The Socialist Workers Party opened its ballot effort here the day after successfully concluding a similar campaign in New York, where 20,000 people signed nominating petitions in 12 days to put the socialist slate on the ballot (see article above). Several volunteers who helped out in the New York campaign headed for Los Angeles to aid the SWP campaign there.

The special election here was called after Antonio Villaraigosa—a Democrat who held the City Council District 14 seat—was elected mayor of Los Angeles in May. The SWP ran Wendy Lyons, a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers and a meat packer, for mayor.

Newberry campaigned today in Boyle Heights, a working-class and largely Latino neighborhood included in District 14. The densely populated area of some 90,000 people has an unemployment rate of 14 percent. In the past year, hundreds of Boyle Heights residents have been evicted from their homes in face of soaring rents.

The socialist campaigners have taken a goal of collecting 1,000 signatures to put Newberry on the ballot. The city requires 500 registered voters who reside in the district sign nominating petitions. The last day for filing is August 11. “Many were glad to see someone running with a working-class program, someone who is for unions and opposes the twin parties of capitalism—the Democrats and Republicans,” Newberry said.

A former meat packer, whose plant was shut down, said he couldn’t sign because he was on parole, but was happy to hear a candidate speaking for mobilizing union power to resist the bosses’ attacks on wages and job conditions.
 
 
Related article:
N.Y.: 20,000 sign to put socialist ticket on ballot  
 
 
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