November 3, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Assemblyman Richard Bloom Endorses Erin Darling for LA City Council!

Former Santa Monica Mayor joins long list of elected officials backing the Venice local

By Nick Antonicello

Richard Bloom, the popular California state legislator and former Mayor of the City of Santa Monica has joined a long list of elected officials endorsing Erin Darling for LA City Council for the open seat to succeed the retiring incumbent Mike Bonin. 

Bloom, who has served in the California General Assembly since defeating Betsy Butler in 2012 is term-limited for reelection to the legislature. 

Prior to his time in Sacramento, Bloom served thirteen years on the Santa Monica City Council of which he was selected to serve by his council peers three times as Mayor and twice as Mayor Pro Tempore. 

Bloom was an unsuccessful candidate for the LA Board of Supervisors earlier this year to succeed fellow Santa Monica resident Sheila Kuehl, the outgoing incumbent. 

Bloom joins an interesting coalition of Westside Democrats that have endorsed the Darling candidacy including Bonin, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, newly elected Assembly member Tina McKinnor and California Senator Ben Allen, also of Santa Monica. 

In addition, Darling has locked up the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party as well the Los Angeles Times and Oscar winning actress and activist, Jane Fonda. Darling has also been endorsed by nine Democratic clubs and organizations throughout the district as well as numerous labor and union support with the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO now behind the tenant’s advocate and civil rights attorney. 

A life-long Venetian, Darling is married with a three-year old son and served his community as a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc,org).  

Bloom, who has represented the 50th Legislative District for over a decade is also a member of the Jewish Assembly Caucus. 

Shortly after his election, Assemblymember Richard Bloom was appointed to Chair the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources,, Energy, and Transportation where he quickly established himself as a leader on one of the biggest issues facing this generation – climate change. As Chair, Assemblymember Bloom has pushed for increasing renewable energy development and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and promoting smart and sustainable planning that expands affordable housing and reduces traffic congestion and commute times. Through his leadership, Assemblymember Bloom has made reducing our carbon footprint and enhancing the quality of life now and for future generations a core mission of the committee according to his legislative page.

As a steward of the environment, Assemblymember Bloom also helped establish the most stringent protections in the country against the dangers of hydraulic fracking and pushed for improved rail safety and oil spill response preparedness in light of the exponential growth of oil imports by rail. Assemblymember Bloom also introduced the strongest protections in the country against the use of rodenticides which are harming wildlife at alarming levels and against the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products that are contaminating our rivers, streams, and oceans.

Prior to being elected to the California State Assembly in 2012, Assemblymember Bloom served on the Santa Monica City Council. He also served as Chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, Chair of the Westside Cities Council of Governments, and as a special California State Senate appointment to the California Coastal Commission.

Born in Philadelphia, Assemblymember Bloom grew up in Altadena and West Los Angeles. He attended Fairfax High School, the University of California (Los Angeles and Berkeley) and Loyola School of Law and holds a B.A. in Communication and Public Policy as well as a Juris Doctor degree. After law school, he practiced family law for nearly 30 years and worked as the executive director for a non-profit that assisted low-income and homeless clients. He also served as a volunteer Judge and mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Courts and on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section.

To learn more about Assembly member Bloom, visit his website at www.richardbloom.com

Nick Antonicello is a longtime resident of Venice who is covering the race to succeed Mike Bonin on the LA City Council. Antonicello has filed more stories on the race than any other media outlet. Have a take or a tip on the race in CD-11? Contact Antonicello at nantoni@mindspring.com

in Opinion
<>Related Posts

Opinion: Fact Check: Why Vote Yes on Measure QS

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Despite living in a famously progressive region, Santa Monicans are not immune from the same political misinformation and disinformation that...

SM.a.r.t Column: Lack of Oversight and No Accountability

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

S.M.a.r.t. periodically invites guest columnists to write opinion articles on topics of particular interests to our readers. Below is an...

SM.a.r.t Column: “Help! I’ve Fallen, and I …!!”, Cries Santa Monica!

October 25, 2024

October 25, 2024

Maybe fallen, but slipping for sure from being a desirable beachfront community that served all equally, the local residents who...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Vote

October 13, 2024

October 13, 2024

In a polarized country or City every vote counts. Regardless of which side of any issue or candidate you support,...

SM.a.r.t Column: Fact-Checking Election-Season Windbaggery

October 6, 2024

October 6, 2024

Claim: The state is requiring Santa Monica to build 9,000 apartments.Answer: Partially true, partially false. Santa Monica has a pretty...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Can Help Save Lives and Revitalize Santa Monica’s Economy

September 29, 2024

September 29, 2024

We wholeheartedly endorse the candidates below for Santa Monica City Council. Their leading campaign platform is for increased safety in...

SM.a.r.t Column: Crime in Santa Monica: A Growing Concern and the Need for Prioritizing Public Safety

September 22, 2024

September 22, 2024

By Michael Jolly Over the past six months, Santa Monica has experienced a concerning rise in crime, sparking heated discussions...

SM.a.r.t Column: Ten New Commandments

September 15, 2024

September 15, 2024

Starting last week,  the elementary school students of Louisiana will all face mandatory postings of the biblical Ten Commandments in...

SM.a.r.t Column: Santa Monica’s Next City Council

September 8, 2024

September 8, 2024

In the next general election, this November 5th, Santa Monica residents will be asked to vote their choices among an...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part II: The Affordability Crisis: Unmasking California’s RHNA Process and Its Role in Gentrification

September 2, 2024

September 2, 2024

Affordability: An Income and Available Asset Gap Issue, Not a Supply Issue (Last week’s article revealed how state mandates became...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part 1: The Affordability Crisis: Unmasking California’s RHNA Process and Its Role in Gentrification

August 26, 2024

August 26, 2024

In the world of economic policy, good intentions often pave the way to unintended consequences. Nowhere is this more evident...

SM.a.r.t Column: They Want to Build a Wall

August 18, 2024

August 18, 2024

Every once in a while, a topic arises that we had previously written about but doesn’t seem to go away....

SM.a.r.t Column: Sharks vs. Batteries – Part 5 of 5

August 11, 2024

August 11, 2024

This is the last SMart article in an expanding  5 part series about our City’s power, water, and food prospects....

SM.a.r.t Column: Your Home’s First Battery Is in Your Car

August 4, 2024

August 4, 2024

This is the fourth in a series of SM.a.r.t articles about food, water, and energy issues in Santa Monica. You...

SM.a.r.t Column: Food Water and Energy Part 3 of 4

July 28, 2024

July 28, 2024

Our previous two S.M.a,r,t, articles talked about the seismic risks to the City from getting its three survival essentials: food,...