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Who’s on the Ballot for Inglewood? 

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There are 5 Election Day races specific to Inglewood. If you’re undecided about who to vote for, here’s a helpful guide.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.  Please make the time to vote!

By Maya Mackey

City Treasurer

The people who manage the City’s spending.

Candidate 1 – Angela Allen

Angela Allen is an Inglewood resident and dedicated professional with 28 years of experience in education and three years in public service. Allen currently serves as Inglewood’s Deputy City Treasurer and is “one semester away from certification as a Municipal Clerk.” She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in education. While her campaign site says she has extensive experience with budget and finance, she doesn’t list examples of her work. There isn’t much out there regarding her experience, but she is endorsed by Inglewood Mayor James Butts, Jr.

Candidate 2 – Taylor Bryant

Taylor Bryant is a longtime Inglewood resident and graduate of City Honors, UCLA, and Loyola Law School. Bryant did an interview with the blog, 2 Urban Girls where she states past elected leaders who make decisions without the voice of the people as impetus for her running.  She says she is ready to ensure the city’s growth is managed responsibly as there is a record number of development happening. 

“With my background as an attorney, I’ve developed skills in advocacy, negotiation, and problem-solving that I believe are essential for effective leadership. I want to leverage that expertise to ensure that the voices of our residents are heard, that our resources are managed wisely, and that we create a city that works for everyone, not just a select few.” Housing, traffic and education are her top priorities, and she hopes to bring transparency and accountability to her Inglewood constituents. Bryant is endorsed by Congresswoman Maxine Waters. 

City Clerk

The City Clerk maintains a record of all Council proceedings, City records and archives; administers City elections; provides fiscal, administrative, and personnel services to the Council and Mayor; and provides staff assistance to the Council

Aisha L. Thompson is the sole runner for this office. Thompson previously held the office of Inglewood’s Deputy City Clerk, and has served the City of Inglewood for 18 years.  Additionally, she served 6 years in the State Assembly and 15 years as a Civil Service Employee of Inglewood. Needless to say, public service is her legacy. 

Her goals include:

  • Establishing a working foundation with the Boards and Commissioners.
  • Assisting colleagues, board members, and commissioners on the procedures of filing their Fair Political Practices Commission form 700.
  • Building and creating new, lasting relationships with Inglewood residents.
  • Establishing and building relationships with the youth of Inglewood, their parents, and IUSD to increase awareness of the voting process as well as increase the number of young Inglewood voters.  

Board of Education Trustee – Area 4

The Board of Education Trustee will oversee the school district and manage the needs of students and parents alike. 

Candidate #1 -Ronald Gomez

Gomez is a first generation Angeleno, born to Central American immigrants. He is also a first-gen college graduate of UCLA, Loyola Marymount University and USC Law School.  Gomez is running for a seat on the school board because he was once a student of the Inglewood Unified School District, and in his words, “experienced first-hand the historical shortcomings of our educational system.” Gomez says he’s “ready to fight tirelessly for our kids” and implement structural change for the Inglewood scholars. He is a former public school teacher and a graduate of the Teach for America program. 

Priorities include addressing the school closures by requiring a community impact assessment and public consultation period of at least one year before any decision is made.  He wants to end receivership from the County and put IUSD back into local control. Gomez also wants higher pay for educators and to protect their right to form a union.  Other goals include narrowing the ratio of special education classes to 5:1  to increase focus on the unique needs of special education students.  Gomez is endorsed by the Mexican American Bar Association.

Candidate #2 – Margaret Turner-Evans

Margaret Turner-Evans has served as the school board president. She was a junior high and high school classroom teacher for more than 20 years as well as the assistant principal at Palisades Charter High School for 13 years. Turner-Evans highlights approving payroll and budgets, reporting child abuse, student discipline and parent/teacher conferences as skills she has mastered in her previous educator roles. 

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“Although we have faced the difficult decision to close some schools due to enrollment challenges, I am dedicated to transforming our remaining facilities into state-of-the-art environments,” Turner-Evans said.  She hopes that school beautification—that could be accomplished if Proposition 2 and Measure US win this November—will attract students and parents back to IUSD and increase student enrollment. She also aims to coach teachers and support the professional development of staff. She is endorsed by County Administrator Dr. James Morris and Board Members, Councilwoman Gloria Gray and Councilman Alex Padilla. 

Board of Education Trustee – Area 5

Ernesto Castillo is running unopposed and seeking re-election for a second term as a Board of Education Trustee. If re-elected, Castillo will continue to oversee Hudnall Elementary School, Inglewood Continuation School, Inglewood High School, Oak Street and Payne Elementary Schools. Castillo’s public servant legacy includes interning for Congressman Tony Cardenas, and serving as the Inglewood City Commissioner for the Library Board. As the only Latino and Youngest Commissioner, he advocated for Spanish language material and support for Spanish-speaking students. He is currently working on his Entertainment and Law degree from Loyola Marymount University. He is the only candidate running in this district.

Inglewood City Council

Council District 3

Eloy Morales, Jr. is running unopposed.  He has been the City Councilman for District 3 since 2003. He brought a successful youth sports program to Inglewood that’s been running for 20 years. He’s worked with State Assembly Member Jerome E Horton to bring medical care, scholarships, and a responsive government to the citizens of the Inglewood community. He was also appointed to serve on the Aviation and Planning Commissions for the 3rd District.  

Council District 4

Candidate #1 – Carlos Zurita

With 6 years as a community organizer, Zurita has devoted his time toward making a difference in the areas of housing, education and veterans affairs.  Zurita says he was inspired to run for office after witnessing the leadership of Councilman Alex Padilla, Jessie Lopez, Hugo Soto, and Marqueece Harris Dawson. He says, “They’ve set an example of the kind of councilmember I aspire to be.” Zurita’s top priorities are affordable housing, creating more youth-oriented spaces, and addressing the traffic congestion that a renovated Hollywood Park has brought. His vision for the city is “one that is safe, clean, and truly supportive of its local residents. 

“Most importantly, I want a city that puts its long-time residents first, ensuring they don’t feel pushed out as the city grows. Our community should evolve in a way that allows everyone to thrive, without sacrificing the well-being of the people who have called it home for years,” Zurita said.

Candidate #2 – Dionne Faulk

Dionne Faulk, a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills, with a BA in Economics and a minor in Political Science is notably the first Black woman to be elected to the Inglewood City Council. Before she became a council member, she served as a city commissioner in the LA County Department of Consumer Affairs. She became a school board member in 2017 and was elected to the Inglewood City Council in 2020.  Faulk is also a member of the Los Angeles African-American Women’s Public Policy Institute. She considers her first term successes getting the Covid vaccine out to her community, attracting new businesses and creating housing opportunities. 

Faulk has four main pillars of focus for her (potential) second term: Homelessness, Small Businesses, Public Safety, and Community Engagement. She has worked to remove homeless encampments and find housing for the homeless, and cracked down on homeless people who were taking shelter in abandoned homes. When it comes to businesses, Faulk helped to get the Champions Grant Initiative off the ground, granting $2 million to more than 100 small businesses and non-profits. In the Public Safety realm, Faulk worked with the Inglewood Police Department to monitor social media and stop illegal street and donut races before they occurred. She also helped secure new flashing red lights which reduce speeding while still allowing our emergency vehicles to access neighborhoods quickly. Her key endorsements include Los Angeles County Democrats, LA County Federation of Labor, SEIU, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Gardena Mayor Tasha Cerda and Long Beach Rex Richardson.

Candidate # 3 – Leslie Jones

Leslie Jones is apprehensive about Sofi and Intuit Dome’s effect on Inglewood residents’ quality of life. Jones would like to build a coalition among small businesses in Inglewood and figure out a way to incentivize residents to shop small. Jones is running on the promise to put residents above corporate interests. A native of Inglewood, Jones received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University. Jones is a business owner (1010 Wine bar in Inglewood) and a long-time advocate for cancer patients, colon cancer specifically, as it affects her mom. Jones was appointed by Board Supervisor, Holly J. Mitchell to serve on the Small Business Commission in 2023.

Candidate # 4 – Angelique Johnson

Angelique Johnson is a long-time community organizer and advocate for families and constituents in District 4.  Johnson’s official bio describes her as, “More than a candidate — she’s a neighbor and a friend with a proven record of advocating for fair wages, healthcare access, and labor rights. Her deep community ties and experience in grassroots organizing make her uniquely qualified to translate activism into action.”

Johnson is committed to expanding youth services and programs, affordable housing, helping small business success, and improving senior resources. Her top 6 goals include:  

-Ensuring city council meetings happen in the evening so residents can attend

– Ensuring term limits for elected officials

– Reimagining what public safety looks like and making it a community-led effort

– Helping small businesses thrive

– Affordable housing

– Supporting youth and older residents of Inglewood so they feel safer and more secure