POSTPONED: 3rd District Candidates Forum

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POSTPONED:  Topanga Town Council postpones local virtual candidate forum for 3rd District Supervisor race
Published May 19, 2022, at 6:00 am

• Business Owner Craig Brill
• Business Owner Jeffi Girgenti
• Senator Robert Hertzberg
• Business Owner Roxanne Hoge
• Councilmember Lindsey Horvath
• Senator Henry Stern

*See below for a snapshot of all six candidates (in reverse alphabetical order).
Note that this Candidates’ forum is being held instead of our regular monthly meeting on the second Wednesday of each month.

Senator Henry Stern
Born in New York but raised in Los Angeles, Henry Stern graduated from Harvard University before teaching high school civics and working as a juvenile justice investigator for Legal Aid, which inspired him to pursue public service through a law degree from UC Berkeley. His first job as a lawyer was as staff counsel to Rep. Henry Waxman during his historic chairmanship of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which gave us the Affordable Care Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Henry also spent time in the private sector, where he helped build projects like the World Fuel conversion of an oil refinery to a renewable fuel plant in South L.A., and he helped civil rights groups like the Mississippi Center for Justice fight back against environmental, racial, and economic injustices after Hurricane Katrina.

He eventually returned home to California to work as staff counsel for his hometown State Senator Fran Pavley, one of the foremost climate leaders in our nation’s history. Henry was elected overwhelmingly to represent Senator Pavley’s district after the end of her term, becoming the first millennial ever elected to the California State Senate.

In the Senate, Henry has been recognized for his 100% voting record by Planned Parenthood, the California Environmental Justice Alliance, Equality California, Smart Justice, and the California Labor Federation. He was also awarded Legislator of the Year by the Sierra Club, the Clean Money Campaign, the Technology Industry Association, and by the California School Boards Association for his assistance helping parents and schools reopen during the pandemic.

Councilmember Lindsey Horvath
Lindsey Horvath is an effective local leader regularly delivering major victories for her constituents in Los Angeles County. She knows how to bring people together to get things done: from her early days as a founding member of the local chapter of the National Organization for Women, to spearheading efforts to bring a Metro alignment that serves the District, to her role on the board of the National League of Cities.

Lindsey is the kind of leader people turn to in a crisis. In 2009, she was appointed to serve as City Councilmember following the death of a long-serving Councilman. She returned to the Council in 2015, was sworn in as Mayor in April 2015, and again in May 2020. Lindsey led the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting red tape helping businesses expand outdoor operations, providing rental relief to prevent homelessness, and activating partnerships with community-based organizations like Project Angel Food to deliver medically-tailored meals. Simultaneously, she created safe spaces for protest and progress in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

Her city enacted the strongest minimum wage and worker protections in the country while simultaneously being named the most business-friendly city in Los Angeles County during her time as Mayor. She initiated the city’s Aging in Place strategy, and she used locally-trusted solutions to connect unhoused people with permanent housing and supportive services to effectively address the crisis.

Lindsey is ready to put her skills to work for the people of Los Angeles County's 3rd District.

Business Owner Roxanne Hoge
Roxanne Beckford Hoge is a mom, business owner, actress and immigrant from the island of Jamaica. She became a citizen of the United States after the turn of the century and keenly appreciates all the wonders of this great nation, especially of California. "I cannot imagine living anywhere other than Los Angeles," says the community activist and volunteer.

"When LA's children and businesses were sacrificed over the past two years, while vulnerable seniors and our homeless population were ignored and all of us felt the rise in crime, we all looked to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and found most of them completely lacking."

This mother of four is also supported by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association PAC, former ambassador Ric Grenell, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley and the owner of the Pineapple Hill Saloon whose lockdown pleas went viral, Angela Marsden.

Roxanne is one of the “Covid Moms” profiled in this article. She's done a series of PragerU videos on the scourge of CRT and written thoughtful pieces, including one on the root cause of unaffordable SoCal housing. In short, she is a mom in a minivan—a fighter, a regular citizen, and someone who doesn’t hesitate to ask tough questions and seek common-sense solutions.

Senator Robert Hertzberg
Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1996. He then served as the 64th Speaker of the California State Assembly, unanimously elected by both parties in 2000 and 2001. After his tenure as Speaker, Hertzberg set out to the private sector as a clean energy entrepreneur and in 2014, he returned to state government when he was again elected to represent nearly 1 million people in the San Fernando Valley in the California State Senate.

Hertzberg is known for taking on the biggest and most challenging issues facing California, and for brokering some of the toughest negotiations. In the words of one veteran Sacramento columnist, he is “an intense bundle of energy, an all-night negotiator.” The Los Angeles Daily News said he, “has relentless dedication and indefatigable energy...he has a reputation for integrity and perseverance.” The Los Angeles Times said: “He is a high velocity wonk; he loves big ideas and will flesh out every one of them if you give him a chance.”

Hertzberg’s areas of public policy interest know no limit. He is characterized as a legislator who fears nothing and takes on everything. From criminal justice (battling the unfair and unjust cash bail system in California) to technology related issues (negotiating the 2018 passage of the California Consumer Privacy Act, enacting the strongest data privacy protections in the nation), Hertzberg approaches every problem through a lens of governing for the next generation, not the next election.

Business Owner Jeffi Girgenti
Jeffi Girgenti is a small business owner, homeowner. Jeffi has lived in the County Supervisor District 3 for several decades. Her father was a Police Officer in the City of San Fernando.

As an equestrian and horse owner, she supports and respects the rights of individuals to maintain that lifestyle and property rights. As a dog owner/lover she supports and respects the rights of those “without a voice” when it comes to the humane treatment of animals. As a homeowner she supports property rights and the right not to be overtaxed or having one’s rights infringed by over development. As a small business owner, she is a strong advocate for the rights of those hard working individuals who step up to do the same.

Her platform focuses on: Homelessness, Public safety, Mental illness, Ending all Vaccine and Mask Mandates.

For homelessness, she advocates: expanding proven programs, supporting the LASD "HOST" program, declaring a local state of emergency, and stopping corruption & abuse of taxpayer dollars on homeless housing.

For public safety she recommends: keeping the LA County jail open, supporting law enforcement, holding criminals accountable, and protecting public & private property.

For mental illness, she advocates: re-opening and using existing facilities, working with first responders under current laws, supporting businesses disallowing campers and tents on private & public property.

She recommends ending all vaccine and mask mandates. She has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with parents, teachers, first responders, medical professionals and government employees on the front lines. She will bring that conviction about personal freedom to the Board.

Business Owner, Craig Brill
I was born and raised in LA County, growing up in Whittier with my mom, stepfather, my sister and 3 brothers. I attended California High (Go Condors!).

Once elected, I will act swiftly and decisively in order to effect positive change in our communities. My priority is to ensure public safety by correcting the homelessness crisis we are now facing.

We need to hire a greater number of well-trained mental health professionals to assist those experiencing homelessness and/or mental health issues. We need a District Attorney who will enforce laws and keep our streets safe, making public safety the number one priority.

It is now time to change the failed homeless industrial complex that has squandered billions, while conditions continue to get worse. Fourteen cities have effectively ended homelessness with accountability and compassion, and we can too! I intend to put real-time data into action for each and every homeless person living in LA county. I will see that transitional housing and accompanying services are put into place effectively and immediately.

Violence on our streets is a serious problem. Homicides arrests have increased 47% over the last two years, with over 400 homicide arrests in the last year alone. A year ago, my neighbor was a victim of one of these tragic acts of violence, brutally stabbed to death in his driveway by a mentally ill homeless person. Witnessing the pain his family and friends were experiencing, motivated me to run for office.

We must work together to solve this issue, and together we can effect change!

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