With Culver City serving as a beacon, Mark Ridley-Thomas so thoroughly drubbed his rival Bernard Parks in last Tuesday’s election for the County Board of Supervisors that he captured 32 of 33 key areas in soaring to a 61 to 39 percent victory.
The outgoing Democratic state senator won virtually everywhere by whopping margins, ranging up to 48 percent in Lennox and 43 percent in Lynwood.
The first new face on the Board of Supervisors in a dozen years and the first black man to ever serve, Mr. Ridley-Thomas won Culver City voters by almost a 2 to 1 margin, 9,581 votes to 5,075 or 65 to 35 percent.
Los Angeles City Councilman Parks was rejected so thoroughly as to be discouraging. The Centinela neighborhood, where a scant 37 votes were cast, was the only area he won. Mr. Parks prevailed, 22 votes to 15.
By contrast, more than 27,000 voted in Carson, which the new Supervisor won handily, and typically, 60 to 40 percent.
Outside of flukish, atypical Centinela, Mr. Ridley-Thomas was dominant, landslide-size.
For example, across the 10 L.A. City Council Districts in the 2nd Supervisorial District, the new Supervisor’s margins were 36 percent, 31, 29, 18, 24, 27, 28, 40, 29, 13.
In Culver City-adjacent Ladera Heights, however, Mr. Ridley-Thomas only won 51 to 49 percent, 1,889 votes to 1,787, a margin of 102 votes.
For the second straight election, Mr. Parks, a Councilman for five years, lost his own district, the Eighth, 59 to 41 percent, 34,301 to 23, 657. Mr. Parks also lost sizably in the district to Mr. Ridley-Thomas last June in the primary election.
Mr. Parks reached his ceiling in the primary, attracting 39 percent of the vote.
What makes that number ironic is that the runnerup drew the identical portion of votes in the primary, against a bulging field of nine candidates, as he did in the general election when he faced only one opponent.
The Opposite Direction
By contrast, MRT, as the new Supervisor is known to pals, climbed, faring far better in the general.
He went from 45 percent in a fractured field to 61 percent with Mr. Parks his lone impediment.
MRT spokesperson Fred MacFarlane asked, “What does this all mean?
“Simple. If there hadn't been nine candidates running in the primary, the race for Supervisor probably would have been decided on June 3.MRT would have been the outright winner, not just the top vote-getter.
“The numbers also show a deep reservoir for support for MRT across the District,” Mr. MacFarlane said. “There isn't one area where, post-election, he needs to look and say, ‘Boy, I've got a lot of work to do to turn around the perceptions of residents in this particular area to win their support and approval.’
“That is a strong position to be in as he approaches Dec. 1, the date he takes office.
“Of course, that means expectations throughout the 2nd District are high for MRT. The voters like him. They are counting on big things from him. The one thing that should be reassuring to voters — even in today's troubled times — is that MRT has consistently delivered results for the people he has represented throughout his political career.”
For the full report, visit http://www.markridleythomas.com/blog/