Ridley-Thomas backs Price for his Senate seat

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on Monday endorsed Assemblyman Curren Price (D-Inglewood) for the 26th District state Senate seat Ridley-Thomas recently vacated.

“He represents the full package of opportunity and experience and would be an asset to the 26th District,” Ridley-Thomas said of Price. Others considering a run for the Senate seat include Assemblyman Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles) and Culver City school board member Saundra Davis.

Meanwhile, Ridley-Thomas also decried the scheduling of a primary for the special election as a stand-alone ballot March 24, which could cost the county up to $1.5 million. “I’m a little unclear why we should incur cost that seems to me to be unnecessary,” Ridley-Thomas said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called the special general election for May 19, which is the same day the city of Los Angeles holds its runoff election. By consolidating those ballots, the cost of the election is less. However, under state law, the secretary of state is required to hold the primary election no more than eight weeks before the general election, meaning the March 3 date the county has set for its regular primary election for 36 cities, including Los Angeles, would not meet that requirement.

-- Patrick McGreevy