It’s election time for Compton voters 

Judgement day is here for the city of Compton and its residents. There’s been a lot of drama played out at City Hall lately. A lot of it is related to a couple of council members who were appointed to their respective seats.  

Those individuals are running as candidates to keep their seats. Compton residents will have a say who they want to represent them. At least in two of the four districts that encompass the city landscape this will bear fruit.

But this election cycle will be more about the voter rather than who is running for office.

There are nearly 90,000 people who live in the city. Yet in 2021, there were 48, 387 citizens registered as voters. Far less turned out tor the primary election in the spring. So in other words, Compton residents need to become the change that they advocate they want to see and vote on election day.  

How residents vote or not vote will determine the makeup of their city council for the next few years.      

Three races in Compton could shape the governance of the city moving forward. On Nov. 5, residents of Compton will choose who they want in the offices of District 1 and District 4 as well as the City Clerk’s position. There is also a U.S. Senate race to consider.  

Judging by the primary that took place in the spring, no candidate should be feeling overly great about things.

The close races in the primary figure to an indicator of whether residents will see change on the city council or maybe it’s a tilt in the direction for something different. District 1 Councilwoman Deidre Duhart had a six percentage point advantage over Jasper Jackson. Duhart was appointed to her current council spot.

In the Fourth District, Compton Councilwoman Lillie P. Darden, who was also appointed to the council after Emma Sharif vacated the position to take over as mayor, had a little bit more cushion than Duhart as she is battling Joel Estrada to keep her seat.

As documented by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder County Clerk’s Office, Duhart got a little more than 43 percent of the vote in the primary, while Jackson received 37 percent support. Darden received 36 percent of the vote. Estrada was second in the primary with 29 percent.

The most interesting dynamic in the two races is that no candidate in either race picked up a thousand votes, a stunning number considering that there are a little more than 89,000 people who live in the city.

One possible upset looming could be in the City Clerk’s office. Incumbent Vernell McDaniel came in second in the primary to Satra Zurita.

Zurita, a Compton school board member and longtime fixture in city politics, held a one percent lead over McDaniel in the primary.  At the end of ballot counting, Zurita collected 36 percent of the vote, while McDaniel trailed with 35 percent.

This race is a toss-up, although McDaniel may have a slight advantage having worked in the City Clerk’s office for over four decades. In the U.S. Senate 36 race, Laura Richardson and former Compton City Councilwoman Michelle Chambers are battling to take over the office that Sen. Steve Bradford has occupied.

Bradford has termed out of office opening the door for Richardson and Chambers to compete for the highly coveted seat.      

Dennis J. Freeman Written by:

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *