It’s safe to say that conservatives elected to local, state or federal offices are part of Long Beach’s past and not its future.
Years ago, unions took advantage of a politically weak and disconnected business community and a less involved electorate, and began flexing their collective political muscle. Today, unions and union money pretty much control who gets to represent Long Beach at city hall, Sacramento and in Washington, D.C.
There is one person still standing in Long Beach who exemplifies the conservative philosophy: Jeff Kellogg. The former city councilman and current member of the Long Beach City College District Board of Trustees is now being targeted by faculty, firefighter, police and other unions. They will spend whatever it takes to convince voters to oust Kellogg.
Few Long Beach residents can match Kellogg’s record of public service. He got his start in 1988 at age 33 when he won a seat to represent the 8th District (Bixby Knolls area) on the Long Beach City Council. At the time, he was the youngest person ever elected to the city council. He went on to win two more district elections and served as vice mayor for four years. For the past 16 years, he has represented Area 1 (Bixby Knolls/North Long Beach) on the college board of trustees, winning four consecutive elections, and serving several years as president.
While we can’t predict Kellogg’s fate come April 10, he certainly has a tough road ahead – especially in fundraising. The firefighters union, which endorsed him all three times when he ran for city council, did not grant him the courtesy of an interview before backing his opponent, Uduak-Joe Ntuk, who two years ago ran and lost for a seat on the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education.
There’s no doubt Long Beach politics has shifted dramatically since the 1990s. When Kellogg served on the city council, it was a mixed group of liberals, conservatives and moderates who closely reflected the city’s population. It made for many interesting, often colorful, discussions since a variety of viewpoints were always being expressed. At one time, we even had three career law enforcement professionals on the city council at the same time – and two of them were conservatives.
Today, it’s liberals, progressives and a hint of moderates who control the city’s destiny. They, too, represent our city’s demographics.
We have no animosity toward the unions. They saw an opportunity years ago and were savvy enough to grab it. They didn’t even have to arm wrestle for it. But in this college board race, if voters are paying attention and recognize that Kellogg has dedicated himself to putting students first, they should keep the city’s lone conservative in office.
Who’s Running For Local Offices In 2018
The following individuals have filed the proper paperwork and paid the appropriate fees and are qualified to run in the April 10, 2018, primaries in Long Beach. Each of the seats is for a four-year term. The Office of the Mayor and Long Beach City Councilmembers has a two-term limit, but may run as a write-in for subsequent terms. The incumbent mayor and five councilmembers have each served one term.
Mayor
Robert Garcia (incumbent)
James Henry “Henk” Conn
City Attorney
Charles Parkin (incumbent)
He does not have a challenger
City Auditor
Laura Doud (incumbent)
She does not have a challenger
City Prosecutor
Doug Haubert (incumbent)
He does not have a challenger
City Council District 1
Lena Gonzalez (incumbent)
She does not have a challenger
City Council District 3
Susan Price (incumbent)
Gordana Kajer
Robert D. Savin
City Council District 5
Stacy Mungo (incumbent)
Rich Dines
Corliss Lee
John W. Osborn II
Council District 7
Roberto Uranga (incumbent)
Oscar S. Delacruz
Jared Milrad
Kevin C. Shin
Chris Sereno
Council District 9
Rex Richardson (incumbent)
Mineo L. Gonzalez
Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) District One
Megan Kerr (incumbent)
She does not have a challenger
LBUSD District Three (open seat)
Cesar A. Armendariz
Juan M. Benitez
Eduardo Lara
District Five
Diana F. Craighead (incumbent)
Cathrin Sargent
Long Beach City College District (LBCCD) Area One
Jeffrey A. Kellogg (incumbent)
Uduak-Joe Ntuk
LBCCD Area Three
Sunny Zia (incumbent)
She does not have a challenger
LBCCD Area Five
Virginia L. Baxter (incumbent)
She does not have a challenger
Beginning in 2020, all city elections will be aligned with the State of California. That means, the 2020 primary election will be held in March and runoffs in November.