The race for the 62nd Assembly District which covers Inglewood has been narrowed between Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles and community activist Tina McKinnor after both candidates received the majority of the votes in the April 5 primary.
According to the latest tabulations from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Tuesday, Pullen-Miles garnered 8,083 votes, or 37.21%, McKinnor snagged 7,686 votes, or 35.38%, while Hawthorne City Councilwoman Angie Reyes English (3,056 votes, or 14.07%) and Nico Ruderman(2,900 votes, or 13.35%) both failed to meet the threshold for the runoff.
Since none of the candidates garnered to necessary majority of votes, Pullen-Miles and McKinnor will decide it in the statewide June 7 primary who will serve out Autumn Burke’s remaining term.
Burke, D-Inglewood, resigned from the Assembly suddenly on Feb. 1, leaving the 62nd District unrepresented and prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to proclaim a special election ahead of the statewide primaries in June.
The four candidates who sought to replace Burke would serve out the final eight months of her term. The 62nd District that the winning candidate will represent will essentially become the 61st next term because of redistricting.
All four candidates on the special election ballot are also on the June 7 ballot for the full two-year term in the redistricted 61st Assembly District, along with environmental consultant James Arlandus Spencer, a Republican.
The current 62nd district consists of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, and Gardena, as well as Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Venice, and Del Rey, and the unincorporated communities of Del Aire, West Athens, Lennox, Westmont and Marina del Rey.
Pullen-Miles, Burke’s district director, announced his candidacy for the seat Feb. 1 and received Burke’s endorsement that day.
He has also received the dual endorsement of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Jr. and the Inglewood City Council.
The Lawndale mayor had $87,282 in cash on hand as of March 19 — and had spent $164,811 on his campaign since Jan. 1.
McKinnor is the director of civic engagement for LA Voice. LA Voice describes itself as “a multi-racial, multi-faith organization with a mission to transform Los Angeles into a county that reflects the human dignity of all communities, with racial and economic equity and abundant life for all.”
McKinnor previously served as operations director for the California Democratic Party, district director for then-Assemblyman and now state Sen. Steven Bradford, political treasurer for the Kaufman Legal Group and auditor at the L.A. County Office of Education.
The Democratic activist spent $159,724 from Jan. 1 to March 19, according to campaign finance records, and ended that period with $22,483 on hand.
She has been endorsed by L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, the Legislative Black Caucus and Bradford, among others.
City News Service and staff writer Kristy Hutchings and the Daily Breeze contributed to this report.
