NAJEE’S NOTES
By Najee Ali
Contributing Writer
With less than three weeks to go before Election Day, I will focus on sharing my personal endorsements in political races that I think are critical to the South Los Angeles, and African-American community.
My first endorsement is Nichelle Henderson, for Los Angeles Community College District Seat 5. In the words of Mark Gonzalez, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party “Henderson has been a Democratic Party activist and leader in the L.A. Democratic Party for years. We need her passion and dedicated leadership that she has shown within this party, to champion our students who need it most.”
I could not agree with Gonzalez more. I have known Henderson and her husband, Mark, who is a Gardena city councilman for more than a decade.
Nichelle is one of the most dedicated and hardest working activists I have ever met. That’s why she’s also been endorsed by the L.A. County Federation of Labor, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, the New Frontier Democratic Club, Democrats for Israel, Stonewall Democratic Club and every other major Democratic Club in L.A. County.
That is why she is the favorite in the race for the Los Angeles Community College District, which has no African-American representation on its board. Henderson is a dynamic leader whose voice is needed on the board to ensure African Americans and all students in the system have an advocate that understands and champions their issues.
Other endorsement: Compton Community College District, Barbara Calhoun; Citrus Community College District, Joseph Hamer Salas; L.A. City Council: District 4, David Ryu, District 10, Mark-Ridley-Thomas; L.A. Unified School District, District 7, Patty Castellanos; Measure RR, Yes; Carson City Council, Juwane Hilton and Brandi Murdock; Hawthorne City Council, Angie English; Victorville City Council, Leslie Irving Lizet Angulo; Mayor of Irvine, Farrah Khan and Central Basin Municipal Water District Water Board, Leticia Vasquez-Wilson and Martha Camacho-Rodriguez.
In other local races, 54th Assembly District, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, 59th Assembly District, Reginald Jones-Sawyer; 62nd Assembly District, Autumn Burke; 64th Assembly District, Mike Gipson; 28th Congressional District, Adam Schiff, 33rd Congressional District, Ted Lieu; 37th Congressional District, Karen Bass; 43rd Congressional District, Maxine Waters; 44th Congressional District, Nanette Barragan;
L.A. County Supervisor, 2nd District, Holly Mitchell; and L.A. County District Attorney, George Gascon.
Next week we will talk about the propositions.
