On Nov. 13, Laura Richardson secured a pivotal endorsement from Citizens for Accountable Leadership (CAL) following an exhaustive interview process.
Comprising distinguished business and community leaders in Southern California, CAL has a rich history, having previously organized as the African American Leadership Finance Council for the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris Campaign.
The group decided to continue its efforts as an unincorporated association under the name Citizens for Accountable Leadership (CAL). Its dual mission is to provide a platform for candidates to discuss issues that are relevant to the community and to promote political engagement, education, and empowerment. Additionally, CAL raises funds for candidates who are running for public office, if it’s compelling to the organization.
Related Links:
https://lasentinel.net/richardson-raises-over-270k-in-fundraising-report-for-state-senate-seat.html
https://lasentinel.net/laura-richardson-announces-candidacy-for-california-senate.html
In announcing the organization’s endorsement, the following statement was released: “Citizens for Accountable Leadership, better known as (CAL), is an unincorporated association that provides a platform for candidates to discuss issues that are relevant to the community, and to promote political engagement, education, and empowerment.
According to Dr. Gail Willis, Chair of CAL, “Laura Richardson is the most qualified candidate for the California State Senate, District 35, who has an enriched background and experience, which enables her to serve the community. I strongly believe that she has the ability to bring the necessary resources to the community in order for residents to have a better quality of life.”
“Due to Laura Richardson’s extensive background and many years in serving the community, I strongly believe that she will serve the constituents well in the 35th Senate District,” stated CAL’s Vice Chair Rickey Ivie, Esq.
Richardson, herself a small business owner, said, “I am honored to have the support and endorsement of some of Southern California’s most prominent business and community leaders and a highly respected organization who has helped elect many of our current elected officials. I look forward to working collectively with the group to bring resources into the district.”
The Citizens for Accountable Leadership (CAL) include Dr. Gail Willis, Rickey Ivie, Esq., Clifton Albright, Esq.; Charles McLurkin, Esq; J. Stanley Sanders, Esq.; Hon. Nate Holden; Kerry C. Cox, M.D.; Reginald Holmes, Esq.; Joseph T. Rouzan III; Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, Joy Atkinson, Eric Bates, Esq.; Carl E. Douglas, Esq.; Robert W. Brown, Esq.; Anthony Willoughby, Esq., Anthony Calloway, M.D., Paul C. Hudson, Esq., Hon. Sherrill D. Luke, Hon. Jerome Horton, Jimmie Woods Gray, Joseph Chow, Tony Nicholas, Carmen Hawkins, Esq.; Antoinette Anderson, Ed Anderson, Vilma Dawson, Ivor Dawson, Armen D. Ross, Greg Dulan, and Celestine Palmer.
Richardson’s announcement compliments her growing list of endorsers that includes Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes, Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, Lomita Mayor Barry Waite,
Carson Mayor Pro Tem Jawane Hilton, Hawthorne Mayor Pro Tem Angie Reyes-English,
Carson Councilmember Cedric Hicks, Compton Councilmembers Lillie Darden, Deidra Duhart, and Jonathan Bowers, Gardena Councilmembers Wanda Love and Paulette Francis, Inglewood Councilmember Gloria Gray, Carson City Clerk Dr. Khaleah Bradshaw, Compton Community College District President Barbara Calhoun, and Compton USD Members Satra Zurita and Micah Ali. She has also been endorsed by So Cal Pipe Trades District Council 16, UA Local 250
Teamsters Joint Council 42, ILWU Local 13, Avance Democratic Club and San Pedro Democratic Club.
Richardson was born in Los Angeles to bi-racial parents 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.
She 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.
Senate District 35 includes the Los Angeles County communities of Westchester, 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, visit www.laura4senate.com.
