Assemblymember Luz Rivas and City of San Fernando Mayor Celeste Rodriguez have reached comfortable margins in their campaigns for higher office as of Wednesday, Nov. 6. Rivas will take the House seat being vacated by Congressman Tony Cárdenas and Rodriguez, in turn, will fill the assemblymember’s soon-to-be empty seat.
Rivas received 67.7% of the vote for the 29th Congressional District, beating Republican Benito Benny Bernal. Rodriguez achieved approximately 64% for Rivas’ State Assembly 43rd District seat over her colleague, San Fernando Councilmember Victoria Garcia.
Rodriguez held a watch party at the Bodevi Wine & Espresso Bar on the San Fernando Mall on Tuesday, Nov. 5. State and local officials joined in support during the night, including Rivas, Cárdenas, State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, Los Angeles City Councilmember Imelda Padilla and San Fernando Councilmember Mary Solorio.
Cárdenas, retiring at the end of his term, endorsed Rivas as his successor. Both supported Rodriguez in her bid to replace Rivas in the State Assembly.
“I got elected 28 years ago, and in every seat I’ve had the honor to represent all of you – in the State Assembly, on the [LA] City Council and now in Congress – I have always turned to a woman to take my place in that position,” Cárdenas said. “And once again, I picked the best person I can think of, our Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, to be our new congresswoman.”
Rivas thanked her supporters and Cárdenas for getting her into politics, saying that as she moves on to Congress, “I will continue to deliver and think of the communities that I grew up in that have supported me, and that’s why I’m excited to be your next congresswoman.”
Her first order of business will be to establish her district office to be ready to provide the services her constituents may need, including help with immigration. Rivas also plans to follow Cárdenas’ footsteps in providing community project funding to organizations and nonprofits throughout the San Fernando Valley.
When it came to who she would support to fill her State Assembly seat, Rivas said Rodriguez was the only person who came to mind. She said that Rodriguez has leadership experience, a record of community service and was well positioned to take over her place.
“I’ve been a state assembly member for six years. I know what it’s like and what it requires, and Celeste has all of the qualities that we need to represent us in the Northeast San Fernando Valley,” Rivas said.
Rodriguez thanked those in her campaign who were calling residents up until the very last moment on Election Day. On her first day in the State Assembly, she said she would assemble a team of people across the Northeast San Fernando Valley and ensure communities have opportunities to share their pressing issues, including educational and economic opportunities, as well as environmental justice.
“There’s a lack of investment in infrastructure, so even though we’re in a challenging budget situation at the state level, I want to make sure we secure resources for the Northeast Valley,” Rodriguez said. “The Olympics are coming, and I want to make sure we have the opportunity to participate and secure jobs and investments in projects for that.
“There’s so many things that we just have an opportunity to be a part of and I can’t wait to serve.”
She expressed some concern with candidate Donald Trump taking the lead in the presidential race – who has since been declared the winner – as he could be vindictive against California. However, Rivas’ win gives her hope that elected officials from the local to the national level, including Solorio and LA Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, can cooperate and work to help the community.
“I know that with [Rivas] winning [the congressional seat], myself working in Sacramento, and all of these amazing Latina women working at the local level, we’re going to get things done,” Celeste Rodriguez said.
The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol has reached out to Garcia for comment, but she did not respond by press time.