Eduardo Lara, A Contributor To Electing Jeannine Pearce To LB's City Council In 2016, Enters 2nd Dist. Race To Replace Her...And She Swiftly Endorses Him; CSULB Prof Is Also A Boardmember Of LGBTQ Center
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(Nov. 4, 2019, 2:30 p.m.) -- Eduardo Lara, a boardmember of LB's LGBTQ Center, a CSULB Professor and a contributor to the 2016 campaign to elect Jeannine Pearce to the LB City Council, announced today (Nov. 4) -- a week after Pearce stated won't seek a second term -- that he's entering the 2nd dist. Council race to succeed her...and Pearce has swiftly endorsed him.
Dr. Lara's Facebook announcement (below) doesn't mention incumbent Pearce (who survived a botched attempted recall but ended up censured in March 2018 by her Council colleagues (LBREPORT.com coverage here and now faces investigations by the FPPC and the L.A. County District Attorney's office after failing to fully disclosing certain outside income on FPPC "conflict of interest" disclosure Form 700.
Pearce 's endorsement of Lara is here:
In endorsing Dr. Lara, Councilwoman Pearce wrote that "values of the district are clear. The constituents are committed to social justice, equity, and inclusion. I am proudly supporting Eduardo Lara for the seat. He's lead as an active Union Member with CFA, as a board member for the LGBTQ Center, and on the Immigrant Rights Coalition. While there are a lot of great people are running for the seat, Eduardo Lara is the candidate with the experience, commitment to equity and passion we deserve..."
It's not Dr. Lara's first entry into electoral races. In April 2018, he sought a seat on the LB School Board, finishing third with roughly 17% of the vote.
[Scroll down for further.]
A biographical sketch of Dr. Lara on the LGBTQ Center website indicates "his professional portfolio includes work as an LAUSD middle school teacher, Director of an Urban Education master’s degree program at LMU, Associate Director of the Youth Empowerment and Research Seminar at Pepperdine, and Director of Research for the Health Literacy Project" and his civic activism includes stins as "a former Obama Organizing Fellow, California Democratic Delegate to the 55th Assembly District, AIDS/LifeCycle participant and a committee member for both the Long Beach LGBTQ+ and Justice Fund advisory groups."
It indicates Dr. Lara holds two degrees from George Washington University ("having studied Criminal Justice and Political Science for his Bachelor of Arts and Bilingual Studies for his Master of Education") and earned a Ph.D. in Education from UCLA "where he published work on intersectionality and racial justice." It says he's "a thought leader in the fields of diversity and inclusion, ethnic studies, Latinx education, LGBTQ+ equity, teacher preparation and urban schooling" and currently "a Sociologist of Education at Cal State Long Beach where he serves as faculty advisor to La Raza Student Association, consults on social justice projects and is a professional motivational speaker for a range of audiences."
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Campaign finance records show Dr. Lara contributed $200 to support Pearce's 2016 election to the LB City Council. He also contributed $200 in 2017 to re-elect then-LB Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez in the 2018 election cycle, $125 in Feb. 2018 to re-elect Councilman Roberto Uranga and $100 (thus far in 2019) to support Suely Saro's campaign to unseat 6th dist. Council incumbent Dee Andrews in 2020,
Other declared candidates in the 2nd district race include:
Robert Fox, who like Dr. Lara is an openly gay man but holds a very different opinion of Ms. Pearce. Mr. Fox, whose 2nd district activism dates back to the 1980's (opposing City Hall enabled developer-driven "crackerbox" density), was an early contributor to the effort to recall Pearce. Fox has sharly criticized Pearce for allowing installation of the much-criticized Broadway "road diet and for her vote that on a revised Land Use Element that allows certain height/density increases in the part of the already crackerbox-density-impacted 2nd district. Mr. Fox, a signer of the LB Reform Coalition's "Reform Pledge" (LBREPORT.com coverage here) has also criticized Pearce for supporting increased parking fines in City Hall's FY20 budget (says he favors rolling back for parking fines in the parking impacted 2nd district) and recently blasted Pearce for supporting installing of parking meters along Broadway.
Cindy Allen, a contributor to the campaigns and/or officeholder accounts of a number of LB incumbents nd the former owner/operator of ETA Advertising and former publisher of LBPost.com, who announced her entry into the race on Oct. 14. On Oct. 28, Ms. Allen held a kick-off fundraiser attended by multiple LB electeds (LBREPORT.com coverage here.) Ms. Allen has since been endorsed by Mayor Garcia and by state Senator Gonzalez.
Jeanette Barerra, who morning issued a press release announcing that she has been endorsed by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1277. "It is no secret that candidate Barrera supports mass transit and has included it in her messaging since announcing her candidacy back in May 2019," Ms. Barrera said in a press release in which she declared herself the "frontrunner" in the race. "Long Beach residents recognize nepotism running rampant in City Hall and they're over it. They're looking for a change and a fresh perspective that represents the district's progressive values," her release stated.
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In March 2020, 2nd district voters will either elect a new Councilmember outright (if one of the candidate receives over 50%+1 of the vote) or (more likely in a multi-candidate field) send the top two finishers to a November 2020 runoff.
Follow the Money
Pearce's now-ended 2020 re-election campaign raised a little over $40,000 between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2019 (most of it in May and June.) It's not immediately clear how many will follow Councilwoman Pearce's recommendation and support Dr. Lara. Some, like state Senator Gonzalez (a former Council ally of Pearce) have already endorsed Cindy Allen. LBREPORT.com lists below salient contributors who supported re-electing Councilwoman Pearce in 2020;
American Life: $400. (Corporate entity planning to build high rise hotel on SE corner of Pine/Ocean Blvd. (former Jergins Trust site), given an "economic development incentive" of 80% of the future hotel's transient occupancy tax revenue for nine years (Dec. 2017 Council action, motion by Pearce, approved without Council dissent.)
Matt Knabe $400 (lobbyist Englander, Knabe & Allen)
Alex Cherin: $400 (consultant, lobbying firm Englander, Knabe & Allen)
Englander Public Affairs $400 (lobbying firm)
Herlinda Chico: $300 (field deputy LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn)
Who gets the roughly $37,000+ (after expenses) now remaining in Pearce's 2020 re-election committee? An FPPC spokesperson referred us to the FPPC's Campaign Manual, Chapter 5, which indicates "surplus" campaign funds "may only be used to make the following expenditures":
Payments for outstanding campaign debts or officeholder expenses.
Refunds to contributors.
Donations to a bona fide charitable, educational, civic, religious, or similar tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, provided no
substantial part of the proceeds will have a material financial effect on the candidate, on any member of the candidate's immediate family (spouse or registered domestic partner and children), or the campaign treasurer.
Contributions to a political party committee, so long as the funds are not used to make contributions in support of or opposition to
a candidate for elective office. (For example, funds earmarked for overhead expenses.)
Contributions to support or oppose any candidate for federal office, any candidate for elective office in a state other than
California, or any ballot measure.
Payments for professional services or attorneys’ fees for litigation that arises out of campaign or election activities.
Payment for an electronic security system
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