelection to the legislature.
Prior to his time in Sacramento, Bloom served thirteen years on the Santa Monica City Council of which he was selected to serve by his council peers three times as Mayor and twice as Mayor Pro Tempore.
Bloom was an unsuccessful candidate for the LA Board of Supervisors earlier this year to succeed fellow Santa Monica resident Sheila Kuehl, the outgoing incumbent.
Bloom joins an interesting coalition of Westside Democrats that have endorsed the Darling candidacy including Bonin, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, newly elected Assembly member Tina McKinnor and California Senator Ben Allen, also of Santa Monica.
In addition, Darling has locked up the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party as well the Los Angeles Times and Oscar winning actress and activist, Jane Fonda. Darling has also been endorsed by nine Democratic clubs and organizations throughout the district as well as numerous labor and union support with the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO now behind the tenant’s advocate and civil rights attorney.
A life-long Venetian, Darling is married with a three-year old son and served his community as a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc,org).
Bloom, who has represented the 50th Legislative District for over a decade is also a member of the Jewish Assembly Caucus.
Shortly after his election, Assemblymember Richard Bloom was appointed to Chair the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources,, Energy, and Transportation where he quickly established himself as a leader on one of the biggest issues facing this generation – climate change. As Chair, Assemblymember Bloom has pushed for increasing renewable energy development and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and promoting smart and sustainable planning that expands affordable housing and reduces traffic congestion and commute times. Through his leadership, Assemblymember Bloom has made reducing our carbon footprint and enhancing the quality of life now and for future generations a core mission of the committee according to his legislative page.
As a steward of the environment, Assemblymember Bloom also helped establish the most stringent protections in the country against the dangers of hydraulic fracking and pushed for improved rail safety and oil spill response preparedness in light of the exponential growth of oil imports by rail. Assemblymember Bloom also introduced the strongest protections in the country against the use of rodenticides which are harming wildlife at alarming levels and against the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products that are contaminating our rivers, streams, and oceans.
Prior to being elected to the California State Assembly in 2012, Assemblymember Bloom served on the Santa Monica City Council. He also served as Chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, Chair of the Westside Cities Council of Governments, and as a special California State Senate appointment to the California Coastal Commission.
Born in Philadelphia, Assemblymember Bloom grew up in Altadena and West Los Angeles. He attended Fairfax High School, the University of California (Los Angeles and Berkeley) and Loyola School of Law and holds a B.A. in Communication and Public Policy as well as a Juris Doctor degree. After law school, he practiced family law for nearly 30 years and worked as the executive director for a non-profit that assisted low-income and homeless clients. He also served as a volunteer Judge and mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Courts and on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section.
To learn more about Assembly member Bloom, visit his website at www.richardbloom.com
Nick Antonicello is a longtime resident of Venice who is covering the race to succeed Mike Bonin on the LA City Council. Antonicello has filed more stories on the race than any other media outlet. Have a take or a tip on the race in CD-11? Contact Antonicello at nantoni@mindspring.com
