What\u2019s on the agenda for next term<\/p>\n
Long Beach\u2019s budget deficit, projected at over $60 million next year, will be a major topic for all councilmembers, who will have to decide on potential cuts.<\/p>\n
Homelessness continues to be a major issue, with frequent discussion about encampments along the Los Angeles River, in Lincoln Park and around the Billie Jean King Main Library.<\/p>\n
Olympic preparation, including several events in the downtown area, also will undoubtedly be on the agenda.<\/p>\n
What it takes to win<\/p>\n
Any candidate who earns more than 50% of the vote in the June 2 Primary wins outright. If not, the top two vote-getters advance to a general election Nov. 3.<\/p>\n
The candidates for Long Beach City Council District 3<\/p>\n
About LAist’s voter guides<\/p>\n
When information is missing<\/p>\n
Some candidates did not reply to our requests for images. Some did not have a campaign website and\/or list of endorsements available online at the time of publication. We will update this guide as more candidate information becomes available.<\/p>\n
Kristina Duggan, incumbent<\/p>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777519094_418_.jpeg\")
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Kristina Duggan<\/p>\n
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Courtesy Kristina Duggan<\/p>\n
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Kristina Duggan was born in Long Beach and went to college at U.C. Riverside, graduating with a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology. In addition to serving as a councilmember, Duggan co-owns a psychological healthcare practice, Dr. Duggan & Associates. She\u2019s held multiple positions within the Long Beach Rowing Association and said she recently traveled to the Olympics in Paris and Milan in order to better prepare for Long Beach\u2019s upcoming hosting duties.<\/p>\n
In her own words<\/p>\n
Duggan said that one of the initiatives she\u2019s most proud of is called \u201cLights, Camera, No Action.\u201d It was rolled out for District 3 in 2024 and involved offering reimbursements for residents who installed public-facing cameras or lights on their property. Footage from the cameras was made accessible to the LBPD, and the lights illuminated alleyways or front yards to improve public safety. Duggan said the program resulted in 70 new locations with lights or cameras, and now the program may be rolled out citywide.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s a great program because people get paid back for installing a safety feature that helps the public and helps the police if there\u2019s issues,\u201d Duggan said.<\/p>\n
Duggan said public safety, reducing homelessness and strengthening infrastructure are priorities \u2014 but the reality of Long Beach\u2019s budget deficit will require them to go \u201cback to the basics.\u201d This means looking at infrastructural projects that have been approved without allocated funds and figuring out how to prioritize them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s so important when we have potholes, untrimmed trees, crumbling curbs and sidewalks,\u201d she said. \u201cThat needs to be our focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition, Duggan said her district contains the most tidelands area, and it\u2019s her district\u2019s responsibility to pay for the upkeep. That is an uphill battle with a rising sea level, deteriorating infrastructure and increasing pollution. The tideland fund is paid for in large part by oil revenue, but it\u2019s not enough. That\u2019s why, Duggan said, she introduced an initiative last year that would help the city retain more of the oil revenue. If not, there will be a ripple effect, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going to happen is we\u2019re going to have to backfill money to the tidelands with the general fund,\u201d Duggan said. \u201cAnd the general fund, that\u2019s what funds things for central, north [and] west Long Beach.\u201d<\/p>\n
More voter resources:<\/p>\n
Website: KristinaDuggan.com<\/a>Endorsements: Long Beach Police Officers Association, Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.Full endorsements list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Go deeper:\u00a0<\/p>\n Brian Cochrane, freelance journalist<\/p>\n Cochrane is a journalist and writer, who spent his early days as a reporter working for the Long Beach Press-Telegram.<\/a> He went on to spend the bulk of his career at Variety and as an editor for pharmaceutical company Allergan. Cochrane is currently on the board of the Belmont Shore Residents Association<\/a>, which he said has helped provide insight to the overarching issues facing his district.<\/p>\n Cochrane said that overall, Long Beach\u2019s city structure needs to be more dynamic and responsive to the needs of its residents. \u201cThey care about their neighbors and their community,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the efforts to get something done seem onerous to people so often, and it seems like [residents] have to do extra work to even get an answer, let alone a solution to something.\u201d<\/p>\n In his own words<\/p>\n Central issues in his district include violence, traffic congestion, property damage and quality of life nuisances stemming from the nightlife on Second Street, said Cochrane. The current enforcement system isn\u2019t working, he said, and assigning additional police officers may not be an option \u2014 or even the most effective solution. So Cochrane said that he, along with the Belmont Shore Residents Association, researched how other jurisdictions in California approach alcohol enforcement and assembled a policy document that outlines alternative solutions. One possibility, Cochrane said, is privately funded staff or security that\u2019s paid for by fees that come from the local restaurants and bars.<\/p>\n Besides law enforcement, most city services operate under standard 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. working hours, Cochrane said. And that makes it difficult for residents to get help in the evening or off-hours with homelessness or business curfew issues.<\/p>\n \u201cSo much of our city centers around [a] process that is kind of set by city people telling the community what it\u2019s supposed to do. \u2026 I want to reverse that equation to the best extent possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why, if elected, Cochrane said he\u2019d host hyper-local town halls to meet with neighborhood associations and even specific residential blocks to brainstorm solutions that could be taken to the City Council.<\/p>\n More voter resources:<\/p>\n Go deeper:\u00a0<\/p>\n Rebecca Hinderer, small-business owner<\/p>\n A Long Beach resident since 2010, Hinderer says she\u2019s worked as a bartender, general manager and, as of December 2020, restaurant owner of Let\u2019s Yolk About It<\/a>. That gave her a front-row seat to the inner workings of Long Beach city government as she secured a liquor license, all while walking a financial tightrope to keep up with rent and insurance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great insight to what my grit is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In her own words<\/p>\n Hinderer said her experience of building a small business, as well as working as a consultant, have helped her create a road map of ways to improve the city\u2019s permitting process. She said increased transparency is a huge first step, such as creating government portals that could show wait times for permits, and making building and health codes less complex and more accessible.<\/p>\n Hinderer said small businesses pay a high sales tax to the city, so helping keep these stores and restaurants open is a win-win.<\/p>\n Hinderer said she\u2019d like to see this same approach to transparency when it comes to homelessness. If the general public could see online where beds were available and for how long, that could be a meaningful starting point to help get unhoused people off the street.<\/p>\n Overall public safety is a top priority, Hinderer said. She said the city has an \u201calarming\u201d shortage of police officers. Her district\u2019s thoroughfares, such as on Second Street, see thousands of people out in the evenings, she said. But when there are fights or disruptions to residents, it seems there are \u201czero\u201d police officers to be found, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019ve worked in this area for 20 years,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s never been the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Hinderer said she wants more officers on scene in the busiest parts of the city when they\u2019re most-needed \u2014 from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. She also wants to see more unarmed officers, privatized security or even trained local residents to fill in the gaps, particularly when it comes to assistance for the unhoused.<\/p>\n More voter resources:<\/p>\n Website: BecksforLB.com<\/a>Endorsements: Former District 3 Councilmember Suzie PriceFull endorsements list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Go deeper:\u00a0<\/p>\n Ronald Sampson, activist\/design engineer<\/p>\n Ronald Sampson<\/p>\n (<\/p>\n Courtesy Ronald Sampson<\/p>\n )<\/p>\n Sampson is a full-time community activist. He said he\u2019s a former member of Local 78 and most recently oversaw engineering fabrication for an HVAC and plumbing company. Sampson describes himself on Instagram as a \u201cMan of God, Loving Father Who Is Promoting Unity & Optimism for the City of Long Beach.\u201d In 2025, he submitted a request for proposal for Long Beach to open its own recycling center to process aluminum cans, scrap metal and used electronics. Sampson said a portion of the profits generated could then be donated to economically disadvantaged children and families in Long Beach Unified School District.<\/p>\n His initiative ultimately was denied, but Sampson said he continues to push for change.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot afford for people to keep choosing familiarity over common sense,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In his own words<\/p>\n Sampson said the No. 1 issue in Long Beach is public safety. He said there needs to be an equitable distribution of resources because currently, only certain portions of his district have needed safety infrastructure such as street lights and crosswalks. Sampson said he\u2019d also push for more motorcycle police officers to better manage traffic and improve pedestrian safety.<\/p>\n \u201cIt should always be public safety over profit,\u201d he said. \u201cIt seems the current \u2026 city leaders are putting profit over public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n On the northern side of District 3, the city has been turning old motels into homeless shelters, Sampson said. But they also need to be providing support services for the people living there, such as partnering with local trade unions to enroll them in training and provide employment opportunities. As an example of a potential collaboration, Sampson cited a program in Willowbrook, where a high school partnered with a hospital across the street to establish a type of internship program for students.<\/p>\n This would also help move residents toward higher-paying local jobs, Sampson said. Because as of now, only 12% of people who live in Long Beach actually work in the city. In addition, 65% of all residents are \u201ccost-burdened\u201d \u2014 meaning they have to spend one-third or more of their income on rent.<\/p>\n More voter resources:<\/p>\n Campaign finance<\/p>\n No outside spending as of last reporting date<\/p>\n Independent or outside committees can raise and spend without limits \u2014 but they’re barred from coordinating with a candidate. A chart will appear above when any outside committees have spent money to support or oppose a candidate in this race. Updated every Tuesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n How to get involved<\/p>\n How to get involved with the Long Beach City Council<\/p>\n The Long Beach City Council meets most Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the Civic Chambers at 411 W. Ocean Blvd. You can attend in person or watch online here<\/a>, as well as on the city\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>. You can find the meeting agendas here<\/a>.In order to give public comment, residents must sign up with the city clerk, located on the left side of the room in front of the council dais. If you can\u2019t attend the meeting, you can still leave a public comment online. Here\u2019s more information<\/a> on how to do that.The public comment period for non-agenda items typically happens toward the start of the meeting, but there\u2019s also an opportunity to give public comment for each item on the regular agenda. If there are too many speakers on non-agenda items, be prepared to wait until almost the end of the meeting, which can last hours.If you want to contact your City Council member or other local elected officials directly, you can find their contact information here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What\u2019s at stake in this race The City Council is Long Beach\u2019s main legislative body. 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