Election called to fill House seat

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has scheduled a special election for June 26 to fill the congressional seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a Democrat whose district encompassed Compton, Carson, much of Long Beach and parts of South Los Angeles.

The election is expected to attract a large field of candidates seeking to replace Millender-McDonald, 68, who died last week of cancer.

The onetime Carson City Council member and state legislator was the first African American woman to head the House Committee on Administration, which oversees federal elections and the House’s day-to-day operations.

Funeral services for Millender-McDonald will be held at noon Monday at Second Baptist Church, 2412 Griffith Ave., Los Angeles.

In a statement, Assemblyman Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton), who chairs the state Legislative Black Caucus and was a longtime friend of Millender-McDonald, discouraged speculation of a replacement until after the funeral.

“Congresswoman Millender-McDonald hasn’t even been laid to rest and so there should be no discussion of her replacement until after her services,” he said.

But less than 24 hours after Schwarzenegger’s decision to schedule the election, three potential candidates expressed interest in the seat, a spokeswoman said.

Mervin Evans, a Democrat, and L.J. “Bishop” Guillory, a Republican, took out nominating papers at the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office in Norwalk. Herb Peters, a Libertarian, requested petitions in lieu of the $1,652 filing fee, the spokeswoman said.

Among the candidates being mentioned in the largely Democratic district are state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) and Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach).

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote on June 26, a runoff between the top candidates in each party will be held Aug. 21.

The winner will serve the remainder of Millender-McDonald’s two-year term.

john.mitchell@latimes.com