TORRANCE — The League of Women Voters of the Beach Cities, Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro and Torrance area will be hosting a forum for candidates in the June 7 primary on Sunday, May 15, at Toyota Hall, Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Dr. in Torrance.
At 1 p.m., three candidates for the 66th Assembly District will speak. The incumbent is Republican David Hadley of Manhattan Beach, an independent small businessman. The Democratic challengers are Deputy Attorney General Al Muratsuchi of Torrance and retail manager Mike Madrigal of Torrance.
Muratsuchi is seeking to regain the seat that he lost two years ago. The race is also considered a top priority by the State Assembly leadership to add a Democratic seat.
At 2 p.m., four candidates for the 35th Senate District seat will speak: Three Democrats, small business owner Steven Bradford of Gardena, businessman/educator Warren Furutani of Wilmington, and councilman/auxiliary fireman Isaac Galvan of Compton; and one Republican, special education teacher Charlotte Ann Svolos of Torrance.
Both Bradford and Furutani are former members of the State Assembly. Bradford also served on the Gardena City Council and Furutani also served on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education and the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees.
The Democratic incumbent, Isadore Hall, is not running for re-election and instead is running for Congress.
At 3 p.m., 10 candidates for the 44th Congressional District will speak: Hall and six other Democrats, children’s advocate/attorney Nanette Diaz Barragan of San Pedro, Martha Delgadillo of South Gate, Los Angeles County maintenance worker Morris Griffin of Inglewood, lawyer Marcus Musante of Compton, business owner Sylvia Ortiz of Lynwood, and community volunteer Armando Sotomayor of Carson; two Republicans, clerk/carpenter Christopher Castillo of Wilmington and small business owner Ronald Siegel of Manhattan Beach; and Michael Mauricio of Downey (no party preference).
The Democratic incumbent, Rep. Janice Hahn, is not seeking re-election and is running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
The top two finishers in each primary race, regardless of party, will advance to the fall general election.
Members of the audience will be submitting written questions on cards to be read out loud by the moderator.
The League of Women Voters has requested that attendees refrain from displaying campaign materials in support of their chosen candidates until after the forum has concluded.