(May 11, 2007) -- 5th district/ELB Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has requested nomination (candidate) papers and launched a web site that announces she's running for the Congressional seat now vacant following the death of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D., Carson-LB).
Ms. Schipske, who used the internet to communicate with voters in her successful 2006 City Council race and pioneered a personally-written weblog since taking office, displays her cyberspace skills on her Congressional campaign web site (www.schipskeforcongress.com). Among other things, Schipske's site links to official data showing campaign contributions received by two state lawmakers/former LB Councilmembers in their state races -- State Senator Jenny Oropeza (D., Southbay) and Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D., Carson-LB) -- who are now seeking the Congressional seat.
Councilwoman Schipske writes on her campaign web site:
...We have to stop a politics that is driven by money and not the concerns and circumstances of the people who live in our city...I encourage voters to go on line to see first hand how oil, drug companies, health insurance companies and other big businesses poured money into the campaigns of the other candidates asking for your votes in this election. ([link 1] and [link 2])
...I won't represent the oil companies or the drug companies or other big business interests...I will represent the rest of the people in the 37th Congressional District, who need it.
Some years ago, Ms. Schipske came very close to defeating Cong. Steve Horn (R., LB-Norwalk)...and following the 2000 census Sacramento Democrats "redistricted" Horn's LB district out of existence. That act is what put roughly 80% of LB into the formerly Carson-centered district of Cong. Millender-McDonald (D., Carson-LB).
The district now includes a chunk of ELB represented by 5th district Councilwoman Schipske on the City Council...and on her Congressional-race web site, she writes in part:
I am a candidate for this congressional seat because 56% of the registered voters of this district live in Long Beach. As a native daughter of Long Beach, I believe it's time to help Long Beach regain its clout in Washington, D.C...
...I love being on the Long Beach City Council and since being elected have worked tirelessly to represent the residents of the 5th Council District. In a short period of time, I have been able to accomplish many things and I believe I have set the standard on how elected officials can provide open communication with residents through my numerous community meetings and my weblog.
The current vacancy in the 37th Congressional District presents Long Beach with an opportunity to regain its political and economic clout that was lost when career politicians "chipped in" money and redrew the lines that created the 37th Congressional District.
In return, they carved up Long Beach into 3 congressional districts and took our port, downtown and beach areas and "connected" them with parts of Orange County and Palos Verdes and then took the remainder of the City and linked parts of it with Lakewood and other parts of Long Beach with Carson, Signal Hill, Compton and the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles...
Long Beach is also at the mercy of the federal government concerning the future of our noise ordinance limiting flights at the Long Beach Airport. Unless we have a strong presence in Congress directing the FAA not to tamper with the Long Beach Noise Ordinance, we could see changes in the future that could destroy our neighborhoods.
...We have to stop a politics that is driven by money and not the concerns and circumstances of the people who live in our city...
...My goal is that the day after the election, the headlines in our local newspapers will read:
"Schipske Wins 37th Congressional District: Money Didn't Vote, People Did."
Councilwoman Schipske joins a growing field of candidates which (as first reported by LBReport.com) now includes Valerie McDonald, daughter to the late Congresswoman Millender-McDonald.
Also pulling nomination papers on May 10 was Signal Hill City Councilman Ed Wilson.
And on May 11, Minister Tony Muhammad of the Nation of Islam's Western Regional Headquarters (Mosque 27 in South Central L.A.) indicated on KJLH radio's Front Page that he's considering entering the race. Stopping short of saying he's a candidate, Minister Muhammad said, "We want to make sure that we have somebody that will speak truth to power. We want to make sure we're not just not going along to get along."
If no candidate draws over 50% of the vote on June 26, a runoff will be held in August.
