Isadore Corridor, a former state legislator and Compton Metropolis Council member, launched a marketing campaign Monday to problem Los Angeles Metropolis Controller Kenneth Mejia.
Mejia, a younger leftist who electrified the usually staid race for controller in 2022, introduced his personal reelection bid earlier this month.
Corridor, who’s backed by a slew of distinguished endorsers, argues that Mejia has been extra centered on “social media theatrics” than defending tax {dollars}.
He mentioned he would convey widespread sense management and accountability, citing his prolonged monitor document in elected workplace and grasp’s levels in administration and public administration, in addition to expertise hunting down authorities waste and fraud in Compton.
Corridor, who moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and represented elements of town in each the Meeting and the state Senate, mentioned he launched his bid after being requested by “some elected officers,” together with a number of pastors and labor leaders, although he declined to offer specifics.
Corridor’s endorsements embody L.A. County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, L.A. Metropolis Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, California Treasurer Fiona Ma, Insurance coverage Commissioner Ricardo Lara and 5 state legislators. If elected, Corridor can be town’s first Black controller; Mejia, who’s Filipino American, beforehand made historical past as the primary Asian American elected to citywide workplace in L.A.
“It’s one factor to be an incredible finance particular person or an auditor or an individual who understands numbers … however you additionally should have a temperament. You even have to know the significance of governance,” Corridor mentioned, arguing that Mejia’s workplace is poorly managed and lacks good communication with metropolis division heads and different native leaders.
Mejia has sought to demystify town’s complicated finances course of and funds with frequent social media movies. His workplace has audited the Los Angeles Police Division’s use of helicopters, homeless shelter mattress information and the implementation of an anti-tenant harassment ordinance, amongst different subjects.
It’s nonetheless unclear whether or not different candidates will enter the race for controller — a coveted function that’s one among three citywide workplaces, together with mayor and metropolis legal professional.
L.A. Metropolis Councilmember Monica Rodriguez has been rumored to doubtlessly be all for a bid for both mayor or controller, although she declined to debate her plans with The Occasions final week.
Corridor and Mejia characterize vastly completely different flanks of the Democratic Celebration, and the approaching race will virtually definitely pit L.A. institution politics in opposition to town’s ascendant left.
Three years in the past, regardless of being closely outspent, Mejia made political mincemeat of Paul Koretz, who had held elected workplace since earlier than he was born. Younger voters who had been beforehand unaware that L.A. even had a controller had been galvanized by Mejia’s unorthodox marketing campaign, which directed an unprecedented highlight towards L.A.’s chief accounting officer, auditor and paymaster.
Mejia’s profitable marketing campaign coincided with a second the place religion in L.A. Metropolis Corridor was at a nadir amid quite a few felony scandals and an explosive leaked recording of some Metropolis Council members frankly discussing politics in typically racist phrases. The query in 2026 will likely be whether or not the civic pendulum has shifted and if the phrase “veteran politician” nonetheless doubles as an efficient slur. Mejia may also now be working because the incumbent somewhat than an outsider.
Corridor, 52, has spent roughly 15 years in elected workplace, starting with the Compton faculty board in his mid-20s.
Like Mejia, who’s now 34, Corridor discovered success in politics comparatively younger. However his profession ascended the old style means — via incrementally larger workplaces and with the help of the pastors, labor and neighborhood teams who’ve lengthy powered the Democratic political machine in South L.A. and surrounding cities.
After dropping a hard-fought bid for Congress in 2016, Corridor was appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Agricultural and Labor Relations Board. Corridor was initially seen as a shoo-in victor throughout his congressional marketing campaign, however underdog challenger Nanette Barragán succeeded, partly, by hammering him on his ties to particular pursuits within the oil, alcohol and tobacco industries, based on prior Occasions reporting.
Mejia first made his title with unsuccessful runs for Congress as a Inexperienced Celebration candidate. He discovered his stride and exploded as a political pied piper of kinds through the 2022 election, the place his energetic TikTok movies, sharp billboards and occasional dances in a Pikachu costume helped gas the vitality of the second.
Makes an attempt by critics to color Mejia in 2022 as too “excessive” due to his anti-police positions and previous bombastic tweets largely fell flat.
He confronted some rising pains in Metropolis Corridor, together with early workers turmoil inside his workplace, however he has largely been a quieter presence than many anticipated.
Because the race heats up, Mejia will virtually definitely assault Corridor for quite a lot of controversies involving marketing campaign finance.
Throughout his 2014 marketing campaign for state Senate, rivals attacked Corridor for his use of marketing campaign funds to pay for costly dinners, limousine leases, luxurious suites at concert events and journeys — bills he defended as official marketing campaign prices.
In his 2016 congressional run, he was accused of illegally spending basic election funds through the main. A Federal Election Fee audit confirmed some misuse however took no enforcement motion.
Corridor mentioned final week that he hadn’t been an knowledgeable within the complicated guidelines of congressional marketing campaign finance however held his accountant accountable for the error and realized from the expertise.
