{"id":301306,"date":"2026-05-05T20:03:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T20:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/301306\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T20:03:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T20:03:07","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-race-for-long-beach-mayor-nbc-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/301306\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the race for Long Beach mayor \u2013 NBC Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ballots are now arriving in mailboxes for Long Beach<\/a>‘s mayoral primary, launching a closely watched race in the second-largest city in Los Angeles County.<\/p>\n

Six candidates, including incumbent Mayor Rex Richardson, are competing at a time when the city faces mounting challenges: a projected $60 million budget deficit, persistently high homelessness<\/a>, rising traffic deaths at their highest level in more than a decade, and growing debate over immigration enforcement and public safety<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NBCLA spoke with all six candidates about the biggest issues facing the city and where they believe Long Beach is headed.<\/p>\n

When asked whether the city is better off today than it was four years ago, five of the six candidates said no.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely not,\u201d said Joshua Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel like it\u2019s on the right track,\u201d said Terri Rivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so,\u201d said Lee Goldin.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, the city is not on the right track,\u201d said Oscar Cancio.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s gotten better,\u201d said Chris Sweeney.<\/p>\n

Mayor Rex Richardson offered a different perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe job is not finished, and there is much more work to do,\u201d Richardson said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs Long Beach on the right track? In this one-on-one interview, Oscar Cancio answers the questions voters are asking ahead of the Long Beach mayoral election\u2014covering the budget deficit, homelessness, public safety, and the future of the city. We asked every candidate the same direct questions to make it easy for you to compare where they stand.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs Long Beach on the right track? In this one-on-one interview, Lee Goldin answers the questions voters are asking ahead of the Long Beach mayoral election\u2014covering the budget deficit, homelessness, public safety, and the future of the city. We asked every candidate the same direct questions to make it easy for you to compare where they stand.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs Long Beach on the right track? In this one-on-one interview, Rex Richardson answers the questions voters are asking ahead of the Long Beach mayoral election\u2014covering the budget deficit, homelessness, public safety, and the future of the city. We asked every candidate the same direct questions to make it easy for you to compare where they stand.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs Long Beach on the right track? In this one-on-one interview, Terri Rivers answers the questions voters are asking ahead of the Long Beach mayoral election\u2014covering the budget deficit, homelessness, public safety, and the future of the city. We asked every candidate the same direct questions to make it easy for you to compare where they stand.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs Long Beach on the right track? In this one-on-one interview, Joshua Rodriguez answers the questions voters are asking ahead of the Long Beach mayoral election\u2014covering the budget deficit, homelessness, public safety, and the future of the city. We asked every candidate the same direct questions to make it easy for you to compare where they stand.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs Long Beach on the right track? In this one-on-one interview, Chris Sweeney answers the questions voters are asking ahead of the Long Beach mayoral election\u2014covering the budget deficit, homelessness, public safety, and the future of the city. We asked every candidate the same direct questions to make it easy for you to compare where they stand.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Homelessness and accountability<\/p>\n

Homelessness remains one of the most visible and persistent issues in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

Richardson pointed to progress during his administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cStreet-level homelessness has declined 17% since we got started,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, overall homelessness has fluctuated in recent years, declining slightly in 2024 before rising again the following year. The largest spike came in 2022 after pandemic-era gaps in data collection. The 2022 count was conducted before Richardson was elected.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Several challengers criticized the city\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the city, success is taking someone off the streets and putting them into a shelter, but then they\u2019re forgotten,\u201d said Chris Sweeney. \u201cIt\u2019s a repetitive cycle. We need reformative programs.”<\/p>\n

Other candidates called for expanded mental health and addiction services, while some pushed for stricter enforcement.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez proposed deploying the National Guard to assist outreach efforts and enforcing laws for those who refuse services.<\/p>\n

Following an audit examining tens of millions spent on homelessness programs<\/a> that forced the city to sever ties with its largest provider over\u00a0serious red flags regarding billing and whether services paid for were received, several candidates raised concerns about oversight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the accountability?\u201d Cancio asked.<\/p>\n

Multiple candidates said they lack confidence in current homelessness leadership, while Richardson defended his administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the utmost confidence that we are going to hold every single contractor accountable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Traffic deaths and public safety<\/p>\n

All six candidates acknowledged concern over rising traffic fatalities. Several called for increased enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet the officers do their jobs, enforce tickets,\u201d Sweeney said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need enforcement. People need to know there are consequences,\u201d Rodriguez added.<\/p>\n

Others emphasized infrastructure improvements.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong Beach has already reduced traffic speeds across our city,\u201d Richardson said, adding that future budgets will include additional safety enhancements.<\/p>\n

Goldin offered a simpler approach: \u201cThere\u2019s this old technology called speed bumps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Budget deficit forces tough choices<\/p>\n

The city is also facing a significant budget shortfall, estimated at around $60 million that was initially projected at $80 million.<\/p>\n

Candidates offered differing approaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cCut the fat,\u201d Sweeney said.<\/p>\n

Goldin emphasized efficiency without cutting jobs, while Rivers pointed to potential mismanagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really looking at where the mismanagement of the money is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Cancio said staff reductions may be necessary, while Rodriguez proposed cutting what he described as excess middle management.<\/p>\n

Richardson said he plans to introduce a balanced budget within 60 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure any cuts are not placed on the backs of working families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sharp divisions on immigration and ICE cooperation<\/p>\n

Candidates also outlined starkly different positions on immigration enforcement and whether Long Beach should cooperate with federal authorities like ICE.<\/p>\n

Mayor Rex Richardson defended the city\u2019s current approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs mayor, we have strengthened our Values Act policies\u2026 we don\u2019t collaborate with ICE, and we step up to support our local families,\u201d he said. \u201cFederal enforcement is a federal responsibility. Our responsibility in Long Beach is public safety for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joshua Rodriguez took a sharply different stance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone committed a crime and they\u2019re undocumented, we need to hand them over to ICE,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to rescind our sanctuary city policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oscar Cancio emphasized targeted enforcement but stopped short of full partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic safety needs to be for all residents\u2026 whether they are here with legal status or not,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to make sure enforcement is targeted and that we keep our streets safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terri Rivers focused on transparency with residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to protect the people,\u201d she said. \u201cLet the community know what\u2019s happening so they can be aware.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Sweeney focused on safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody deserves to feel safe\u2026 Should there be cooperation with ICE? Absolutely not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lee Goldin offered the most aggressive opposition to federal enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I was mayor, I would tell police to arrest ICE agents as domestic terrorists,\u201d he said, also suggesting penalties for businesses that cooperate with them.<\/p>\n

A defining moment for Long Beach<\/p>\n

As ballots reach voters, the race is highlighting clear contrasts in leadership style and policy priorities.<\/p>\n

The next mayor will face immediate decisions on budget cuts, homelessness strategy, public safety, and the city\u2019s relationship with federal immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n

For voters, the question now is which vision they trust to move Long Beach forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ballots are now arriving in mailboxes for Long Beach‘s mayoral primary, launching a closely watched race in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301307,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[38024,131,133,132,13],"class_list":["post-301306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-decision-2026","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}