Laura Richardson has declared her candidacy for California’s 35th Senate District to replace Senator Steven Bradford, who is termed out.
A lifelong Democrat, Richardson has spent most of her life living in the 35th Senate District. She previously served in the California Assembly, representing the 55th District, and served in leadership as the Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore and was the first African-American and South Bay representative to achieve this position.
“Throughout my time in public office, I worked hard, brought money and resources into my district, and in and in conjunction with a committed staff, resolved resident casework for disability and social security claims, significantly adding to much-needed benefits and payments for residents in my district,” said Richardson.
Richardson’s announcement comes with an impressive list of early endorsements, including:
- Emma Sharif, Mayor, City of Compton
- Lula Davis-Holmes, Mayor, City of Carson
- Barry Waite, Mayor, City of Lomita
- Jawane Hilton, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Carson
- Angie Reyes-English, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Hawthorne
- Cedric Hicks, Councilmember, City of Carson
- Lillie Darden, Councilmember, City of Compton
- Deidra Duhart, Councilmember, City of Compton
- Wanda Love, Councilmember City of Gardena
- Dr. Khaleah Bradshaw, Clerk, City of Carson
- Barbara Calhoun, Trustee, Compton Community College District Board of Trustees
- Satra Zurita, Board Member, Compton Unified School District
- Micah Ali, Board Member, Compton Unified School District
- Juanita Douse, Commissioner, City of Hawthorne
- Ken Miller, Commissioner, City of Lawndale
- Robert Katherman, Director, Metropolitan Water Replenishment District
- Leticia Vasquez-Wilson, Director, Central Basin Municipal Water District
- Harold Williams, Board Member, West Basin Municipal Water District
A recent survey of likely March 2024 primary voters in California’s 35th State Senate District conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3 Research) shows former Congresswoman Laura Richardson to be a strong contender for this open seat.
“The survey found Richardson’s favorability rating to be similar to or better than most current and former elected officials with experience representing communities within the 35th Senate District and better than candidates expressing interest but have not served higher than the local office,” said John Fairbanks.
Richardson was born in Los Angeles and lives in San Pedro. She was raised by a single mother after her parents divorced when she was two. Her mother was a member of the Teamsters and remains a retiree today. Laura graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science
from the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned her MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
Richardson served on the Long Beach City Council from 2000 to 2006, and while serving in the Assembly in 2007 after the untimely passing of Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald, she was elected to the House of Representatives, representing District 37, where she
served three terms before redistricting significantly altered California’s congressional map, resulting in the loss of African American representation for the first time in decades.
“In our hypothetical ballot tests, Laura Richardson led initially and after voters were provided information about the backgrounds of several candidates,” added Fairbanks. “Richardson’s commitment to addressing local residents’ concerns on a range of issues, including jobs, wages and benefits, the economy, affordable housing, access to quality healthcare, public safety, and criminal justice reform, resonates strongly with voters. Furthermore, her background with community-based organizations, her experience as a business leader, and her public service record are very appealing to voters.”
Senate District 35 includes the Los Angeles County communities of LAX, Inglewood, Compton, Carson, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena, Harbor Gateway, Wilmington, San Pedro, and unincorporated communities of East and West Rancho Dominguez, Lennox, West Athens, Westmont, and Willowbrook.
The election will take place on March 5, 2024.
For more information on Laura Richardson for Senate 2024, please visit http://lauraforca.com.
