(Top: L-R) Ari Gutierrez Arambula and Katherine Lee. (Bottom: L-R) Adele Andrade Stadler and Jeffery T. Gomez
Ballots are arriving, and Alhambrans can start choosing who their next city councilmember will be, but before they do, they should watch Wednesday night’s recorded candidate forum.
By Melissa Michelson
The League of Women Voters moderated the 1.5-hour virtual candidate forum on October 12. Incumbent Adele Andrade-Stadler and challenger Jeffery Gomez of District 5, and incumbent Katherine Lee and challenger Ari Gutierrez Arambula of District 1 each had one minute to answer each of 12 questions. Stephen Sham is also running in District 1 but declined to participate in the forum.
The public submitted questions on a slew of topics:
- Generating business revenue
- Changes to low-and middle-income housing as they relate to large scale residential projects
- Historic preservation ordinance
- Addressing the drought
- Supporting immigrants and refugees
- Supporting schools, students and teachers, in particular with mental health, job opportunities and housing
- Addressing vaping in schools
- Emergency preparedness
- Increasing free press in Alhambra
- Bicycles, pedestrians, and alternative means of transportation
- Community engagement and representation
- Preventing mass shootings in the community and schools
This election is the first time that Alhambra’s historic campaign finance reform law is taking effect. In 2018, Alhambrans voted to limit donations to city council candidates to $250 per person per candidate and switch from at-large to by-district voting. Therefore, residents will only be voting for candidates in their respective districts.
Ballots can already be dropped off at secure drop boxes, at voting centers starting October 29, or cast by mail for free no later than Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 8. If you have recently moved to Alhambra and haven’t gotten your ballot, it’s not too late to participate in this election as the deadline to register to vote online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov is October 24, and in person at any voting center in LA County up to and including on Election Day.
> Watch the candidate forum below:
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