Opinion: Should L.A. City Council be a landing pad for termed-out politicians?

The Los Angeles City Council has already become the landing pad of choice for termed-out legislators from Sacramento. Is it now going to become the next job for termed-out county supervisors too?

Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina told reporter David Zahniser that when she leaves her seat on the five-member Board of Supervisors, which she has held for 23 years, she will run against City Councilman Jose Huizar.

On the upside, at least the incumbent will face a serious challenge. It’s rare for a sitting council member to have a tough reelection, which means constituents don’t get a meaningful opportunity to assess their representative and there is little opportunity to oust a mediocre council member. Voters in the 14th Council District, which runs from downtown to Eagle Rock, can expect a robust debate over the issues in their communities and whether City Hall is serving their needs.

Plus, Huizar is the most politically vulnerable incumbent, and it would have been surprising if a strong challenger didn’t step up. Huizar is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit from a former aide who alleges he punished her for refusing to provide sexual favors. Huizar has admitted he had an extramarital affair but denied the harassment claims. The city’s attorneys are defending Huizar, and the trial is set for November, just as the City Council campaigning is getting underway.

But Molina’s announcement also continues the trend of termed-out politicians running for the City Council. Half of the City Council are former state legislators. With name recognition, a fundraising base and the backing of the Democratic Party establishment, these politicians already have a leg up in council races, making it harder — though certainly not impossible — for other candidates to compete.

As a county supervisor, Molina has the executive experience of managing county government, which is a different skillset than state legislators develop. Still, she’s an elected official seeking to move from one office to another office. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also worth asking if the City Council would benefit from more diversity of experience and opinions. When was the last time a full-time business owner won a City Council seat? Or a neighborhood council leader? Or, as Jim Newton noted in his column in The Times on Monday, a Republican?

Even when there’s a competitive race, the city’s political campaigns aren’t offering voters much choice.

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