Readers React: Why Patty Lopez’s victory isn’t very surprising

To the editor: “In every election cycle, there’s always one stunner,” Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman was quoted as saying about the election of Patty Lopez to the 39th Assembly District seat. “This was the stunner.” (“Neophyte Patty Lopez takes Raul Bocanegra’s California Assembly seat,” Nov. 24)

The litany of explanations includes her first position on the ballot and her designation as “educational community representative.” How about her grass-roots effort?

The bottom line is that more people voted for Lopez than for her opponent, incumbent and fellow Democrat Raul Bocanegra, so our next assemblymember will be Lopez.

My enthusiasm for her win has a simple explanation: At its founding, our country depended on citizen legislators, and Lopez’s election gives us an opportunity to revisit that concept.

I, for one, have no doubt that we will be well-served by Assemblywoman-elect Patty Lopez.

Ann Job, Sylmar

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