This post was originally published on this site
The noise of the primary campaign is over – the race to be the next Mayor of Long Beach begins now.
Councilwoman Suzie Price is best positioned to capitalize on a fractured electorate heading into the General election with her deep support among key constituencies and a broad-based coalition of organized labor, business and community leaders representing every corner of Long Beach.
Price Enters Runoff Stronger Than Ever
Councilmember and Criminal Prosecutor Suzie Price advanced through a crowded candidate field in a strong position, despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by special interests to defeat her.
Suzie Price has $70,000 cash on hand and is already off to a running start, garnering a key labor endorsement from AFSCME District Council 36 and its 20,000 working women and men.
Despite entering the race late, Price outraised Richardson in every financial reporting quarter. Price remains the only candidate to be supported by both business and organized labor. Importantly, she has the support of committed individual donors who will be able to fully participate a second time after July 7th, ensuring she will fully fund a robust general election campaign.
Campaign Finance Facts
So just how much did they spend to try and defeat Suzie in the primary?
Price’s opponent, Registered Lobbyist Rex Richardson, had a staggering $767,000 dollars in independent expenditures spent on his behalf. All in, Richardson benefited from over a million dollars of primary spending and still couldn’t win outright.
And there’s more. Richardson overspent his own campaign funds and is now – $170,000 in campaign debt, putting him at a stark disadvantage entering the general election.
While Rex Richardson earns his living as a Lobbyist providing political access and favors, a lifetime of backroom deals and IOUs couldn’t deliver the Mayor’s office for him in the primary.
- Rex Richardson’s Campaign is -$170,000 in debt
- Suzie Price’s Campaign has +$70,000 cash on hand
- Independent Expenditures spent $767,127 supporting Rex Richardson…only to fall short.
Price Best Positioned To Capitalize On A Fractured Primary Electorate
As a Democrat, Price is well-liked and trusted among a wide swath of the municipal electorate – and the more that voters learn about Suzie, the more favorably they view her. Long Beach voters, an overwhelming majority of which want strong and balanced leadership on local issues affecting their neighborhoods, highly value Price’s story of personal accomplishment, her track record of getting things done at City Hall and the unique career perspective that she will bring into the Mayor’s office.
Despite a 6 candidate field where Republican and other candidates received +18% of votes cast, Price’s common sense priorities to address homelessness, enhance public safety and grow the City’s economy put her in a strong position to build a winning coalition for the November runoff.
- Suzie Price Won 37% In A 6 Candidate Field
- Republican & Other Candidates Received 18.8% Of Primary Ballots
One data point to highlight: Republican Police Officer Joshua Rodriguez ran in the primary and won over 8% of the vote. Independent and Republican voters who supported Rodriguez are unlikely to be persuaded to vote for Richardson who has expressed support for “defunding the police.” This will present a clear choice for Republican voters – and public safety-minded voters of all parties – as Senior Assistant District Attorney, Suzie Price has both the endorsement and strong support of the Long Beach Police Officers’ Association.
Focused On Electoral Math
In past Long Beach midterm elections, Republican and Independent voters constituted over 40% of the municipal electorate (Source Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk), and these constituencies will play a key role in November.
- No Significant Partisan Shift Expected For 2022 General Election
- Long Beach 2022 General Election To Be 42% Independent & Republican, 54%+ Female
Despite rhetoric and political spin, past election data shows that Long Beach is highly unlikely to have an extreme, ideologically distorted turnout in the 2022 General Election.
In the 2018 General Election 42% of the Long Beach Municipal Electorate were registered Independent or Republican… and in the 2018 Primary 42% of the Long Beach Municipal Electorate were registered Independent or Republican. This was not an anomaly: the 2014 Midterm also had a negligible partisan shift in the general election.
A Clear Choice For Voters
This November, Long Beach voters will have a clear choice between a lobbyist who has never held a job outside of politics, and a Senior Assistant District Attorney, Small Business Owner, Immigrant, and Mom of 2, Councilmember Suzie Price.
Suzie’s broad-based coalition of support includes endorsements from trusted Long Beach neighborhood leaders and a diverse group of City-wide organizations, ranging from the Long Beach Restaurant Association to the men and women of ILWU Local 13, Local 63 & SCDC. She is the only candidate in this race who has been a dues paying member of a public employee union for 20 years, works in law enforcement and owns a small business where she employs over 10 female employees. Her unique life experience will serve as a bridge to bring the City together to tackle our toughest problems.
To learn more about our campaign, please visit www.suzieprice4mayor.com.
