With 100 percent of the votes still not cast–and more to the point, not going to be–the results are official: Michael Shane Ellis, the so-called “worst school board member in Long Beach history,” has defeated Randy Gordon, the so-called “self-appointed mayor of Long Beach.”
The troubled Ellis will not face the recall election sought by the [...]

Haven’t heard from Long Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO Randy Gordon in a bit, but he was the featured speaker at today’s meeting of the East Anaheim Street Business Alliance, held at the tasty Frenchy’s Bistro.
And for a man who literally said he didn’t want to talk about still-embattled Long Beach Unified school board trustee [...]

Chamber of Commerce President Randy Gordon and political scion Josh Lowenthal make for an odd couple. It’s weirder than you think

JOSH LOWENTHAL by KELLY FLOYD
The aggressively expanding influence of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce on local politics isn’t just worrisome anymore. Now it’s getting weird . . . as in the discovery that Chamber [...]

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, [...]

Three P-T round-up stories get 2008 in the boat and hit it with the oar
Round-up stories in newspapers are usually a double negative: horrific to write–lotsa busy work, little pay-off–and life-shortening to read. Like weather stories.
And so without further ado, here are three round-up stories from recent issues of the Press-Telegram. But good ones–chock fulla [...]

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.)

Let’s remember who wants school board trustee Michael Ellis to resign
Depending upon your perspective, there’s either a Who’s Who or a rogues’ gallery of local media this morning covering last night’s Long Beach school board meeting–and the fact that embattled trustee Michael Shane Ellis is refusing to resign.
(We’d call it a Rogues’ Who–only because, as [...]

Breaking with its history of official neutrality, the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will endorse and fund candidates in 2008 races for seats on the School Board — and may do so in City Council campaigns, too.
Randy Gordon, the Chamber’s president and CEO, confirmed the organization’s change in philosophy Tuesday night while speaking at the Beer [...]

Chamber President Gordon tells the mayor and City Council what to do, including when to let you vote

A couple of Tuesdays ago, Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Randy Gordon became the mayor of Long Beach. “Please don’t call me that,” Gordon pleads with uncharacteristic sensitivity. “I certainly don’t consider myself the mayor.” He’s [...]