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By Antonio Ray Harvey| California Black Media
The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) added another member to its roster last week.
Former Suisun City Mayor Lori D. Wilson, a Democrat, was sworn into office April 6 to represent the 11th Assembly District. Wilson won a special election following the resignation of former Assemblymember Jim Frazier, also a Democrat.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to serve our communities in the State Assembly,” Wilson said in a statement. “From constituents who need help with state services, to challenges like rising homelessness, climate change, and keeping our neighborhoods and communities safe, I promise to work every day to deliver results for our communities, and to be a relentless advocate for every person who lives in our district.”
Wilson was the lone candidate on the ballot for the special election. She will serve out the remainder of Frazier’s current term, which ends on Dec. 5, but she must clear another hurdle to continue serving voters in the 11th District, an area stretching from the Bay Area to the Sacramento Valley, covering East Bay cities like Antioch, Pittsburg, Fairfield and Walnut Grove.
Wilson is on the ballot in the Democratic primary election on June 7. The first Black female mayor to serve in Solano County, Wilson will run for re-election to serve a full, two-year term. She has one challenger for the seat.
“Lori Wilson is competent and capable. She has the knowledge and the skills to make a difference in the Legislature. Her integrity and consistency are her greatest assets,” said David C. Isom, Vice President, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.
Shortly after she was sworn into office last week at the State Capitol, a day after the special election, Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) appointed Wilson as Assistant Majority Whip.
Rendon also appointed her to the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, the Appropriations Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, and the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee.
K. Patrice Williams, a Solano County businesswoman, community leader and advocate said Wilson’s hard work on the campaign trail paid off.
“Today was epic in so many ways because of 26,293 votes in a special election,” she posted on Facebook. “Mayor Lori Wilson is now Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson. We sent Lori to the Capitol with people power. Congratulations to Lori and US!”
In Southern California, nonprofit director and businesswoman Tina Simone McKinnor, 58, and Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles, 55, will face off in a run-off special election in June for the vacant 62nd District Assembly seat.
Both Black Democratic candidates, Mckinnor and Pullen-Miles were the top-two finishers in the special primary held on April 5, 2022, to replace former Assemblymember Autumn Burke, who resigned in February.
As of April 8, McKinnor was leading with 11,190 votes (39%) to Pullen-Miles’ 9,918 votes (35%). Nico Ruderman and Angie Reyes, both Democrats, trailed with 3,781 (13%) and 3,765 (13%) votes, respectively.
The CLBC currently has 11 members, including Wilson. The other members are Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), chair; vice chair Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles); and Assemblymembers Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), Mike Gipson (D-Carson), Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) and Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles).
