By Ray Richardson
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s steady climb in the Los Angeles political landscape takes another step Sept. 20 when the Eighth District City Council member is sworn in as the 27th City Council president.
The mild-mannered, South L.A. native is viewed as the “right person at the right time” by some to take over a City Council hoping to move past a recent turbulent period of indictments, ethics violations and questionable behavior.
“Marqueece has the ability to see things from different perspectives … from a progressive point of view and a moderate point of view,” former Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson said of Harris-Dawson. “He’s had experience in all of those areas. His experience will show.”
Harris-Dawson, who turns 55 on Nov. 7, was elected to a third and final team in the Eighth District in the March primary. He earned unanimous support in the spring among fellow council members to succeed outgoing Council President Paul Krekorian and lead the city’s governing body into a new era.
“Marqueece will be an excellent president,” Ninth District Councilman Curren Price said of Harris-Dawson. “He’s been in office long enough to be in tune with the council and the community. I’ve pledged my complete support to him. He knows we’re in this together.”
Harris-Dawson will face many of the same challenges as his predecessor. At the top of the list is the homeless crisis, public safety, affordable housing and financial issues, including critical budget decisions for the Los Angeles Police Department. Mayor Karen Bass has been advocating for more police officers since she was elected in 2022.
Harris-Dawson’s long-term friendship with Bass will be a vital asset for the City Council when the governing body needs cooperation from the Mayor’s Office on budget matters, decision-making policies and other issues requiring a unified response.
Bass and Harris-Dawson worked together for 10 years at Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization founded by Bass in 1990 that provides services for South L.A. residents. Bass handed over the role of president and chief executive officer to Harris-Dawson in 2004 when she was elected to the state Assembly.
“This is the ideal situation for the City Council,” Wesson said of the friendship between Bass and Harris-Dawson. “When things come up, they can be brutally honest with and still have respect for each other. Those kinds of relationships between a City Council and the mayor’s office are rare. I’m excited for the future.”
Collaboration between the City Council and Mayor’s Office will be crucial with several major events coming to Los Angeles within the next four years, including the FIBA World Soccer Cup in 2026, the NFL Super Bowl in 2027 and the Summer Olympics in 2028.
Harris-Dawson’s ascension to City Council president is generating positive feedback among community leaders representing residents in the Eighth, Ninth and 10th Districts – areas that include a sizable percentage of people of color in Los Angeles.
Residents in the districts will likely be paying closer attention to developments in City Hall with Harris-Dawson leading the City Council.
“Harris-Dawson is probably one of the most innovative individuals and connectors of resources on the City Council,” said Robert Sausedo, president and CEO of Community Build Inc., a nonprofit service organization in South L.A. “He operates at a very high level of integrity, and he makes sure that integrity reflects on how he does business. Having someone regarded in that way is important.”
When Harris-Dawson becomes president, he will relinquish his role as chairperson of three committees — Planning and Land Use Management; Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations and Budget, Finance and Innovation.
A spokesperson for Harris-Dawson said he has not decided on which council members he will appoint to replace him on those committees.
“I’m humbled and proud at the same time,” Harris-Dawson told The Wave last May after being chosen to replace Krekorian my his colleagues. “I got a sense of the support when I talked to people in recent weeks. I was really happy with the conversations I had.”
“Councilman Harris-Dawson has a long history in City Hall and beyond of bringing people together from all backgrounds and across all sectors,” Bass said in a statement at the time. “I look forward to continuing locking arms with council leadership to bring more unhoused Angelenos inside and make Los Angeles safer for all.”
Krekorian closed his final meeting as leader of the council Sept. 18 after receiving words of praise and a standing ovation from his colleagues.
“I couldn’t do the work for the next 79 days and I couldn’t do the work as council president, and I couldn’t have done the work as an Assembly member or anything else without the support, guidance and love that I’ve received from my wife, Tamar, for the last quarter of the century almost,” Krekorian said.
The councilman also extended gratitude to his staff. He added that when you become council president “you have a lot more stuff for staff to do, and you don’t get any extra staff.”
“To all my staff, I hope you noticed that a number of members of this council specifically recognized you and that’s because you do extraordinary work — not only for me, our constituents, but for the entire city of Los Angeles,” Krekorian said.
Mayor Bass joined the council to recognize Krekorian as well.
“President Krekorian assumed the council presidency during one of the most tumultuous times in LA.’s civic history — but his unshakeable resolve and clear vision for the future turned chaos into progress and moved the people’s business forward,” Bass said. “He will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders and public servants that the city of Los Angeles has ever known — not just for his leadership as council president, but for his work as Assembly member, as councilman, and for the work I know he will continue to do in the coming months and years.
“On behalf of Los Angeles, thank you Council President Krekorian for your outstanding contributions to Los Angeles and thank you for all you will continue to do,” she added.
Ray Richardson is a contributing writer for The Wave. He can be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com.
