WeHo Councilmember Lindsey Horvath claimed the endorsement Wednesday of the L.A. County Democratic Party in the race for County Supervisor (Third District).
“A local leader and champion of our beloved democratic values, Lindsey Horvath demonstrates time and time again her dedication to her community and her passion to help those most in need. She gives her all to her work, always putting the needs of others above her own. Los Angeles Democrats are proud to endorse Lindsey Horvath, a strong, committed leader of our Democratic Party, for Los Angeles Board of Supervisors District 3,” said LACDP Chair Mark Gonzalez.
State Sen. Ben Allen and Assemblymember Richard Bloom have endorsed her opponent, state Sen. Bob Hertzberg Hertzberg, who also picked up an endorsement from former WeHo Councilmember Steve Martin.
“Bob Hertzberg is the best choice for LA County Supervisor. His experience is deep, wide-ranging and unparalleled,” Bloom wrote in a statement Tuesday. “Most importantly, Bob thinks creatively and innovatively when it comes to developing polices to solve problems. The Board of Supervisors will benefit from his ability to build coalitions among different people and groups, generate consensus, and get things done. I am fully confident that Bob will be a strong advocate for people across the 3rd District.”
Martin, who pulled his support of Horvath over her push to defund the Sheriff’s Department, elaborated on his change of mind in a letter addressed to her over the weekend:
July 9, 2022
Dear Lindsey,
Given your recent vote to de-fund the Sheriff’s Department, I find that under the circumstances I must withdraw my endorsement of your bid for County Supervisor.
During your tenure on the City Council, I have admired your leadership in promoting the subway through West Hollywood and I worked with you to improve the working conditions of hotel workers and to prevent landlords from passing through earthquake retro-fit costs to tenants. You are an undoubted ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
But your alignment with Nika Soon Shiong and her rabid obsession to defund law enforcement was troubling and your vote to actually decrease the Sheriff’s budget is a betrayal of our community. While I don’t believe withdrawing my endorsement will have an impact on the race either way, it is something I need to do to remain true to my beliefs.
What is incredibly unfortunate, I believe that with your progressive credentials you would have received the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times without having appointed Nika Soon Shiong to the Public Safety Commission.
You knew when you appointed her that she had a political agenda and by all appearances you have set aside common sense to embrace that agenda. Your disappointing vote to defund the Sheriff while we are in a historic spike in crime is simply not reconcilable with putting the needs of the community first. The vast majority of the community believes you put your own political aspirations before their protection; I am just one more voice in the chorus.
I did not want to send you this note after the Council’s vote as I wanted to be dispassionate in my reasoning and I did not want to confront you during the memorial services for former Public Safety Commissioner, Ruth Williams, who was our mutual friend. But frankly I am still having a hard time accepting that three members of the City Council were so willing to play politics with the safety of the residents and visitors of West Hollywood.
I wish you luck in all of your other future endeavors, but I regret that I cannot support you in your current bid for Supervisor.
Steve Martin
Steve you already have my trust. Now you have my vote.
However, according to Horvath’s announcement today she has garnered endorsement of the LA Democratic Party. 60% was needed among voting members and Horvath miraculously received 64%. How did this occur?
The Party activists have drifted way left of center, (or even left of left) over the years but also Lindsey is well known and liked among activists and municipal elected officials throughout the County. She still have some powerful supporters. But the party endorsement as become decreasingly less influential; after all these are the same folks who endorsed Alex Villanueva and told us he was a reformer.
Lindsey is obsessed with optics. Her loyalty to social causes is purely calculated, as is her gatekeeping of grassroots activists. It’s rare to see her conviction prevail and take the heat that comes when you do truly do the right thing. I’ve seen her rise to the occasion maybe twice, at least.
Well done, Steve Martin. Time for some honesty and integrity back in Weho. Getting rid of the Lindsey toxic virus is step #1.
Shyne is #2, Erickson is #3.
Steve, Congratulations! Great move. You now have my vote. Let’s hope this is a domino effect!
It’s long overdue our local electeds are held accountable for their naked electioneering in board/commission appointments. That they are feeling the consequences of their cronyism is a small, but meaningful win for the democratic process.
Good. I hope Horvath loses more endorsements over her radical, illogical defund the police vote. VOTE Martin!!!!
Question is Mr. Martin, why support Ms. Horvath’s from the beginning and why no reaction when she evidenced her position against the Sheriff? The late self serving letter indicates a desire to be on the windward side of the sail. Juvenile & duplicitous.
Steve … thank you for speaking for WeHo Citizens. We need to have leadership that is tough on crime and concerned about the health & safety of all of West Hollywood.
yes!
That letter was so excellent! Thank you Steve for eloquently putting your thoughts together in that letter that we can all be proud of you! I am & you have my vote!
Make it three, Bob Hertzberg has my endorsement too!……..I know that’s not big news 🙂
Good news, thank you Steve. People really don’t understand the current council members anti law and order vote, please run with it. The Block by Block is just a joke, unfortunately at taxpayers expense. We will vote the rest out as soon as possible.
Leaders need to be aligned with voters, and please, get this awful Horvarth and carpetbagger Soon-Shiong defund agenda turned around on day 1.
So if she loses her bid for Supervisor, does she retain her seat on the Council?
her term expires, she is not running for re-election/
Larry, thank you for clarifying. I’ve been wondering about this. But didn’t term limits become enacted in 2011, or so? I thought she had not termed out. Similarly, Duran and Heilman are purportedly back in the race.
Hopefully, she loses the Supervisor race.