This Thursday, four local news outlets will come together to educate readers about candidates looking to fill the Third Supervisorial District seat.
Five LA County Supervisors are responsible for a $38.5 billion budget, which includes line items for mental health, foster care, LA Metro Rail, the Board of Education and the Sheriff’s Department, among others.
The Board of Supervisors acts as a city council of sorts for 125 unincorporated areas in Los Angeles, including Marina del Rey, Cornell, Malibu Canyon and Calabasas but it has some authority over incorporated areas such as the power to appoint the directors of the LA County Public Health Department whose rules govern Santa Monica.
LA County’s Third Supervisorial District – long considered a progressive bastion among the county’s five – has been redrawn. The new borders contain Santa Monica and neighboring areas like West LA, the lower San Fernando Valley, Malibu and West Hollywood. The new district will lose certain areas like Los Feliz and parts of Hollywood. It will now also contain some of the area’s more conservative neighborhoods in the north San Fernando Valley like Chatsworth, Porter Ranch and Granada Hills.
The District is considered one of the most powerful seats in California. With nearly two million residents, the Third District has a population larger than 14 states and Washington DC. The territory extends to the western boundary of both Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County.
Current Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, one of five LA County supervisors, is termed out this year, having served three consecutive four-year terms. Candidates looking to fill her seat will find themselves in the middle of some of the most substantial and controversial (and intertwined) problems facing the County, including homelessness, mental illness, public safety and the closure of the Men’s Central Jail.
During Kuehl’s time in office, she helped create a Sheriff’s Oversight Commission and oversight of the Probation Department. Kuehl also helped support the creation of the Office of Child Protection and was instrumental in increasing the minimum wage.
The race to fill the seat of Kuehl comes down to six candidates: State Senator Henry Stern, State Senator Robert Hertzberg, West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath, Craig Brill, Jeffi Girgenti and Roxanne Beckford Hoge.
You can learn more about the candidates and their positions on the issues important to the district at a combined online candidate forum on Thursday, May 19.
The Acorn, Circling the News, the Santa Monica Daily Press and the Westside Current will be co-hosting the forum. The public can participate online and are asked to register in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/supervisor-3-candidate-virtual-forum-tickets-337496189187) to secure your (virtual) spot. The event will be May 19 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Candidates include:
Craig A. Brill (Independent): Retail sales professional and small business owner from the Beverly Grove neighborhood. He decided to run for office after a neighbor was stabbed to death by a mentally ill homeless man and lists enhanced enforcement. He is critical of establishment politics, supports the current Sheriff and wants to increase mental health services as part of a plan to end homelessness.
Jeffi Girgenti (Republican): A salon owner from Woodland Hills, she is an avid equestrian and said she supports the rights of individuals to maintain that lifestyle and protect property rights. She is an outspoken opponent of all vaccine and mask mandates.
Robert Hertzberg (Democrat): A longtime politician representing the San Fernando Valley who was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served two years as speaker. He currently serves in the State Senate and touts his work in education, healthcare, public safety, housing and the environment as major achievements. Outside government, he has worked in the clean energy field.
Roxanne Beckford Hoge (Republican): A Jamaican born former actress with a line of maternity clothing. She adamantly opposed many of the education-related Covid protocols and criticized vaccine/mask mandates. She supports the current Sheriff and has said medical freedom / public safety are her top priorities.
Lindsey Horvath (Democrat): An entertainment/marketing/advertising executive and Councilwoman from West Hollywood who has been endorsed by the Los Angeles Times and outgoing Supervisor Kuehl. She lists combating homelessness, increasing affordable housing, fighting climate change, improving regional transportation, public safety and economic recovery as her top priorities.
Henry Stern (Democrat): Stern is a state senator representing people in the San Fernando Valley, the Conejo Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga, and Malibu. He references state gun control legislation and efforts to guarantee mental health and drug treatment services alongside housing as successes in Sacramento.
