As expected, the Gardena Municipal Election on March 5 should be interesting with so many races, one vacant council seat and another open seat for the City Clerk’s seat.
Mayor Paul Tanaka will seek his third term, but not without a fight from Council Woman Rachel Johnson. Johnson is in the middle of her council term, so even if she loses to Tanaka, she will retain her council seat.
As expected, the Gardena Municipal Election on March 5 should be interesting with so many races, one vacant council seat and another open seat for the City Clerk’s seat.
Mayor Paul Tanaka will seek his third term, but not without a fight from Council Woman Rachel Johnson. Johnson is in the middle of her council term, so even if she loses to Tanaka, she will retain her council seat.
Three-term Councilman Ron Ikejiri is termed out and his seat will be hotly contested by both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Council appointee Tasha Cerda will seek her first election for the position. She won the City Clerk’s position in 2009, then was appointed to the council after Steve Bradford vacated the seat to claim the state assembly position.
Former Gardena Mayor Terrence Terauchi has thrown his ring into the pot by challenging for a council seat. He will be joined as a challenger by former Gardena police lieutenant Rod Tanaka. Tanaka is a pastor and exalted ruler of the Gardena Elks Lodge 1919.
Two lesser known challengers for council are Mark Henderson, chairman of the City’s Planning and Environmental Quality Commission, and Kathleen Evans.
Treasurer Ingrid Tsukiyama will run unopposed.
Because City Clerk Maria Marquez-Brookes chose not to seek re-election, the filing deadline for her seat has been extended to Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. There were no candidates for the clerk’s seat as of Friday.
Brookes has served two clerk terms by appointment.
