Assemblyman Becerra to Seek Rep. Roybal’s Seat

Freshman Democratic Assemblyman Xavier Becerra of Monterey Park said Friday that he intends to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Edward R. Roybal, saying that he will seek endorsements from Roybal and Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina.

The decision by Becerra, 34, came several days after Roybal’s handpicked candidate, chief of staff Henry Lozano, said he was dropping out of the race because of family considerations.

“It’s a 99.9% certainty that I’ll go for the seat,” Becerra said in an interview. “I continue to have the support of folks in that district. If there’s suddenly an avalanche of noes, then I’ll reconsider.”

Becerra’s entry will likely inspire another face-off among Latino politicians and activists that would resemble last year’s heated supervisorial campaign between Molina and state Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles).

Los Angeles school board member Leticia Quezada, who announced her candidacy for Roybal’s seat last week, has been endorsed by Assemblyman Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles). In addition, City Councilman Richard Alatorre has spoken favorably of Quezada’s candidacy. Quezada’s supporters said Latino activists sympathetic to Molina should rally behind Quezada instead of finding another Latino candidate for the race.

In announcing his decision not to run for the seat, Polanco accused Roybal, Molina and their supporters Friday of shopping around for someone to challenge Quezada, leaving the door open for a non-Latino to win the seat.

“If (Roybal) and the others fail to support Quezada, they will jeopardize the future of this historic Latino seat,” Polanco said in a statement. “Leticia Quezada is an experienced, capable community leader (and) merits the full support of our community. We cannot permit petty infighting to undermine the future of our community.”

Alatorre, who shares a similar view, criticized Becerra as an outsider who does not live in the 30th Congressional District, which encompasses Lincoln Heights, Highland Park, Glassell Park, Echo Park, Silver Lake and East Hollywood. Becerra lives in Monterey Park. Although the district is 61% Latino, only 34% of the registered voters are Latino.

“He is the so-called community candidate, but he ain’t from the community,” Alatorre said.

Becerra said it would be a mistake to consider the district as a Latino seat.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s been characterized that way,” Becerra said, adding that he was talking to all segments of voters in the district. “No seat should be considered as belonging to any particular race or ethnic group. You want to give everyone in a community an opportunity to elect a person of its choice, whatever that person’s ethnicity or race happens to be.”

He dismissed the outsider charge, noting that reapportionment has given every lawmaker a new district to run in.

Roybal and Molina could not be reached for comment Friday. But others who had been mentioned as candidates in the race quickly endorsed Becerra. Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Hernandez and Alma Martinez, Molina’s chief of staff, said Becerra is an excellent choice to succeed Roybal.

Born in Sacramento, Becerra won election to the Assembly from the 59th District in November, 1990, after beating out two candidates who were favored in the Democratic primary.