Josh Lowenthal, a thus-far-private citizen from Long Beach’s most-prominent political family, has been contacted by top officials of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce about running for the Board of Education seat that may soon be vacated by the Chamber’s effort to recall Michael Shane Ellis.

Altogether now: “What th–?!?”

“We sat down with Josh,” confirms Randy Gordon, the Chamber’s president and CEO, in a way-too-calm tone of voice ”[Political Action Committee chairman] Dave Neary and I had a nice conversation with him. We think Josh Lowenthal might make a good school board member.”

Lowenthal says that Shaun Lumachi, the Chamber’s political consultant, made the initial contact and set up a meeting.

“I was approached by them, they’ve been talking to me about it, and I have to admit I’m considering it,” Lowenthal acknowledges in an I’m-as-surprised-as-you-are tone of voice. “I’m not exactly a Chamber guy. But we both believe it’s really important to remove Ellis from the school board.”

Both men are trying to downplay their discussions, Lowenthal insisting he has not decided whether he will run and Gordon emphasizing the Chamber has not decided whether it will endorse him.

But Lowenthal is so precisely not a Chamber guy that even the prospect that they might team up expands the consequences of Ellis’ ongoing personal and political meltdown — the drinking and driving, the hitting and running, the missing of meetings, the lack of financial transparency and the votes by his board colleagues requesting his resignation and censuring his behavior — from very bad to extremely weird.

 Over the years the Lowenthal name has carried a reputation of advocacy for quality-of-life community issues that have frequently clashed with the increasingly aggressive pro-business tactics the Chamber has utilized under Gordon’s leadership.

But Josh Lowenthal — the son of divorced State Senator Alan and First District Councilmember Bonnie, the brother-in-law of Second District Councilmember Suja and the brother of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel — could also be an easily electable candidate. Of course, he’d have to move into the third district to do it inasmuch as he currently resides a couple of blocks beyond its boundaries.

Lowenthal winces when the subject of his politically connected relatives is broached and declines to comment about it on the record. He describes himself as “idealistic” about the Chamber’s motives in pushing to recall Ellis.

“For me, that’s the most important thing,” says Lowenthal. “Ellis is a cancer who must be removed.”

Gordon is certainly aware of the Lowenthals’ magic touch on election day. “Has a Lowenthal ever lost an election in Long Beach,” he wonders aloud. But he insists that the Chamber is not about to abandon its principles for a potential easy win.

“The thing I like about Josh Lowenthal is that he is the only Lowenthal who has ever signed the front of a paycheck,” says Gordon, getting in a dig that shows he hasn’t forgotten his historic differences with Lowenthal family values. “We admire Josh for his entrepreneurial talent as a business guy.”

Gordon is referring to Lowenthal’s ownership of Sachi’s, a popular nightclub inside the Seaport Marina Hotel, which features live music, DJs and dancing by patrons and sometimes scantily clad professionals. The place is definitely a hotspot.

But this could potentially be a vulnerable spot for a school board candidate — particularly since the election would be part of a campaign to recall Ellis for a litany of complaints about his personal behavior that include a drunken-driving conviction.

Tags: Alan Lowenthal, bonnie lowenthal, Daniel Lowenthal, Dave Wielenga, Josh Lowenthal, Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education, Michael Shane Ellis, randy gordon, Shaun Lumachi, suja lowenthal