Redondo Beach’s March 2019 elections are set and, barring competition from write-in candidates, only three of the city’s five elections will be true contests.
City Council District 3 will see a rematch of opponents from 2015’s tight-knit race between incumbent Christian Horvath and challenger Candace Nafissi. That contest included a five-person General Election (won in a plurality by Nafissi) and a Runoff Election won by Horvath by 12 votes, following a recount.
North Redondo’s District 5 incumbent Laura Emdee will be challenged by Budget and Finance Commissioner Mel Samples. Emdee ran mostly unopposed for the open seat in 2015, save for write-in candidate Robe Richester.
Two are running in the City Treasurer’s race. Incumbent and two-term City Councilman Steve Diels will be contested by challenger Eugene Solomon, a Budget and Finance Commissioner who is a frequent speaker during public comment periods before the City Council.
Barring write-in candidates, two races will be run without opposition.
Incumbent school board member David Witkin will run unopposed for his seat, while Redondo Beach Education Foundation President Raymur Flinn will run for the seat vacated by termed-out board member Anita Avrick.
City Clerk Eleanor Manzano is the lone candidate for her position.
Campaigning began well before the election filing deadline closed on Monday. Samples and Nafissi — running with similar resources and messaging — have already held campaign kick-off parties, and made appearances during City Council meetings.
Horvath made the first declaration of campaign season last month, when he announced that he would not accept donations from individuals to his campaign greater than $250, in advance of the city’s potential adoption of campaign finance laws.
When asked if she would do something similar, Nafissi responded that campaign amounts are less important than where donations come from.
“Christian’s limits come late after he accepted thousands of dollars from special interests and unions. If he was really sincere about this pledge he’d give every dollar back and he wouldn’t be actively soliciting $99 donations in an attempt to conceal his donors,” Nafissi said. Emails show that Horvath specifically solicited donations under the state-mandated minimum for recording contributions.
Horvath said that he took inspiration from supporting the 2016 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, noting that Sanders’ average donation was $15, and said the donations were to support his newsletter mailers.
He then said that residents don’t necessarily want their names dragged into politics, lest they have their names read from campaign finance ledgers in public meetings. At the most recent City Council meeting, Councilman Nils Nehrenheim — a friend of Nafissi — read a list of Horvath’s 2015 donors aloud during a campaign finance law discussion.
“I’ve had a variety of people who said ‘I support you,’ but then don’t want to be attacked for using their name,” Horvath said. “I’m happy to ask any of my small donors if they’re willing to have their names listed, almost as an endorsement.”
