LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl is retiring, and two Democrats are fighting for her seat: State Senator Bob Hertzberg and West Hollywood politician Lindsey Horvath. Both campaigns have pledged to solve the housing crisis, protect abortion rights, and deal with the impacts of climate change. But they have also each accused the other of being closet Republicans, and traded insults over anti-Semitism. Whoever wins the race will have a powerful job on the Board of Supervisors, representing more than 2 million people and controlling the county’s nearly $39 billion budget.
According to LA Times Metro reporter Andrew Campa, there are stark differences between Horvath and Hertzberg. He describes Horvath as a millennial who’s not afraid of taking tough stances, while Hertzberg has spent decades working as a politician who refers to himself as a dealmaker.
“Lindsey sees herself as a person of action … whilst Bob wants to take a couple of days to look at the issues to see what the best perspective is,” Campa says.
He points out that their biggest ideological split is on law enforcement. Horvath supports Measure A, which would give the LA County Board of Supervisors the authority to recall the sheriff. Hertzberg does not.
Campa says Horvath has been a big proponent of redirecting funding for the Sheriff’s Department. He points to this summer, when West Hollywood cut a deputy’s position and is working to hire 30 unarmed community ambassadors. Meanwhile, Hertzberg has made a concerted effort to keep it cordial with the Sheriff’s Department.
“Bob has said multiple times he doesn't see the point of pointing a finger in the eye of somebody he may have to work with. Whereas Lindsey Horvath believes these are the types of executive decisions that need to be made. This is what the next supervisor should be — somebody who's not afraid to call it like they see it.”