Compton Center Rolls Out Facilities Master Plan
Compton Center Announces New Permanent Provost
City Announces Gang Injunction Finally Moving Forward at Anti-Crime Group Meeting
Wilson Skate Park Project Breaks Ground
Vanguard Junior High Alumni Invited to Big Picnic
Hall
Headed to Sacramento
Local councilman
prepares to venture northward after sweeping last Tuesday’s primary
By
Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin Staff Writer
COMPTON – It
was a history-making night throughout the nation with the June 3 announcement
that Ill. Sen. Barack Obama will be the first African American to secure
a party nomination in a presidential race. And it was especially so
right here in the Hub City, where one of its own easily won the June
3 primary in the race for the 52nd Assembly District seat.
Councilman Isadore Hall, pitted against three fellow Democrats, walked
away with 56.85 percent of the vote, while Linda Harris-Forster came
in far behind with 24.67 percent and the other two, Diane Martinez
and Deborah LeBlanc, trailed with 15.41 and 3.07 percent, respectively.
“I never thought that I would be able to stand before each and
every one of you today advocating as the next member of the 52nd Assembly
District, the next member of the California state legislature,” said
a beaming Hall to a gleeful crowd of excited supporters gathered at
the Crystal Hotel and Casino on election night.
“I never thought I would be able to serve with the first African-American
woman in the second highest position in the state of California, and
that is Speaker Karen Bass. I never thought, I never thought that on
this great day that we are experiencing a birthing for our community,
but that we are also experiencing a birthing for the United States
of America because on this day, Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee
for president of the United States of America.
“You are sending me to do a job. You are sending me to Sacramento
to fight the governor, because the governor is proposing a $25 billion
deficit…I thank you for sending me to Sacramento to help terminate
the Terminator,” the 36-year-old said.
Later, as the celebration wound down, Hall spoke to The Bulletin exclusively
about his win and warned constituents that they should prepare for
vocal, aggressive, forward-thinking leadership up north.
“I feel fantastic. This is truly a testament to hard work, a
message of change that is resonating throughout the United States of
America
through the new Democratic campaign. That same message resonates here,
and clearly I’ve been able to bring change to Compton, and that
change resonates in the 52nd A.D.,” Hall said.
The race for the seat, which will be finally determined in November
when Hall runs against lone Republican candidate Gwen Patrick in what
many regard as a no-brainer win for the councilman as the seat has
historically been held by Democrats, was marred by what many consider
dirty politics.
In the weeks leading up to the election, hit piece after hit piece
circulated at the hands of Hall’s most ardent challenger, Harris-Forster.
“We ran a positive campaign,” said Hall. “We did
not spend one dollar on negative campaigning. My opponent (Harris-Forster)
ran
the most sleaziest, vicious, malicious campaign. In fact, Sacramento
labeled it as one of the most slanderous campaigns in the election
cycle. But that’s indicative of the type of person that she has
portrayed herself in this campaign to be in her community, and the
community clearly sees who she is.”
Currently serving his second term on the City Council, the young politician
was first elected to the body in April 2003. He won re-election by
a landslide in April 2007. Prior to serving on the Council, he served
on the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees. He was elected
to that body in November 2001 and served two consecutive terms as board
president.
Hall will continue to represent Compton in the same fashion he has
for the past six years, he said, working to further economic and social
vitality not only in Compton, but also in all the communities that
comprise the 52nd District.
“I want to continue that by reopening Martin Luther King Hospital,
by restoring Compton College, by reducing crime, by bringing jobs to
this
community the way I’ve done on the City Council, but on a much
grander scale.”
As to who he’ll throw his support behind to replace him on the
dais, Hall said he was not prepared to comment. Rumors around town
are already naming Will Kemp as a possible candidate.
Hall will replace termed out Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, an 82-year-old
lifelong politician who was beat out in the race for the 25th Senate
District seat by former Assemblyman Rod Wright. Wright secured 43.9
percent of the vote to Dymally’s 35.09 percent and will compete
against Republican candidate and political newcomer Lydia Gutierrez
in the fall.
In the hotly contested 2nd District county supervisor race, which broke
records relative to special interest funding and featured quite a bit
of mudslinging, Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas garnered the most votes, with
45.29 percent to L.A. Councilman Bernard Park’s 39.8 percent.
However, because neither candidate received the requisite 51 percent
to secure the seat, the two will go head to head in a November runoff
election.
The 37th Congressional seat was easily handed to incumbent Rep. Laura
Richardson despite her highly publicized financial and legal woes.
She secured 74.87 percent to challengers Peter Matthews’ 16.67
percent and Lee Davis’ 8.46 percent.
“This race, my first official term, has strengthened me and strengthened
my resolve to work harder for the people of the 37th Congressional
District,” Richardson said.
L.A. County District Attorney Steve Cooley will remain in office, walking
away with 64.35 percent of the vote. Albert Robles and Steve Ipsen
trailed with 20.04 and 15.61 percent, respectively.
Statewide ballot measure Proposition 98, which many labeled as a deceitful
bill that on its face claimed to limit government authority in the
eminent domain arena but really took aim at eliminating rent control
throughout California, failed, with 68.4 percent of voters opposing
it. Proposition 99, which also aims to curb government acquisition
authority, passed with 63.5 percent of voters supporting it.
Countywide, only 16.48 percent of voters headed to the polls, according
to the registrar-recorder/county clerk.
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