There appears to be a new candidate exploring a run for the 59th Assembly District currently held by Dennis Mountjoy. Previously, the two main candidates running in this desperate district are Anthony Adams from the Hesperia part of the District and Chris Lancaster from the San Gabriel Valley part of the district. There is a candidate called by me as the “wild card” Barry Hartz and another by the name of Susan Slater. You can read my latest post on this race here and that of FR contributor Brad Mitzelfelt here.
The candidates that has been making some calls in ….. Kevan Otto. Who is Kevan Otto? Well, I haven’t met him yet, but this is what I know.
Otto hails from the San Gabriel Valley portion of the district and recently moved to Sierra Madre.
Otto is President of the Los Angeles School Police Officers Association (LA Unified). He has told others that PORAC and other law enforcement groups support his candidacy. (Note: Lancaster and Adams have been endorsed by the deputy Sheriffs in their respective counties)
In 2000, Otto took the Los Angeles Unified School District to court and won in a case where he was counseled by a superior to follow board policy and call into a voice mail system to signfy his return from a break. They put a letter in his file and apparently this injustice could not stand. Otto did win the case.
Currently, in his role as union President he is on full release—which beats calling pesky voicemail systems when returning from a break.
Are police unions going to make a play? Is there some scheme to elect Republicans that oppose things like Prop. 75 or pension reform? This would be the guy.
Otto’s police union Pac gave to the Dem Party and mostly LA Candidates for school board or Dems in the LA area except he will have to explain why his union last year gave $500 to the Dem Candidate against Dennis Mountjoy last cycle.