Kuehl Wins, Makes History as First Openly Gay L.A. County Supervisor

As Election Night sped along at a snails pace, some supporters of former California legislator Sheila Kuehl attending her victory party were worried: the vote count was closer than expected. But …

By Karen Ocamb

November 5, 2014 :: 9:32 AM

As Election Night sped along at a snails pace, some supporters of former California legislator Sheila Kuehl attending her victory party were worried: the vote count was closer than expected. But by Wednesday morning, with 100% of the precincts counted, Kuehl bested former Santa Monica City Councilmember Bobby Shriver by more than 12,000 votes—and making history by becoming the first openly gay person elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

With 100% of the precincts counted, Kuehl secured 52.78% of the vote (114,348), to Shriver’s 47.22% (102,319) and will represent the Third District that stretches from Malibu to the northern San Fernando Valley. Retiring boardmember Zev Yaroslavsky has represented the district for more than 20 years.

Kuehl’s Election Night party at The Victorian in Santa Monica was bustling with supporters, including members of Congress such as retiring Rep. Henry Waxman, and members of the LA City Council, as well as Kuehl’s former buddies from Dorsey High School and UCLA.

Most of the party-goers were celebrating what they expected to be Kuehl’s victory and were less aware of the Republican sweep of the Senate and other races around the country. But Kuehl first history-making victory was in 1994, when Republican conservative Newt Gingrich led the “Republican revolution” that took the House gavel away from Democrats in Congress. That election night, Kuehl offered some solace to California progressive voters, noting that she, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer were also elected to office.

In an interview in between hugs from well-wishers, Kuehl said told me it was “difficult” to assess the current national situation but she remembered 1994 and her caution to Republicans about over-reaching:

In ‘94 when I was elected, it was a new kind of Republican that came into the Assembly. One of the first things that I said was: they better watch out for ’96 because they over-reached so much. I would have thought that they had already over-reached, a lot.

But you know the rest of the country doesn’t react the same way California, does, obviously. California is more of a blue state, more of a progressive state. And LA County, in particular. People who’ve been here tonight already—[Rep.] Karen Bass, [City Councilmembers] Mike Bonin, Nury Martinez, [City Attorney] Mike Feuer and [Rep.] Henry Waxman— all came to the party. I looked at those people and I said, ‘This is a very special place.’ And I think we have an opportunity, at least to protect this third of the state— much of the rest of California I think has done very well, as well.

 

Given the conservative Republican sweep, does California, LA County, have an obligation to model good progressive governance to the rest of the nation? Kuehl said:

Well, when you’re looking at issues—people look at issues and try to understand something like the minimum wage. If they noticed that all the Republicans were not in favor of raising the minimum wage—-but somehow people don’t seem to connect these things. They listen to the Republicans talk about fiscal responsibility, keeping the nation strong— all of the themes that they’ve used. And I think they believed them for candidates but their hearts sometimes go for other issues.

In California, it’s different and we do have an obligation to try to show how a progressive government can succeed. And of course, California has succeeded. And the county of LA, which is as big as the state of Ohio, has a balanced budget, it has a good fiscal reserve, it’s funded its pensions. You know, we’re doing pretty well – and there’s a progressive majority.

Kuehl talked often during the campaign and debates about how foster kids are a top priority. Kuehl, who was an vigorous champion for LGBT youth while in the state legislature, is well aware of the recent report by the LA LGBT Center showing the disparities for LGBT youth in the foster care system.  Of the approximately 7,400 youth ages 12-21 in the system in any given month, 19.1% or roughly 1,400 identify as LGBTQ. I asked her what she would say to those kids indicating that help might be around the corner. Kuehl:

Well, first thing is somebody who understands that they’re there. When you see the number of LGBT kids in the foster care system—people are stunned. They had no idea that the percentage was so high, compared to their percentage in the population. And I think that’s the first thing – I’m very aware of our kids: how different it is, in many ways, in the foster care system; how homophobic the system has been in the department itself. And it’s difficult to turn that ship around.

They’ve never had an openly gay supervisor and I think that brings a different kind of awareness and a different kind of insistance that we must be aware.

And it’s not just our kids. We have issues in the healthcare system; we have issues in the mental health system; we have issues in the courts. It’s probably just transportation that we don’t have an issue. Like everybody can take a train and they’re not discriminating against us—good.

I noted that former Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell had been overwhelming elected as the new LA Sheriff. Given McDonald’s previous reputation with the LGBT community when he was with the LAPD, would Kuehl talk with him about diversionary programs to help LGBT youth who are busted for truancy or other misdemeanors likely related to homophobia. Kuehl, who’s a lawyer, said:

Of course I would want to talk to the new Sheriff about how we might better handle a new approach. It’s interesting—diversion is what defendants agree to instead of being convicted and having a conviction on their record. There’s also an issue about people who are convicted not being incarcerated but rather being “sentenced” to treatment. That’s after you’re convicted. That’s not diversion, that’s different.

And then the third thing is the juvenile justice system, which has to do with our camps. The new camp that is being built on the Missouri model— more intensely personal—is being built in the Third District, it’s in Malibu. So I’m very proud of that and I think we’re going to try to set an example for the whole system.