Long Beach election results: Jeaine Pearce's lead grows in race for 2nd District

Long Beach City Council candidate Jeaine Pearce’s lead over opponent Eric Gray has grown in the race to represent the city’s 2nd Council District. An updated count shows her having an 87-vote advantage as of about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday.

With 23 of 28 precincts reporting, Pearce has 2,932 votes to Gray’s 2,845.

Gray, who owns a technology supply company called ITO Solutions, pitched himself throughout the race as a candidate who could find common ground between business and labor figures.

Pearce is an organizing director for Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, a pro-labor group. She may be best known in Long Beach politics for her advocacy on behalf of Measure N, the 2012 ballot measure that established a minimum wage for employees working at large, non-union hotels in Long Beach.

Pearce did not run exclusively on a pro-labor platform, although she did point to experience in pushing for policies like the minimum wage as a sign that she had the kind of experience needed to get things done at City Hall. The two candidates both represented themselves as progressive Democrats and both attracted endorsements from prominent local politicians and organizations on their way to election night.

Long Beach’s 2nd Council District includes the Port of Long Beach, the Ocean Boulevard Corridor, East Village Arts District and coastal neighborhoods as far east as Redondo Avenue. The contest to succeed outgoing Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal was the only one of three contested council races that was undecided following the April 12 primary election. Voters chose to retain incumbents Dee Andrews and Al Austin in the city’s 6th and 8th council districts.

Gray’s endorsers included former Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Assemblyman Patrick O’Doell, Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez and the unions representing Long Beach police officers and lifeguards.

Pearce’s supporters included outgoing 2nd District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, Council members Roberto Uranga and Rex Richardson, Rep. Alan Lowenthal and the city firefighters’ union.

Campaign finance records show that Gray’s campaign collected roughly $102,500 from Jan. 1 through June 1, the end of the most recent disclosure period. Notable contributors to Gray’s campaign who gave after the April primary election include Califoia Hotel & Lodging Association PAC, BizFed PAC, Building Owners & Managers Association of Greater LA PAC, the Inteational Union of Operation Engineers and the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce PAC.

An independent expenditure campaign called Friends of Long Beach, a Committee Supporting Eric Gray for City Council 2016 has also spent about $99,000 of its own cash to give Gray a seat at the council dais. Major donors to that group include Apartment Association of Califoia Southe Cities PAC, Califoia Hotel & Lodging Association PAC and Califoia Real Estate Association PAC.

For its part, Pearce’s campaign raised about $74,500 from Jan. 1 through June 1, and parties giving her campaign financial support included Califoia Nurses Association PAC, Marine Clerks PAC, Molina Healthcare Chief Executive John Molina, Califoia Teamsters Public Affairs Council and Long Beach Democratic Club.

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The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Council on Political Education has also backed Pearce with nearly $52,000 worth of independent expenditures.