Are we going to have another Hispanic man on our city council come April of next year? Well so far he has filled his paperwork with the city clerk to run for the Long Beach City Council seat for the 7th District. Roberto Uranga, LBCC Board of Trustees Member announced his candidacy for the 7th District election in August.

The 7th District position is available because Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga is finishing her second term in office making it available next year. Uranga has the following candidates competing for the position; an 7th District resident who has worked in public relations and acting; James Johnson Assistant City Auditor and Jill Hill of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance.
The election will be held Tuesday, April 13, 2010 throughout the 7th District for the City of Long Beach. Uranga has been a Board of Trustees member since May 2000 representing the Area 2 of the LBCC District. The Area 2 district covers the West Side of Long Beach starting from Temple Ave. westwards the Metro Blue Line train tracks, then from PCH up to 36th Street in California Heights. The 7th District covers many of the same territory as the college district making Uranga knowledgeable of this area of Long Beach also he has lived in both sides of the LA River that divide this district.

In other words, he has to work with the lower income community of Long Beach and satisfy the higher income community too all in one district. Now how is this candidates supposed please both sides of the spectrum of Long Beach at the same timework with a tighter budget? If Uranga wins the city council seat he will have to vacate his seat on the Board of Trustees of LBCC leaving his position open for election after nine years.

“I love my position on the Board of Trustees, I will be sad if I leave,” said Uranga.

His plan is to still work with the Long Beach Unified School District in an indirect form by creating program like the “Pathways to Success Pledge,” which, LBCC has done with Cal State Dominguez.
“I want to create circle, where students graduate from high school, come to our colleges to get their A.A or their B.A., M.A., then come back to Long Beach knowing that there are jobs in the city or in the private sector for them. For this plan to work there has to be more commitment from the city and our educational institutions,” said Uranga.

This circle of success looks great on paper but it seems that Long Beach State and LBCC has more students and less staff every semester.

Uranga has a Facebook account just like many candidates running for office. This past year Obama affect of campaigning has affected many politicians who want to get voters to know them digitally.

“I am still learning how to use the Facebook technology but there is nothing like the good old way of walking throughout the neighborhood and introducing my self to fellow voters,” said Uranga.
Campaigning after the 2008 Presidential Election has changed the way that politicians run for office. Now they have another place where they can update the public with their promises and hopes and dreams for our city.