(May 27, 2006) -- Some familiar LB names -- including four incumbent Harbor Commissioners -- are among contributors to 6th district LB City Councilwoman Laura Richardson's campaign to succeed former LB Councilwoman Jenny Oropeza in the 55th district State Assembly seat representing the Carson-LB area.

In the June 6th Democrat primary, Councilwoman Richardson faces Warren Furutani, a consultant to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and member of L.A. Community College Board of Trustees (former L.A. Unified School District Boardmember).

Ms. Richardson's contributions total roughly $350,000 and include [titles for identification only]

• Incumbent LB Harbor Commissioners James Hankla, Mario Cordero, Mike Walter, John Hancock and retired LB Harbor Comm'nr Roy Hearrean
• ConocoPhillips Company (Houston, TX)
• BNSF Railway Co (Fort Worth, TX)
• Becky Blair [2d dist. LB City Council candidate]
• LB Police Officers Assoc PAC & LB Firefighters PAC
• Sea Festival exec. Christopher Pook
• LBCC Trustee Douglas Otto
• LB Planning Comm'nr Mitchell Rouse
• Louis Baglietto Jr.
• Murchison Consulting Inc.
• Apartment Assn, CA Southern Cities/IPPAC
• LBUSD Board of Education member Felton Williams
• Retired LB Mayor Ernest Kell & Incumbent Vice Mayor/Councilwoman Jacqueline Kell
• James Gray
• Robert Gumbiner
• Samuel ("Skip") Keesal Jr., Esq.

Mr. Futurani's contributions total roughly $526,000 and from the LB area include [titles for identification] retired LB Harbor Comm'nr Carmen Perez; Alan Lowenthal for State Senate committee; and [Assemblywoman] Betty Karnette.

Contributions in this race (and others) have been posted in a user-friendly format by www.electiontrack.com, an independently-run website. Links below open a separate windows directly to electiontrack.com's info:

Incumbent Assemblywoman Oropeza is moving-on under term limits, seeking a state Senate seat in the June 6 primary against veteran southbay lawmaker George Nakano.

A redistricting of legislative districts earlier this decade, controlled by majority Sacramento Democrats, drew district lines that gave winners of Democrat primaries mainly "safe seats" against Republican challengers. [Writer Jill Stewart has quipped that under districts as currently gerrymandered (paraphrase), CA voters don't really choose their representative; their representatives choose their voters.]

If Councilwoman Richardson wins the June primary, she'll remain a voting member of the LB City Council until late 2006 when she'll likely win the general election sending her to Sacramento. That will create a 6th district City Council vacancy that would be filled by a special election in early 2007.

If she loses the June primary, she can remain a Long Beach Councilwoman until at least mid-2008.