Assemblywoman Laura Friedman faces Republican, independent challengers
As the country’s attention is trained on who will become the Democratic nominee matched against President Donald Trump this November, a quieter race is playing out for a state Assembly seat that encompasses Glendale, Burbank and surrounding areas.
Two-term Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Glendale, is being challenged for control of California’s 43rd Assembly district in the upcoming March 3 election. It’s the first time she’s faced opponents since first being elected to the seat in 2016.
Those vying for the seat include Republican Mike Graves, owner of a gourmet candy shop in Los Angeles, and independent Robert Sexton, a producer and director.
Political newcomer Sexton, of Hollywood, said he was compelled to run in order to address the city’s homelessness crisis and roll back a pair of criminal-justice-reform measures, known as Propositions 47 and 57, that some have credited with a rise in crime.
After coming face to face with a violent home intruder wielding a shovel in May, Sexton made up his mind to do something about what he sees as the unexpected consequences of reforms fueled by good intentions.
“I thought, what if my wife, a makeup artist, had been coming home late from a shoot … would she have fared so well? Would my nephew have fared so well? My neighbors?” Sexton said. “I felt that I had to do something.”
Burbank resident Graves, who could not be reached for comment, called for returning local control to cities and school districts and reducing government costs in an online statement. He served as a member of the Republican Central Committee for the 43rd Assembly District from 2003 to 2011.
To reduce crime, Graves said, “Start with the 10 commandments. The notion of right and wrong. Start with bringing kids up right,” in response to a question posed by the California chapter of the League of Women voters about the high financial cost of incarceration.
In response to another question about the state’s affordable-housing shortage, Graves said state lawmakers should remove barriers to building new housing by lowering taxes, streamlining permitting and possibly rezoning areas.
Friedman, a former Glendale Mayor and City Council member, said she isn’t familiar with either challenger but is “looking forward to meeting them, hearing their concerns and having good policy discussions.”
She added, “I enjoy that stuff. I like being out in the public and talking about issues.”
Homelessness and housing affordability are the biggest challenges facing the state, according to Friedman.
If reelected, she said she would fight for Los Angeles to get a big enough slice of the state budget to subsidize housing initiatives, as well as work on legislative solutions to “remove barriers that keep people on the streets.”
Noting that one of her challengers is a Republican, Friedman said she has worked to pass bipartisan legislation and avoid partisan politics in general.
The district last went red in 1994, when Republican James Rogan defeated Democrat Adam Schiff. It’s been blue since 1996, when Democrat Scott Wildman very narrowly beat out his Republican rival.
Sexton hailed some of Friedman’s legislative accomplishments, including helming a statewide fur ban and working on sustainability initiatives, but said she has not been as effective in more pressing areas.
“Homelessness is an emergency, and things haven’t been done,” Sexton said.
The two state Assembly candidates who receive the most votes during California’s fast-approaching primary will face off during the general election this November.
The 43rd district, one of California’s 80 districts, encompasses the far eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, with portions jutting northward into the San Gabriel Mountains and southward into central Los Angeles. It’s one of 24 district races playing out across the state this year.