By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
Incumbent Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Jr. and veteran District 1 City Councilmember George Dotson will face a combined nine challengers to remain in office when voters go to the polls and cast their ballots in the Nov. 8 General Election.
While most the national attention will be focused on the Mid Terms and a potential red wave that could cost Democrats both the House and Senate, but locally all eyes will be on the renaissance city where the makes of city leadership could be altered.
Butts, who has served as mayor since 2011, has emerged as national public figure after securing deals to woo the NFL, NBA Clippers and sustained a stature that dwarfs that of most federal and state officials.
Nonetheless, Miya Walker, Fredrisha “Sha” Dixon, Angelique Johnson, Chika Ogoke, Raina Carrillo all met the threshold of candidacy for mayor in the City of Inglewood, which requires an individual to produced 40 verified signatures and proof of residency.
Butts, 69, has also bounced back from health challenges and appears to be as physically fit as ever.
Meanwhile, Dotson who earned his seat to the council in 2013 with the support of Butts faces a viable field of candidates which include Gloria Gray, first African American woman ever elected chairperson of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Another candidate to keep your eye on is former District 1 City Councilmember and Inglewood Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Alena Cindy Giardina.
In 2017 she was appointed by city council to temporarily finish the District One City Council office vacancy, a term that lasted for three months, but voters decided not to elect her. She has been a resident of Inglewood for nearly 40 years.
Other candidates running against Dotson, whose district includes Inglewood Cemetery, Briarwood and Carlton Square in addition to Darby Park, include Kevin Taylor and Yolanda Davidson, a local activist and longtime resident seeking public office for the first time
District 2 Councilman Alex Padilla is running against one challenger, Robert Brown.
Three Inglewood Unified School District seats are on the ballot, but only IUSD Seat one incumbent Ronald Gomez has challengers. Joyce Randall and Zyra McCloud will compete against Gomez, while IUSD Seat 2 and IUSD Seat 3 representatives Carliss R. McGhee
Brandon Myers are running unopposed, respectively.
