(Jan. 24, 2012) -- LB Councilman Gary DeLong's campaign for the newly drawn LB-OC Congressional district has announced the endorsement of Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.

The endorsement adds OC political horsepower to the LB Councilman's campaign in which he faces (among others) Los Alamitos Councilman Troy Edgar, whose campaign has been endorsed by a number of OC Repub figures. Also in the race is former Congressman Steve Kuykendall, a Republican. To date, only one Democrat is in the race: LB area state Senator Alan Lowenthal.

Under new voter-enacted rules, the June 2012 election will let the top two finishers -- regardless of their party -- proceed to the November decisional General Election.

Councilman DeLong's congressional bid has been endorsed by former Governor George Deukmejian, US Congressmembers Dan Lungren and Ed Royce (both Repubs), State Board of Equalization Vice-Chair Michelle Steel and L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe (both Repubs) along with the non-partisan Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee.

In a DeLong campaign release, OC Sheriff Hutchens states: "Gary DeLong and I share the same goal of working to improve public safety in our community...He has demonstrated a strong and unyielding commitment to public safety and law enforcement concerns along with a devotion to the welfare of law enforcement professionals. Gary is a proven leader and we need his voice in Congress to keep our neighborhoods safe and healthy by supporting thriving businesses and good jobs."

In his campaign release, Councilman DeLong said, "It is an honor to have the endorsement of the leading law enforcement professional in Orange County...Sheriff Hutchens has an outstanding reputation, both up and down the State of California as well as nationally. I am pleased she recognizes my commitment to law enforcement professionals, safe neighborhoods and the understanding that public safety should be a top priority of elected officials at all levels of government."

As previously reported by LBReport.com, in the Long Beach City Council's Sept. 2009, 2010 and 2011 City Hall budget votes, Councilman DeLong supported as chair of the Council's Budget Oversight Committee, and voted with Council majorities, to cut a total of over 140 budgeted police officer positions as well as reduce firefighter staffing as part of city management/Mayor proposed "proportional reductions" to balance City Hall's spending budgets.

The Long Beach Council's voted actions have left Long Beach (L.A. County's second largest city) with a per capita budgeted police staffing level available for citywide deployment [not including roughly 60 officers contracted to handle Port, Airport, LBCC, LBUSD tasks not funded by Council] roughly equivalent to Los Angeles cutting LAPD officer budget staffing by over 25%. While L.A. budgets over 2.0 officers per thousand residents and Signal Hill provides over 3.0, LB City Hall provides fewer than 1.7 budgeted officers per thousand residents.

Councilman DeLong has publcily noted (accurately) that crime is down in Long Beach from previous levels (citing citywide data that combines safe and less areas). As LBReport.com was first to report, Long Beach ended 2011 with fewer murders than in 2010, which was the city's then-lowest number in roughly 40 years.

Long Beach city management has said the budget cuts were needed due in significant part to the effects of City Council-approved contracts with LB's three major City Hall employee unions: a voluntary re-opener (2007) with the Police Officers Association and five year (instead of usual three year) contracts (2008) with the LB Firefighters Association and the Int'l Ass'n of Machinists (the latter representing most of LB's non-public safety employees).

Councilman DeLong (elected in 2006) voted to approve the contracts with police and fire unions but dissented on the IAM contract; as enacted, none of the contracts included pension reform provisions that have been subsequently championed by Councilman DeLong and LB Mayor Bob Foster (requiring members to pay their full share of pension costs). The Police Officers Ass'n and Firefighters Ass'n agreed to the pension reforms last year; to date, the IAM hasn't publicly done so.