Lawndale Mayor uniquely qualified to succeed Autumn Burke in the California General Assembly
By Nick Antonicello
On Tuesday June 7th voters have the opportunity to select the same candidate twice for a place in the California General Assembly representing the 62nd LD.
One vote is for the remaining unexpired term and the second is for the full, two-year term beginning in January of 2023.
Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles is uniquely qualified not only because he already has proven himself as an effective local mayor and elected official, but currently has served as legislative director to former Assemblymember Autumn Burke who resigned earlier this year to take a job in the private sector.
In fact, Pullen-Miles has had the opportunity to work for four members of the California legislature, giving him a keen insight how the legislature works, but he knows the players as well as the process, and has strong local support in his bid to succeed Burke who has endorsed his candidacy as well.
The Mayor has run a positive campaign and has accumulated a plethora of endorsements from some of the most influential individuals currently serving in office including local activists, community council members and civic-involved Democrats who see him as the only logical and reliable choice for Venetians and residents across the district.
Venice Community Officer Nico Ruderman, who was a candidate for the open seat ended his campaign and has endorsed Pullen-Miles along with Community Officer Liz Clay, local business owner Carl Lambert and CD-11 council hopeful Mike Newhouse, a former two-term President of the Venice Neighborhood Council.
Ruderman, who organized the 2021 recall of outgoing Councilmember Mike Bonin is a rising star in local political circles and has worked hard to persuade locals that the Mayor from Lawndale best represents the values of Venice when it comes to rampant homelessness and rising crime that has impacted Venice at intolerable levels.
Ruderman should be congratulated for taking the time to assist the Mayor in ensuring Venice is properly represented in the California legislature in Sacramento.
And while all politics like government is inherently local, Mayor Pullen-Miles has been endorsed by our Congressman Ted Lieu, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, LA City Controller Ron Galperin (now a candidate for California Controller), former LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke, the mother of Autumn Burke as well as LA County Assessor Jeffrey Prang.
In recent weeks and in a significant shift, Congresswoman Maxine Waters changed her preference from Democratic Party insider Tina McKinnor, who is being backed by the Big Tobacco lobby through independent expenditure funding to officially endorsing the Democratic Party’s choice, Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles!
On the critical issues of homelessness, the environment and public safety, Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles best reflects the mindset and attitudes of a small coastal community such as Venice. We require an individual that understands Venice is a tourist magnet that has been ravaged by homelessness, high crime and a definitive loss of our tourism dollars thanks to COVID-19 and a poor economy.
What makes Pullen-Miles the right choice is that he has valuable elected experience as both a councilmember and mayor. He was the first African-American to be elected mayor and has a record of working with other levels of government in securing grants and aid to build a community center in his hometown to say nothing of his long legislative record as a member of Burke’s team in Sacramento.
In addition to building a new community center, Pullen-Miles led the way in constructing a new library as well as securing $2 million dollars in street repairs while creating new opportunities for affordable housing for Lawndale.
In the case of Tina McKinnor, we’re disappointed in the tone of her campaign and rhetoric which has been negative, and not the problem-solving approach of Mayor Pullen-Miles.
Also disturbing is that her candidacy is backed by retiring LA Councilmember Mike Bonin, who has proven time and time again to be openly hostile to the residents of Venice when it comes to his failed and flawed policies concerning rampant homelessness and rising crime, to say nothing his support of defunding public safety and fundamentally believing in the proposition that living on the streets is fine, and he sees no correlation between rising crime and street homelessness as we are witnessing at Centennial Park, just east of the Library on South Venice Boulevard.
Any candidate that would accept the support of Mr. Bonin is in fact an enemy of the neighborhood of Venice.
Even more disturbing is that McKinnor has never served in elective office and her background is really of a political party operative with no record of practical government experience which is what Venice needs in Sacramento.
Venice needs thoughtful and articulate leaders in the legislature that have the skillset to get things done. Robert Pullen-Miles has engaged Venice and is without question the best choice for a neighborhood in transition.
On Tuesday, June 7th a vote for Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles to succeed Autumn Burke is the best choice for tenants, taxpayers and homeowners here in Venice and beyond the rest of the 62nd legislative district.
Nick Antonicello is a longtime Venetian covering the legislative campaign and it’s impact on Venice. He can be reached via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
