Montebello’s ex-mayor now works to root elected Republicans out of Orange County
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Good morning. I’m Gustavo Arellano, columnista, writing from Orange County and watching my tomato seedlings grow. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Montebello’s ex-mayor quit politics for love. Now he’s back, trying to push Orange County left.
- Newsom urges cities to ban homeless camps, again.
- Parents, rejoice! Pasadena Playhouse will provide childcare during a show.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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Montebello’s ex-mayor turns to Orange County
Frank Gomez was born to be an L.A. County politician.
His grandfather attended Roosevelt High with pioneering Eastside congressmember Ed Roybal and helped to fight off a proposed veteran’s hospital in Hazard Park. His mother went to Belvedere Middle School with longtime L.A. councilmember Richard Alatorre. His father taught Chicano political titans Gil Cedillo and Vickie Castro in high school. When Gomez won a seat on the Montebello Unified School District board of trustees in 1997, Richard Polanco — the Johnny Appleseed-meets-Scrooge McDuck of Latino politics in California — helped out his campaign.
That’s why people were surprised in 2013 when Gomez — by then a Montebello council member who had served a year as mayor — announced he was leaving L.A. County altogether to marry his current wife.
“I had the choice between politics and love,” said the 61-year-old during a recent breakfast in Santa Ana. “It was an easy choice.”
Gomez couldn’t stay away from politics for long
Today, Gomez leads STEM initiatives for the Cal State system and is also the chair of the Central Orange County Democratic Club, which covers Orange, Tustin, parts of unincorporated Orange County “and a few voters in Villa Park,” Gomez told me with a chuckle.
He’s headed the Central O.C. Dems since last year, and has grown them from about 60 members to over 300. Soft-spoken but forceful, Gomez likes to apply his background as a chemistry professor — “We need to be strategic and analytical” — in helping to build a Democratic bench of elected officials in a region that was a long a GOP stronghold before becoming as purple as Barney the Dinosaur.
I knew Gomez’s name but didn’t realize his L.A. political background until we met last month. That makes him a rare one: someone who has dabbled in both L.A. and Orange county politics, two worlds that rarely collide because each considers the other a wasteland.
As someone who has covered O.C. politics for a quarter century but has only paid attention to L.A. politics in earnest since I started with The Times in 2019, I have my thoughts about each scene’s differences and similarities. But what about Gomez?
From one cutthroat political scene to another
“In L.A., it’s Democrats against Democrats,” he replied. “It’s not like I didn’t know” what to expect when moving to O.C., he said. “But it’s the difference between Fashion Island and the Citadel.”
He thought his days in politics were over until 2022, when his stepson — who had interned with longtime Irvine politico Larry Agran — urged him to run for a seat on the Tustin City Council.
Commence Gomez’s true “Welcome to the O.C., bitch” moment.
Opponents sent out mailers with photos of garbage cans and graffiti and the message, “Do not bring L.A. to Tustin,” a political insult introduced to Orange County politics that year by Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer.
“Those gated communities still try to keep their unsaid redlining,” Gomez said. “It wasn’t like that in L.A. politics because there was no place for it.”
Racist L.A. City Hall audio leak notwithstanding, of course.
Trying to topple O.C.’s last remaining GOP congressmember
Gomez unsuccessfully ran last year for a seat on the Municipal Water District of Orange County. He now plans to focus his political energies on growing the Central O.C. Dems and figuring out how to topple Rep. Young Kim, O.C.’s last remaining GOP congressmember. In the meanwhile, he will continue his political salons at the Central O.C. Dems’ monthly meetings at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Tustin — I was on the hot seat in April, and upcoming guests include coastal O.C. Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, O.C. supervisorial candidate Connor Traut and former congressmember and current California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter.
“It’s like being in the classroom,” Gomez said as he packed up his leftovers. “All I do is ask the questions and keep it flowing.”
He smiled. “Johnny Carson on intellectual steroids.”
Today’s top stories
The Trump administration will investigate L.A. County
- The administration announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.
- The state program provides monthly cash benefits to elderly, blind and disabled noncitizens who are ineligible for Social Security benefits because of their immigration status.
Newsom urges cities to ban homeless camps
- The governor’s plan asks localities to prohibit persistent camping and encampments that block sidewalks.
- This is an escalation from last year, when Newsom ordered California agencies to clear homeless camps from state lands.
How to understand the recent trade deals
- This week’s temporary trade truce with China may not be enough to stop supply shortages.
- Trump and Starmer call the trade deal between the UK and USA ‘historic,’ but questions remain.
- The two ‘deals’ have left tariff policy more confused than ever, argues columnist Michael Hiltzik.
Inside the investigation into faulty evacuation alerts during the wildfires in January
- Software glitches, cellphone provider mixups and poor wording on the alert itself compounded to stoke confusion.
- On Jan. 9, residents across the region received a wireless emergency alert urging them to prepare to evacuate.
- Meanwhile, western Altadena, where 17 people died, got its evacuation order many hours after the Eaton fire exploded.
What else is going on
- In these parts of California, earning less than $100,000 makes you ‘low income.’
- Trump’s agenda on Middle East trip: Lots of deals.
- California ‘teacher of the year’ sexually assaulted elementary school boys. She gets a 30-year term.
- French actor Gérard Depardieu was found guilty of sexual assault.
- Insurers are seeking to surcharge California homeowners for L.A. County fire costs.
- Rapper Tory Lanez, who is serving jail time, was hospitalized after another inmate stabbed him.
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Commentary and opinions
- Contributor Adel Bseiso argues his family’s archive shows why Palestinians are owed reparations.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for cities to crack down on homeless encampments is a move toward criminalizing homelessness that may clean up streets, but doesn’t solve the problem, says columnist Anita Chabria.
- Is there a middle ground on immigration? This Republican thinks so, argues columnist Mark Z. Barabak.
This morning’s must reads
Ibram X. Kendi is ready to introduce kids to Malcolm X: ‘Racism is worse in times of tragedy’ Ibram X. Kendi discusses introducing Malcolm X to today’s young readers and the timing of his new book in light of President Trump’s anti-DEI actions.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- Theater: Parents, rejoice! Pasadena Playhouse will provide childcare during a show.
- Restaurants: One of L.A.’s most exciting new Chinese restaurants lands in Mandarin Plaza.
- Fashion: Inside the buzzy closet sale for L.A. fashion ‘it’ girls.
Staying in
- Read: Her homes burned down in the Eaton fire. Her new novel, coincidentally, celebrates Altadena.
- Cook: Here’s a recipe for Breakfast Berry Summer Pudding.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: What’s your favorite karaoke song?
Peg says: “David Bowie’s Life on Mars!”
Paul says “My Way.” (We’re assuming he means by Frank Sinatra)
Keep the suggestions coming. Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from the archives: Leonard Koren began documenting L.A. bathing culture back in 1976 with Wet magazine, which featured contributions from David Lynch, Debbie Harry and Ed Ruscha.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Gustavo Arellano, California columnist
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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