Ed Vincent, the first Black mayor of Inglewood, dies
He was a political trailblazer, who went on to be elected to the Assembly and the State Senate.
AP contributed to this story
LOS ANGELES — Ed Vincent, who was elected the first black mayor of Inglewood before serving in the state Legislature, has died. He was 78.
California state Sen. Roderick Wright, who succeeded Vincent in the state senate, said in a statement that Vincent died on Friday.
A cause of death was not released.
Vincent became Inglewood’s mayor in 1983 and remained in that role for 13 years before entering state politics.
Senator Wright who considered Vincent a friend and a mentor remembered him as a political trailblazer and an avid horseracing fan, his office issued the following statement:
It was with great sadness that Senator Roderick D. Wright (D-Inglewood) relayed to Members of the California State Senate during the final night of the 2011-12 Legislative Session, the news that Senator Ed Vincent (Ret.) passed away earlier today.
Wright had the honor of knowing Senator Vincent for over forty years. He ran Senator Vincent’s campaign when he was elected the first African-American mayor of Inglewood in?1983 and later succeeded him when term limits forced Vincent to retire from the State Senate.
He said, “Ed Vincent was a great friend, and someone I respected so much as a legislator. I will miss him and I send my heartfelt condolences to his wife, Marilyn, and his children, grandchildren and extended family.”
Vincent was elected to the California State Assembly from 1996 to 2000. He represented the 25th Senate District from 2000-2008. He championed the industry as chairman of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee and the Select Committee on the Horseracing Industry.
In earlier years, Vincent earned Big-Ten and All-American honors while playing football for the University of Iowa and went on to play for the Los Angeles Rams. After serving his country in the U.S. Army, Vincent went on to a 35-year career with the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
