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Politics Mar 02, 2024
Supervisor Kathryn Barger. | Photo courtesy of the Office of 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger
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Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger will attempt to fend off four hopefuls seeking to block her from a third and final term in office.
Barger’s current challengers are Perry Goldberg, an attorney who founded ThriveLA, which promotes farming communities for veterans experiencing homelessness; state Assemblyman Chris Holden, who represents the Pasadena area and has served in Sacramento since 2012; Konstantine Anthony, a Burbank City councilman since 2020; and Marlon Marroquin, a technology expert who specializes in international crime analysis.
The 5th District has more than 90 cities and communities — Arcadia, Burbank, La Cañada, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Temple City, plus unincorporated areas near Agua Dulce, Claremont and Palmdale, as well as the LA neighborhoods of Lakeview Terrace, Sunland, Toluca Lake and Valley Village.
Barger, 63, succeeded Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich in 2016, having served as his chief deputy. She is the only Republican on the Board of Supervisors, which is nonpartisan.
“I have worked hard to keep public safety, homelessness, and investing in local businesses front and center through my policy motions and strong collaborations with stakeholders from a variety of public and private sectors,” Barger said in a statement announcing her reelection campaign last year. “I am proud of my work and progress on challenging the status quo on homelessness, funding more law enforcement patrols to fight crime, and expanding care for our communities — but there is more to be done.”
Barger added that her reelection bid reflects her commitment to keep up the fight to bring change residents need.
“Many of our challenges are compounded by policies coming from Sacramento that create more problems than they solve, and don’t reflect the needs or desires of our communities,” Barger told the Los Angeles Times.
Goldberg, 54, said ThriveLA, his organization that helps veterans, is a model for methods that can be employed nationwide to turn unused land into communities of privately owned small farms. The farms provide the opportunity for unhoused people to work and cover the costs of their own employer-provided housing.
“Unlike government handouts, these live-work communities are a real solution to meet L.A.’s need for a large and rapid increase in the supply of housing that’s truly affordable — not subsidized,” Goldberg said on his campaign website.
On crime, Goldberg said he wants to transform LA into an exemplar of public safety.
“It’s ridiculous that, in 2024, it still doesn’t feel safe to walk down our streets at night,” Goldberg said.
A priority of Goldberg’s if elected would be to install more lights and cameras in public places. He said that would prevent crime while helping small businesses via encouraging consumers to safely venture out in public.
Holden, 63, D-Pasadena, was elected to his 41st District Assembly seat in 2012, and term limits have prevented him from seeking reelection.
“I’m running for county Supervisor because the challenges we face need to be more urgently addressed,” Holden said on his campaign website. “It’s time for Democratic leadership with a proven track record of getting things done for Los Angeles County.”
Holden said intends to work closely with LA Mayor Karen Bass to swiftly house the unhoused and prevent more families from homelessness.
He said his investment priorities for county resources include projects that involve public safety, good-paying jobs, housing, health care and affordable childcare.
As a member of the Assembly and formerly the Pasadena City Council, Holden said he fought to extend the Metro Gold Line by securing $290 million for six additional train stations. Holden also highlighted his legislative work to raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers.
Anthony, 43, is a Burbank City Council member and was the city’s mayor from 2022 to 2023. Before becoming an elected official, Anthony was an improv comic and actor.
“As supervisor, I want to bring my experience and successes as mayor of Burbank in championing working people, renters, and the disabled to the rest of Los Angeles County,” Anthony said on his campaign website, noting that he was the first diagnosed autistic person to serve as a mayor in the U.S.
“BACOD (Burbank Advisory Council on Disabilities) was founded to bring disability issues to the attention of city council and staff,” Anthony said. “As a member, I helped guide policy discussion and inform others of my personal experiences living with a disability.”
Anthony’s top priority is to fundamentally change the county’s approach to addressing its homelessness crisis, he said.
“Rather than the failed enforcement protocols that still plague most cities, we need more social workers, services, and outreach by unarmed teams to interact with individuals on the street, in their cars, and in public parks,” Anthony said.
Effective police oversight and reform is another point of advocacy in Anthony’s campaign.
“As supervisor, I will collaborate closely with Sheriff Luna and District Attorney Gascón on comprehensive reforms aimed at eradicating corruption and holding deputies with a history of conduct violations accountable for their actions,” Anthony said.
Marroquin, 35, is a technologist and business professional. He said his priorities are bettering public safety, reducing homelessness and streamlining government.
“My approach to homelessness goes beyond housing, integrating key services like mental health support and job training, with an eye on the added challenges of climate change,” Marroquin said on his campaign website. “Drawing from my experiences, I aim to create empathetic, effective solutions that build more than structures — they build a supportive, adaptive environment.”
Regarding public safety, Marroquin said he plans to furnish law enforcement with cutting-edge technology.
“Leveraging my deep understanding of crime dynamics and data analysis, I will ensure that our safety measures are not only innovative but also maintain transparency and fairness in collaborations with the private sector,” Marroquin said.
Seats on the Board of Supervisors have no party affiliation. If nobody wins over 50% of the votes cast in the election, the top two candidates will face off in a November runoff.
Candidates seeking reelection have a historical advantage — it has been 44 years since an incumbent supervisor has lost a reelection bid in LA County.
The LA County Board of Supervisors is among the most influential local government entities in the nation. The five-member board governs a sprawling county of around 10 million residents. Voters elect supervisors to four-year terms, and they can stay in office for up to 12 years in a row.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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