Furutani for State Assembly, Randy Gordon vs. Michael Ellis gather, expel steam

Maybe it’s not quite accurate to call 55th Assembly District candidate Warren Furutani’s campaign a juggernaut–after all, this time last year he ran exactly the same race against then-Sixth District Councilwoman Laura Richardson and was sent packing. (That was a juggernaut.)

But here the Los Angeles Community College trustee is today, bagging the Press-Telegram’s endorsement over fellow Dems Mervin Evans and Carson Councilman Mike Gipson.

The P-T editorial board says it likes Furutani for his experience and for his connections.

By contrast, it doesn’t like candidate Herb Peters because “a Libertarian who has never held public office cannot conceivably win in this Democratic stronghold or get an agenda like his past his own desk.”

Which is probably true (the first part) but somehow, the old “throwing your vote away” argument sticks in my craw a bit–especially since the P-T writes in the same sentence that some of Peters’ “views on eliminating taxes would actually grow businesses and create jobs.” Because those are good things.

Elsewhere in the P-T, you can read about Chamber of Commerce CEO Randy
Gordon explaining how his organization’s political action committee should have no trouble spending north of $20,000 on gathering roughly 6,000 signatures to recall embattled Long Beach Unified School District trustee Michael Shane Ellis.

There’s your juggernaut. It’s worth noting that even if Ellis is–as Gordon claims–the Worst Trustee Ever, $20,000 is still probably more than some Long Beach residents with jobs earn in a year. Sigh.

Tags: 55th State Assembly District, California, Carson, chamber of commerce, Democrats, Herb Peters, laura richardson, Libertarians, Long Beach, Long Beach Unified School District, Mervin Evans, Michael Shane Ellis, MIKE GIPSON, press telegram, randy gordon, sixth district, Southern California, The District Weekly, Theo Douglas, Warren Furutani