4th Council district residents will choose a new Councilmember in early 2015 in a winner-take-all election in which the person elected may receive less than voter majority (as Robert Garcia did in 2009 in the 1st district, succeeding Sacramento bound Bonnie Lowenthal.)

O'Donnell was elected to the Council in 2004 in the same cycle as now-retired 8th dist. Councilwoman Rae Gabelich in an election marked by neighborhood concerns over City Hall's Long Beach Airport policies. O'Donnell announced his candidacy for a 2012 election cycle Assembly bid but bowed out when incumbent Bonnie Lowenthal ended a state Senate bid and instead sought a final Assembly term. O'Donnell then sought a third four-year City Council term, using the term-limit bypass procedure, mounting a write-in campaign in April 2012 and winning a place on a June 2012 runoff ballot where he prevailed with large election expenditures by organized labor.

Whoever is elected in the 4th Council district -- which stretches from ELB's Los Altos neighborhoods to the Central LB-adjacent Zaferia area -- will have a co-equal vote on all Council matters from budget priorities (including police and fire staffing) to proposed developments, taxpayer impacting policies and neighborhood quality of life affecting decisions citywide. Thus far in 2014, there has been no Council dissent, and only minor Council changes in September 2014, to budgets proposed by exited Mayor Bob Foster, basically maintained (with few changes) by Foster's endorsee Robert Garcia. Those budgets have left Long Beach with 200 fewer police officers than five years ago, including the complete elimination of LBPD's former anti-gang field unit as well as three fire stations (all in ELB) without fire stations capable of putting out fires. In January 2014, a 4th district residence burned across the street from ELB Fire Station 17 until a fire engine arrived from further away.

O'Donnell's exit by early December means he likely won't cast a decisional Council vote on a controversial transaction in which the City would make annual payments (escalating at CPA rate each year) for roughly 40 year and convey valuable Ocean Blvd./Magnolia Ave. property under LB's former courthouse to a private developer/operator in exchange for building and operating a new LB Civic Center.

Republican OC Supervisor Janet Nguyen's state Senate victory over Dem former Assemblyman Jose Solorio is considered pivotal, since it blocks Sac'to Dems from regaining their previous legislative super-majority (in which they could not only ignore Repubs but also override a Gubenatorial veto.) The ELB-OC 34th district state Senate district was newly drawn by the voter-enacted independent Redistricting Commission...and in a quirk of redistricting, its residents haven't had state Senate representative for the past two years.

As widely anticipated, LBPD Chief Jim McDonnell was handily elected L.A. County Sheriff (after finishing with just over 49% of the vote in June, requiring a November runoff.) As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, Long Beach City Manager Pat West has indicated he will move swiftly to name a new LBPD Chief from among LBPD's current Deputy Chiefs and Commanders.

LB Water Board appointee John Allen was elected to the Water Replenishment District's governing board in division 3, receiving about a third of the votes in a multi-candidate "winner take all" race to fill a vacancy stemming from the death for former boardmember Lillian Kawasaki. That seat had been filled by board appointee Lynn Dymally, who finished third. Former Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske (who waged nearly no formal campaign) outpolled Dymally, finishing second to Allen with about 20%, of the vote. Former LB Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga (endorsed by a number of prominent local Dem and labor figures) finished fourth ahead of Mason Inocentes and Larry Andre.

Among statewide races, State Sup't of Public Instruction incumbent Tom Torlakson, backed by teachers unions, outpolled challenger Marshall Tuck roughly 52%-48%.

While Republicans were victorious in multiple races nationally, CA Dem Governor Jerry Brown was reelected to a fourth term, fending off a challenge by Republican Neel Kashkari.

Two measures backed by Governor Brown also carried by large margins: Prop 1 (water debt bond) and Prop 2 ("rainy day fund.")

Propositions 45 (insurance commissioner to oversee state health insurance rates, fiercely opposed by insurance industry interests) and 46 (increased allowable medical lawsuit damages) both failed. Proposition 47 (easing criminal penalties for certain non-violent crimes) passed. Prop 48 (on indian gaming compacts) failed.

Nationally, Republicans won a majority in the U.S. Senate, gaining control of that body for the first time in eight years. Repubs won seven Senate seats outright with a runoff in Louisiana scheduled in December [that a Dem incumbent may well lose.] Repubs also increased their majority in the House, giving Republicans full control of the legislative branch of the federal government during the final two years of the Obama administration. Democrats lost their former House majority in 2010 following enactment of "ObamaCare."