Politics & Government
Early Interviews Reveal a Tight Race—With an Edge For José Huizar
Nearly 60 percent of voters exiting from one polling station in Eagle Rock say they voted for the incumbent Councilmember.
Traffic on the major boulevards in Eagle Rock this election morning was relatively thin—but a steady stream of voters visited the polling station at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Merton Avenue, where a Patch exit poll of 22 voters revealed that 57 percent of them voted for incumbent .
Local mom Katie Taylor described Huizar as “the first councilman who has had a real presence in our community," explaining why she voted for him. Taylor referred to his work with TERA (The Eagle Rock Association) and the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. Martinez, she said, just "doesn't match up."
Celia Alger, another local mom in support of Huizar, said that Huizar was "very responsive" when a firearm shooting incident once occurred on her street. Marlon Lagante, a nurse who lives in Eagle Rock, said that Huizar has offered the community "a lot of improvement," noting his work with the Eagle Rock Music Festival and last year's Fourth of July celebrations. “We used to go to Torrance to watch the fireworks—now we don’t have to,” he said.
Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
For some residents, the choice of who to vote for in the City Council elections was more about being anti-Martinez than pro-Huizar. Eagle Rock writer Matt Gunn explained that he was "really turned off" by Martinez's campaign, which included a string of corruption allegations against Huizar. Martinez's mailers, which alleged that Huizar’s financial details were being investigated by the FBI, were McCarthy-esque, Gunn said.
Further, in his campaign, Martinez consistently referred to himself as a businessman, which, said Gunn, is tantamount to the candidate declaring, "I'm rich." That alone disqualifies Martinez for City Council, Gunn said.
Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The 43 percent of Eagle Rockers who did vote for Martinez were almost unanimous in their support for what retired resident Margaret Soto called "fresh blood." Mia Barry, a local real estate broker, described Martinez as "very approachable"—in sharp contrast, she said, to Huizar, who is "rude."
Jennifer Trotoux, an architectural historian, said she voted for Martinez because she thinks he will be "an advocate for the neighborhood."
