Knock LA

The presidential election cycle soaks up our collective attention while special elections for State Assembly, seats on City Councils, and School Boards are regularly won with less than 20% of voters casting a ballot.

We are slowly changing the culture and tradition of political insiders backed by big-money winning low-turnout elections. Ground Game has been doing that work in the heart of Los Angeles starting with City Council District 13. On the other end of Los Angeles, in City Council District 12, we have a chance to hasten the pace of that change. Local political machines were buzzing with 15 candidates competing in the special election primary to fill the seat after the incumbent resigned to take a private sector job.

Our candidate, Dr. Loraine Lundquist, ran a powerful progressive primary campaign that gained momentum as the race went on and finished in an impressive first place with 19.8% of the vote.

I am a strong supporter of Dr. Loraine Lundquist because she represents what government could be. I got to know Loraine as a grassroots community leader and activist who has been on the front-lines in the struggle to shut down the poisonous Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility. Later, during my campaign for Assembly District 45 in 2018, I got to know her as a Democratic Party Assembly District Delegate who asked a series of thoughtful questions and then decided to support our issues-based candidacy.

I knew Loraine’s background as an astrophysicist, sustainable solutions Faculty Associate at CSUN, and neighborhood activist made her a great person to have helping on the campaign. She brought experience and perspective. She listened, learned, and made valuable input at all stages of the campaign. She managed her time and family commitments as well as anyone and helped with everything from endorsement questionnaires to phonebanking. Dr. Lundquist is smart, committed, and hard-working.

As I got to know her better, I knew Loraine Lundquist should… and would run for office in her own right. But it wasn’t her evidence based scientific approach that made me realize she would be a great elected representative, it was her personality and character. I got to see her with her kids, her husband, her students, and I trust her. She is honest, humble, and authentic. Dr. Loraine Lundquist is thoughtful and balanced. As a mother, she is caring and empathetic. She is the kind of person I want representing me on the Los Angeles City Council.

And I am not alone. Loraine has been racking up endorsements from the Los Angeles Times to the National Women’s Political Caucus California. As a climate scientist, it is no surprise she has been endorsed by the the Sierra Club, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Bill McKibben, and the Sunrise Movement — Los Angeles Hub. In the primary, she was the only candidate with endorsements from any chartered Democratic Clubs (SFV Young Democrats, New Frontier Democratic Club, North Valley Democratic Club). She earned the combined independent efforts of Food and Water Action + Ground Game LA, which should become a model of how to materially and significantly support progressive candidates as part of our political revolution. She won unanimous support from the Southern California Board of Americans for Democratic Action. Her list of endorsements is impressive and diverse. And now that she is in a run-off against a Republican City Hall insider, we can pull centrist Democrats into our progressive fold.

Loraine Lundquist is the right person, at the right time, for this important position. Her election to the Los Angeles City Council would be a big deal. It is past time that scientists and women had a more prominent role in the future of government. From the conservative Northwest San Fernando Valley, she is a bridge builder who will address the looming challenges of climate change by creating clean energy jobs and a implementing a comprehensive plan towards a more sustainable way of living. Through compassion and a sense of responsibility, she will lead us in addressing our housing crisis and helping our unhoused neighbors. She will, with her character, depth, and honesty transform our politics into something we can be proud of. Her election will have profound effects well beyond Los Angeles.

Join me in donating, volunteering, and voting for Dr. Loraine Lundquist for Los Angeles City Council District 12.