LBEPORT.com is the ONLY media outlet to provide readers with extended VIDEO plus on-demand audio podcast-style coverage for unfiltered, unspun access to the two candidates to become CA's next state Senator really said. Vote by mail ballots are circulating now; all ballots will be tallied after 8 p.m. June 4, and the winner will be sworn-in shortly thereafter to cast Sacramento votes on measures ranging from proposed constitutional revisions to Proposition 13, to land use bills seeking to override local land use on zoning/density plus changes to CA criminal laws.

The Veterans Park social hall was filled to capacity and included partisans for both candidates. The Gonzalez campaign paid an Oakland-based interactive text messaging firm to encourage her supporters to attend (LBREPORT.com coverage here.) To our knowledge, the Guerrero campaign didn't do likewise but did mention his upcoming appearance on his campaign's Facebook page.

LBREPORT.com also provides podcast on-demand AUDIO coverage, click here

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Long Beach Council incumbent Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat, has represented LB's 1st Council district (north of downtown, Central and WLB) since mid-2014 and has cast Council votes generally supportive of positions advocated by LB Mayor Robert Garcia on taxes, City Hall-sought ballot measures, homeless issues, spending and development. She's stressed equity issues and generally aligned herself with current Sacramento policies.

Cudahy Councilman Jack Guerrero, a Republican, elected in 2013, is a Stanford (Economics) and Harvard (MBA) trained CPA. In public appearances he's stressed fiscal conservatism, lower taxes, parental choice in schools and urged changes in current Sacramento policies.

The state Senate seat became vacant when state Senator Ricardo Lara (a Democrat) was elected state Insurance Commissioner in November 2018 and Lara has endorsed Gonzalez.

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In the March 2019 initial race among eleven active candidates (8 Dems, 2 Repubs, 1 Green) Gonzalez finished first with about 30% of the vote and Guerrero finished second with about 15% of the vote. Among the multi-candidate field of candidates mostly from cities outside Long Beach, LB accounted for more than half the votes cast in all the other S.E. L.A. County cities combined: 17,322 Lonng Beach votes compared to 16,858 from the rest of the district's smaller cities. If that voter turnout pattern repeats, Long Beach voters could basically determine the election outcome in June.

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