Compton

Patricia A. Moore, a part-time legislative consultant to Rep. Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton) has announced her candidacy for the City Council’s 2nd District.

Moore, chairwoman of the city’s 1,500-member United Council of Block Clubs, a crime-fighting group, is expected to face incumbent Floyd James, who has said he will seek his third four-year council term.

Moore, 36, said she is running “to halt the rise of juvenile crime and unemployment” and because James “has lost interest in representing the people of the 2nd District.”

The candidate said James showed his loss of interest by telling Dymally last year that he would run this spring for mayor against incumbent Walter Tucker. Dymally said Wednesday that James had told him and his staff in separate discussions last year that he (James) would run against Tucker.

“No way did I tell Dymally that,” James said. “I’m running for my own seat.”

Dymally said he now supports Moore in the 2nd District, although it has been his policy to endorse incumbents in local races. However, had James not said would seek the mayor’s seat, that endorsement would have gone to James as the incumbent councilman, said Dymally.

Candidate filing for the April 16 election opened Wednesday and will close March 2. Voter registration closes March 18.