Incumbents lead Long Beach council races in initial returns

Initial Election Night retus suggest Long Beach voters may simply weed out a few City Council candidates while giving the city’s more competitive politicians another several weeks to make their campaign pitches.

Tuesday’s first round of Primary Election results show that voters who cast mail-in ballots appear to be favoring incumbents and the chosen successor of an outgoing council member. None of the leading candidates, however, can claim a majority of votes tallied thus far.

Any races in which no candidates top the 50 percent mark by the final count will be decided in a runoff election on June 7.

Candidates seeking to represent Long Beach’s 2nd, 6th and 8th council districts ran for election this year.

2nd District Race

The 2nd District race — a wide-open contest thanks to current Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal’s decision to not to seek a third term — attracted three candidates. Two business owners, Gaica Interiors owner Joen Gaica and ITO Solutions owner Eric Gray, competed with Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy policy director Jeaine Pearce for the right to represent the district, which includes the Port of Long Beach, Ocean Boulevard Corridor, East Village Arts District and coastal neighborhoods as far east as Redondo Avenue.

Gray and Pearce both attracted high-powered endorsements. For example, former mayor Bob Foster and the Long Beach Police Officers Association supported Gray, while Lowenthal and councilmen Roberto Uranga and Rex Richardson were among those who endorsed Pearce. What’s more, a well-funded Super PAC representing business interests and called Long Beach Citizens for Good Govement undertook its own campaign to support Gaica’s bid.

As of the initial tally, Pearce was in the lead with 40 percent of counted ballots. Gray was close behind with 39 percent of the vote.

6th District Race

Incumbent Councilman Dee Andrews entered the race by attempting to be the first candidate since Patrick O’Doell to win reelection as a write-in candidate. O’Doell won a third term as a write-in in 2012 and left the council for the Assembly two years later.

Andrews is seeking his third full term on the dais and Long Beach election law requires that he do so with the increased difficulty of not actually getting to place his name on the ballot.

Three candidates entered the race to challenge Andrews’ bid. Robert Harmon, a Navy veteran who started a medical device called Harmony Medical - Swanzus; Erik Miller, community relations director for Operation Jump Start and Pinata Fiesta Party Supply & Rentals partner Josephine Villasenor.

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Candidates emphasized the imperative to reduce crime and poverty in the district, which includes parts of Cambodia Town, the Wrigley neighborhood and communities surrounding Long Beach Poly.

Election Night’s first tally showed Andrews in the lead with 41 percent of the vote. Miller had the best chance of moving up to a runoff, having 28 percent of the ballots cast in his favor.

8th Council District

Councilman Al Austin faced two challengers in his bid for a second term. Cal State Long Beach business manager Laurie Angel and EME Inc. Chief Executive Wesley Tubow.

The 8th District includes the Bixby Knolls, the Los Cerritos neighborhood and part of North Long Beach. The district also lies below Long Beach Airport’s flight path and none of the three candidates express support for the prospect of inteational flights.

Differences between the candidates emerged in the area of fiscal and tax policy. Austin was the only of the three candidates who supports the sales tax measure headed for the June 7 ballot.

The competition in the 8th District also incited some controversy when the aforementioned Long Beach Citizens for Good Govement dispatched a pro-Tubow mailer that juxtaposed recent statistics showing citywide crime increases with a shadowy figure in hooded garment. Although the model’s race could not be disceed from the actual image, 9th District Councilman Rex Richardson and to other current and former Long Beach elected officials condemned the ad for appearing to trade in negative racial stereotypes.

Former councilman Gary DeLong, who contributed to the group, said he didn’t speak for the Super PAC but offered an apology to anyone offended by the message.

Initial retus showed Austin with the lead and with the best shot of avoiding a runoff. The initial count gave Austin 49 percent of the vote. He was followed by Tubow, who claimed 35 percent of the vote.