Whatever happens will happen quickly with candidates likely to surface to cite early political endorsements and raise money for a 2019 special election. In a special election for a state legislative district, if no candidate receives a majority, the top two finishers advance to a runoff.

Long Beach is the largest city (with the most votes) within the state Senate district, so might any LB City Hall incumbents enter the race run? Our speculated possibilities include:

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• Mayor Robert Garcia: He was among the first to endorse Lara's state Insurance Commissioner run in early 2017. Garcia refused in seeking his 2018 re-election to commit not to exit the Mayor's office during his second term (which would trigger a costly citywide special election.) Garcia has also been a long-time supporter of now-incoming Governor Newsom, who might offer Garcia some appointment in his administration or perhaps appoint him to the Coastal Commission (as state law was changed a few years ago in a way now enabling Garcia to hold that position as Mayor.) Another possible scenario: Garcia might pass on the vacant state Senate seat and waits for (or we suspect pushes for) retirement of Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D, LB-west OC) for which Garcia would run in 2020. In any scenario, if Garcia bolts City Hall, it would trigger a scramble for his vacated Mayoral office. Speculated candidates include Vice Mayor Rex Richardson and 3rd dist. Councilwoman Suzie Price (who've publicly sparred on a number of Council issues.) If Price and/or Richardson run and were elected Mayor, it would trigger a no-runoff/winner-take-all special election for a new 3rd or 9th dist. Council rep.

• Councilman Al Austin: 8th dist. Council rep, was re-elected two second term in 2016, began fundraising in the second half of 2017 for a 2020 run for the state Senate seat...but that was before Measure BBB now allows him a third Council term without a write-in requirement. Councilman Austin is familiar with Sacramento officialdom as chair of the Council's State Legislation Committee. He's a career worker and experienced negotiator for organized labor (a public employee union) but angered other organized labor reps by voting against "Claudia's Law" (hotel workers ordinance, triggering a successful union-backed petition-initiated ordinance.)

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• Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez: 1st dist. Council rep faced no opponent for 2018 re-election, endorsed by LB Police Officers Ass'n although her Council district has the city's largest number of 2018 homicides and since August 2018 the largest number of shootings. Gonzalez attempted to cover our camera lens when we asked after her district's FY17 budget meeting if she'd support increasing police officers beyond level proposed by management and Mayor. Like Austin, Gonzalez also a part of the Council's State Legislation Committee. On taking office as Mayor, Garcia chose Gonzalez to chair the Council's Elections Oversight Committee where her first major Committee action was to advance a measure that allowed the incumbents (Mayor and Councilmembers) to triple the amounts they could annually collect in their "officeholder" accounts.

• Councilman Roberto Uranga: 7th dist. Council rep familiar with Sac'to politics as state Senate Pro Tem approved and re-appointed Coastal Commissioner. Angered environmentists with 2016 vote to fire Coastal Commission Executive Director Charles Lester. Deep organized labor ties.

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• LB Harbor Commissioner/former Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal: Ms. Lowenthal created a state Senate 2020 campaign committee in 2017 (after she was politically muscled out the 2012 state Senate race by Lara.) However in May 2017, Mayor Garcia appointed Lowenthal to LB's Harbor Commission, a political plum with multiple perks that might dissuade her from seeking to re-enter the Sacramento pressure cooker.

If Councilmember Gonzalez or Uranga is elected to the state Senate in a special election, it would create a LB City Council vacancy and trigger a no-runoff/winner-take-all special election for a new 1st or 7th district Council rep.

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