Join the discussion and vote in the unscientific poll on our homepage for the 7th District City Council candidate that you support. Current candidates in the race are listed below, in alphabetical order. All have filed to enter the election, which will be held in April 2010.
The purpose of this unscientific poll is to engage the community and spark discussion on the election, early in the election cycle. A similar poll conducted in November sparked lively discussion and debate concerning the upcoming race for the 9th District Council seat.
Our new PostPoll feature is one of many polls to come in the future, and will also be used to engage readers on important issues in Long Beach.
The current 7th District City Council candidates are listed below:
- Jill Hill
- James Johnson
- Jack Smith
- Tonia Reyes Uranga
With an extensive background of community involvement, Jill Hill is taking a run at the 7th District council seat based on her experience with the Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau and the Wringley Area Neighborhood Association. She has been a consultant with the former since 2001, and has served as President of the latter since 2007. Hill aims for sustainable, long-term approaches to issues such as the budget and the environment that face both the district and the city. Learn more about Hill on her campaign website, here.
A very visible member of the Wrigley neighborhood in which he resides, Jack Smith is a former rocket scientist and software engineer in the entertainment industry. More to the point, he is a vocal participant at City Council and other community meetings and helped found Better Balance For Long Beach – which has been praised for its efforts to develop the 14th Street Skate Park and hold annual Christmas Toy Drives – in 2006. His website stresses his commitment to bringing the City Budget under control. Learn more about Smith on his campaign website, here.
A life-long Long Beach resident, James Johnson returned to his hometown after graduating from Harvard and the Berkeley School of Law to work in a Los Angeles firm, but has served as the Long Beach Assistant City Auditor since 2007. Johnson has said that he offers expertise on budgets due to his experience in the Auditor’s office, and made waves all the way back in June when he reported more than $53,000 raised in campaign funds. Learn more about Johnson on his campaign website, here.
The incumbent in what looks to be a very tight race, Tonia Reyes Uranga faces an uphill climb to regain her seat because she will not appear on the ballot this April. That’s because Reyes Uranga has already served two terms as 7th District Councilmember, and will rely on write-in votes. In fact, she only threw her hat into the ring when her husband, LBCC Trustee Roberto Uranga, announced that he would withdraw to accept a position with the Association of Community College Trustees. In her eight years with the Council, Reyes Uranga has earned a reputation as a fierce defender of environmental and neighborhood issues. She attempted a bid for the State Assembly in 2008 but was defeated in the Democratic primary. Reyes Uranga does not appear to have a campaign site, but you can learn more by visiting her Council page, here.
Click here to read our policy on covering the Long Beach City Council.