Former Santa Monica Mayor and current Assemblymember Richard Bloom announced Wednesday he will run for Los Angeles County Supervisor in 2022.
With incumbent Supervisor Sheila Kuehl opting not to run for a third term, Bloom said in an interview this week he is running for L.A. County Supervisor because he hopes to build on Kuehl’s progressive legacy while the county rebuilds from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The impact of this would be that I would not be able to serve out two years of possible time in the Assembly but the fact of the matter is that term limits will catch up with me one way or another by 2024. So, if I want to continue in public service, I need to evaluate the opportunities that are out there. And the opportunity to serve on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors was a surprise that presented itself,” Bloom said. “So, I began to give serious thought to whether that would be an interesting position.”
He said it didn’t take long to determine it would allow an opportunity to continue focusing on issues that have been near and dear to the hearts of constituents.
Bloom added he believes the Board of Supervisors has a combination of resources — budgetary and policy-related — that allow it to address challenging issues, which include the “twin crises” of housing affordability and homelessness.
As for climate change, Bloom said, “when it comes to the county, much of the implementation of our goals for carbon neutrality by 2045 are going to be implemented at the local level,” so he’s excited for an opportunity to use his experience on the matter to guide policy.
“And then finally coming out of the pandemic, if I were to be so fortunate to be successful in this in this race, we’ll be in the early stages of recovery from both the economic and the health impacts of the COVID pandemic, and I want to make sure the recovery efforts and things we do are shared by all who live in the County of Los Angeles, rich and poor,” Bloom said as he discussed the need to reduce the growing economic disparity that has taken hold in California.
“A goal I have when returning to local government is to be as reflective as possible of the very diverse public that lives not just in the third district,” but in all of the county, Bloom said. “One of the hallmarks of serving as a mayor is the ability to make sure that, to the extent possible,” which is a skill the Assemblymember believes will prove useful on the campaign trail and on the job.
“I am looking forward to being able to share viewpoints with others and hearing from the public about what their concerns are,” Bloom said, stating he believes he knows what’s important to the public. “But I’m also sure that there are some (areas of concern) that I haven’t identified that I need to know about and need to understand.”
Supervisor Kuehl has been and will continue to be a champion of progress on the Board of Supervisors, Bloom said, and he hopes to continue that beyond 2022 when she steps down.
Kuehl shared a statement Wednesday, stating she’s very proud of her work over the last six years at the County. And during her final two years in office, she intends to continues pushing for progress in efforts relating to homelessness, the juvenile justice system, infrastructure, “and of course, seeing the County all the way through this devastating COVID-19 pandemic.”
“But I’ve been working non-stop since I was 7 years old and as I approach my 80th birthday, I’d like to see what it’s like not to work, and follow all the dreams on my bucket list,” Kuehl added in the statement. “I will certainly miss the many wonderful colleagues and the incredible opportunities for good work I have enjoyed as the proud supervisor of the mighty Third District when I leave at the end of 2022. I look forward to a spirited election with highly-qualified candidates who can bring new ideas to the County as well as build on the accomplishments of my two terms in office.”
Brennon@smdp.com
