Current Assemblymember of the 64th District, Isadore Hall, has endorsed Gipson for the position stating, “we need to elect experienced leaders with the proven ability to bring people together to get things done.”
City of Carson Councilmember, Mike Gipson plans to treat the 64th Assembly District like his own family.
A local resident. A policeman. A public official. A city councilman. Mike Gipson serves the city of Carson with love and appreciation of the position. He is one of the candidates running for the 64th Assembly District seat and has plans for the encompassing area. Gipson has a desire to truly be of service to the community, one that goes back to his childhood.
Born and raised in South Los Angeles, in the Watts District, Gipson attended local area schools such as 93rd Street Elementary School, Charles Drew Middle School, Freemont High School and Southwest College. It was during his youth that Gipson would receive his fighting spirit.
“I grew up being bullied,” said Gipson. “But I knew that there was a fighter inside when I drew a line in the sand saying ‘no more will I be a victim, no more will I let people bully and push me around.’”
The spirit of courage that he conjured within himself would play a pivotal part in the coming years of his life. Gipson would follow and accomplish his dream of becoming a police officer. After attending police academy, he became the first and last African American hired in the Maywood Police Department, now the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
He would use his years as a police officer as a stepping stone to public service working for a list of distinguished city officials such as former Los Angeles city councilmembers Robert Farrell and (Supervisor) Mark Ridley-Thomas, State Senator Bill Greene and late Congressmember, Mervyn Dymally. Currently, Gipson serves as chief of staff to Board of Equalization Chairman Jerome Horton.
Gipson accomplishments include jobs with United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), SEIU Local 399, SEIU Local 1877 and SEIU Local 99. He also serves as vice-president of the Advisory Board for the State Public Utilities Commission, chairman of the Board of Directors for Positive Imagery Foundation, Inc., and he is the former chairman of the California Contract Cities’ Legislative Committee.
He was elected to the Carson City Council on March 8, 2005 and selected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem in March 2008. On March 3, 2009, Gipson was re-elected for another 4-year term as a councilmember. In 2013, he would be re-elected to a third term in office. He credits it all to his being able to effectively hear and service his community.
“I fight for people who have no voice,” said Gipson. “I fight for people who society has labeled invisible.
“Whether it’s someone who’s living with HIV and AIDS, someone who deserves fair wages and benefits, someone who has autism or someone who just has a disability—our society sometimes are not kind to those individuals.”
He has demonstrated this passion in service as councilman for the city of Carson, which has re-elected him more than once. It’s an honor he holds close to his heart as well as the city.
“I love the residents of the city of Carson tremendously,” said Gipson. “They are an extension of my extended family and I want to fight for them on the city council—I want to be their mouthpiece on the city council standing up for…a community that is open to diversity.”
As a candidate for the 64th District, which encompasses Watts/Willowbrook, Carson, Compton, parts of North Long Beach and from Wilmington to the ports of Los Angeles, Gipson would be an Assemblymember over the largest African American district in Southern California. Gipson spoke on what his plans would be for the district.
“It has great potential,” said Gipson. “One of the things I want to focus on is creating jobs… that people can receive a paycheck, feel good about themselves.
“Hopefully those jobs translate into people’s ability to buy their first car, live in their first apartment, to actually become a homeowner.
“Education… some of the schools lack quality text books, equipment, chairs… we need to make sure that our kids have path to success not a pipeline to prison.”
Gipson is primed and ready to take the 64th District to higher ground through no-holds-barred means. He wants everyone to know that his passion to fight for the community is unending and unceasing. He’s ready to do what he has always done—fight.
“I will kick those doors in,” said Gipson, “and demand that resources come to my district… and decrease those double-digits of unemployment, high crime rates and start talking about people getting jobs.
“That’s what I want to do for this district.”
