By Toni Miles
Elections are critical in shaping the future of the community, making decisions on key issues like infrastructure, education, public safety and economic development; and, on April 1, Long Beach voters will be casting their ballots in the municipal primary, which will determine the candidates who will make it to the municipal election ballot on June 3, 2025. The qualifying deadline for candidates was January 31, 2025. All qualified candidates are Republicans; no Democrats are running for any of the municipal positions.
A new mayor for the City of Long Beach will be elected this year, as current two-term mayor George Bass announced recently he will not be seeking re-election. Candidates who qualified for the mayor’s race include Raymond DeFlavis, Larus “Wheelchair Larry” Gunnarsson, former Alderman and Long Beach School BOard President Tim Pierce, and Glen Powell. As all are Republican, after the April primary, one of the four will move on to the June 3 ballot unopposed. Therefore, the winner of the April Republican primary will be Long Beach’s next mayor.
Aldermen for each ward will also be elected. Three of the incumbent aldermen -Alderman-at-Large Donald Frazer, Ward 1 Alderman Patrick Bennett and Ward 6 Alderman Peter “Pete” McGoey III – are unopposed.
Incumbent Ward 2 Alderman Bernie D. Parker will face Jesse Allen in the Republican primary.
Incumbent Ward 3 Alderman Angie Johnson will run against two opponents in the Republican primary, Erika Long and Joseph “Joey” Giuffria.
Incumbent Ward 4 Alderman Timothy McCaffrey will be in the Republican primary against Thomas “Skip” Elsworth.
Ward 5 Aldermen Mike Brown did not seek qualification for the upcoming election. Four Republican contenders will face one another in the primary for the Ward 5 position: Greg Bonds, Clifford Yeoman, Mike Bohlke and Barbara D. Kimball.
While they will still appear on the June 3 ballot and will not take office until July 1, 2025, the Republican primary victors on April 1 and those candidates who are unopposed will be the next slate of City officials for Long Beach.
