By Dianne Anderson

Midterm election ballots have arrived, probably still sitting on the countertop waiting to be penned in, mailed out or walked into the county elections office anytime between now and November 8 at 8:00 p.m.

Never before has it been easier to get out the vote. Even those that forgot to register will get one last chance with Same Day Voter, or Conditional Registration.

No excuses.

Candidates in this election face no shortage of critical concerns in the global recession – an alarming rise in the cost of living, soaring homelessness, mental health and public safety. They are doubling down on strategies for complicated issues.

Vice Mayor Rex Richardson — Mayor of Long Beach

For Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, his past years in office show a proven track record on how he was able to deliver solutions throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

The city was under pressure.

“When the pandemic hit, I was the councilmember who led the economic relief motion. I talked about sick days for workers, and made sure that people who lost their jobs at hotels got them back. I led that effort,” said Richardson, Vice Mayor and Councilman representing north Long Beach District 9.

In those initial pandemic days, and during the economic development scare, he called for a comprehensive economic recovery plan.

As chair of the Long Beach Federal Legislative Committee, Richardson advocated for federal recovery dollars to help the city overcome the significant COVID-19 challenges. On council, he led the charge on an economic recovery plan that pulled down a major investment through the Long Beach Recovery Act to help impacted families and businesses.

“We ultimately arrived at about a $230 million recovery plan. My experience is tackling the big issues and helping bring people together to address them. That’s what I’ve learned on council and that’s why I’ll be a good mayor.”

Richardson remains optimistic. His H.O.P.E. Plan covers Housing first, Outreach, Pathways and Expanding mental health services, along with his recovery plan, and public safety plan.

“[It] all refers back to strategies that will help get our unhoused off the streets, to build more housing, invest in mental health services, better street-level outreach and a comprehensive approach to homelessness,” said Richardson, who also serves as Chair of the Economic Development Committee and the Long Beach Housing Authority.

It’s all about ensuring recovery from the pandemic and safety recovery to make sure neighborhoods aren’t left behind, he said.

Elected to city council in 2014, Richardson two years later was elected to a two-year term as Long Beach Vice Mayor and re-elected to Long Beach City Council in 2018.

Overall, he said the community has shown fortitude through the tough times. He is encouraged by the spirit of unity that he feels is going to bring Long Beach through the other side of the pandemic to get back from surviving back to thriving.

“We stepped up and vaccinated 99% of our seniors, the first city to do so. We helped people put food on the table by opening pantries, food distributions and rent relief to keep people in their homes. All the things we’ve done have really shown that we know how to come together,” he said.

He also believes the city is set to make history this November.

“For the first time Long Beach has an opportunity to elect its first Black mayor,” he said. “Not only is this important for history’s sake, but I’ve done the work and built a strong foundation of government and am the most qualified candidate in the race,” he said.

Al Austin II — 69th Assembly District

For Al Austin II, housing, creating safer livable communities and making healthcare more accessible to residents are the top challenges facing his district. Healthcare, he said, is more than just physical health, but must also address community mental health services.

“We need to get people off addictions, it’s going to require us to address the issues like the crisis they are,” he said.

As the state currently undergoes many adjustments and changes, he said the region is impacted by industry near the largest ports in the nation.

“The freeway infrastructure that we have, the oil industry that is burgeoning in this region as well as manufacturing. We have a lot of impact that we need to be considerate of,” said Austin, representing District 8 on the Long Beach City Council.

Austin, elected to Long Beach City Council in 2012, is also a member of the Government and Elections, the I-710 Oversight, Charter Amendment, and Housing Authority committees.

He is concerned about creating more urban park space, and looks to expand on opportunities throughout Long Beach, Carson and the entire 69th assembly district.

“We think about the future, we’re looking at opportunities to create serenity in our urban forest. We need more green space and I’ve been committed as a city councilmember to creating more than 40 acres of park space in my 8th District,” he said.

Starting on day one, he said he is prepared to be a strong representative for residents of the 69th Assembly District. He said communities share a lot of common ground.

“The interest in Carson is no different than the interests in West Long Beach and Signal Hill, there is a lot of commonalities that combine these communities, these working class communities, very diverse communities,” he said.

In his ten years on City Council, his experience spans an array of issues related to economic development transportation, air quality and housing. He said it has prepared him well for the next level of leadership, which he adds, distinguishes him from his opponent.

For all the negatives, he is also optimistic that the community is paying more attention to government affairs, more educated and enlightened on issues impacting school districts, local and state government. There is some apathy, but he sees a higher interest today than in the past.

He is encouraged by youth activism around issues that affect them into the future, like climate.

“Our young people recognize more than ever that there is a heavy burden on us all, particularly our young generation to behave differently when it comes to sustainability and to think differently when it comes to our environment.”

For more information, see:

Rex Richardson, see  https://www.joinrexrichardson.com/

Al Austin,  https://www.alaustinforassembly.org/

For Same Day Voter Registration, see

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg

In Long Beach, see  https://www.longbeach.gov/globalassets/city-clerk/media-library/documents/elections/2022/vote-center-ballot-boxes-2022