Torrance voters in City Council Districts 2, 4 and 6 will get to decide who represents themfor the next four years during the March 5 election.
Vote-by-mail ballots have already gone out and Los Angeles County’s Vote Centers open on Feb. 24.
While debates over the Metro C Line extension to Torrance, airport noise and housing affordability persist in the city, public safety was the top concern for many residents, according to recent interviews with the candidates for the three council seats.
Here is a roundup of each district race.
District 2
In District 2, located in western part of the city, Councilmember Bridgett Lewis is up against Andrew Lee, an educator and a health care director.
Lewis, 50, was appointed to the City Council in 2022 to complete the term of George Chen, who assumed the role of mayor at the time. With a background in public safety and homeland security, Lewis began her public service journey with the Torrance Police Department in 2005. She currently serves as manager of Homeland Security at the Port of Long Beach.
“I’m running because I believe in the power of community and the potential for positive change,” Lewis said. “I am a dedicated Torrance City Council member and proven leader who addresses critical issues that matter most to Torrance residents.”
Lewis highlighted her governing experience, emphasizing public safety, financial stability, homelessness solutions and business growth.
If reelected, she would make sure the police get “everything that they need” to continue providing their “top-notch” service to the community, including returning to normal staffing levels, Lewis said.
Lewis had around $12,970 on hand for the period ending Jan. 20, according to campaign finance documents.
Lee, meanwhile, graduated from South High School and has a doctorate degree in psychology. His family has called Torrance home for more than 40 years. His decision to run stems from the perception among many in District 2 that their concerns are being overlooked, Lee said. He aims to be their advocate and give back to the community.
If elected, Lee’s priorities would include enhancing public safety through strengthening the Torrance Police Department and adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness, which encompasses tackling mental health, substance abuse and housing issues.
Lee also said he plans to support small businesses by regulating fees and curbing excessive taxes, while also addressing infrastructure needs.
“We need to increase revenues to meet the challenges of a growing city,” Lee said, “and to ensure we have the necessary funds for street repairs and to provide the excellent fire and police services we presently enjoy.”.
He had around $7,527 on hand.
Both Lee and Lewis said they support the Metro C Line extension to Torrance, and that there’s no need for an independent civilian oversight commission to monitor the Police Department, since existing mechanisms, such as the Chief Advisory Board, are working well.
District 4
In District 4, an area in the east of town, Councilmember Sharon Kalani is running for reelection against Kousha Modanlou, a certified public accountant and educator.
Kalani, 65, was elected to the council in March 2020. She is an advisor at Green Hills Memorial Park. She also had more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry, holding various executive roles.
Kalani said she had “a very in-depth knowledge” of the needs of the people, touting her relationships with various organizations in the city. That’s why she ran successfully for election four years ago, she said.
“I really pride myself in being kind of a voice of reason and someone that’s very research and solution based in their decision making,” Kalani said. “And I want to be responsible in my leadership. I want to make Torrance better.”
Kalani said she will listen to the needs of people and businesses if she’s reelected. She had around $7,730 on hand.
For Modanlou, this would be his first time holding public office, if elected.
Modanlou, 26, a UC Berkeley graduate who grew up in Torrance, said he is running because he wants to transform the Torrance Refinery “into a hub for renewable and sustainable energy”. He also wants to tackle homelessness and improve the educational experiences of students, among other priorities, though the latter responsibility is largely the purview of Torrance Unified School District.
Modanlou was a junior at Torrance High School when the refinery exploded in February 2015. But he felt the city’s response to that incident “was very minimal thereafter in the years that ensued,” Modanlou said.
“I want to make sure that we don’t just sit back, I believe, as the opportunity for another emergency situation like that emerges,” Modanlou said, “without us having done something substantial to reduce potential harm.”
If elected, Modanlou wants to halt the further use of manufactured hydrofluoric acid, though refinery officials have long said MHF is safe, there aren’t readily available alternatives and it would be too expensive to replace their entire system.
Modanlou has reported $0 in contributions.
Both Kalani and Modanlou support Metro C Line’s extension to Torrance, but differ an independent police oversight commission.
Kalani said she doesn’t felt the need for such a panel, while Modanlou expressed support for a commission primarily composed of community members.
District 6
District 6, an area in the south of the city, includes the municipal airport and Torrance Memorial Medical Center.
Three candidates are vying to fill the seat vacated by termed-out Councilmember Mike Griffiths: Jeremy Gerson, a member of the Torrance Unified School District’s Board of Education; Jack Walser, a local business person and a former appointed councilmember; and Planning Commissioner Tony Yeh.
Gerson, 49, has served six years on the Board of Education, including one year as the panel’s president. He has also been an elected member of the California School Boards Association Delegate Assembly since 2020.
Gerson, who was raised in Torrance, outlined his priorities as maintaining robust public safety, delivering excellent city services, bolstering the city’s financial reserves, tackling homelessness and enhancing sustainability.
If elected, Gerson also aims to foster a more collaborative culture within the City Council to better serve Torrance residents.
“I think the public can look to our school board,” Gerson said, “and see how respectful debate and compromise and how working together has really helped us find solutions to really big problems.”
He had $23,915 in hand.
Walser, 78, a local business person for several decades, was appointed to serve one year on the Torrance City Council in 2021 when former councilmember and current City Treasurer Tim Goodrich resigned. Walser also served on council committees such as Citizen Development and Enrichment, Community Planning and Design, and Transportation.
“I think from my standpoint,” Walser said, “is the fact that I have far more experience in both the city and business than anyone that’s running against me.”
Walser highlighted priorities such as implementing homeless reduction and rehabilitation programs, fighting for local control, creating a balanced airport environment, backing the police and fire departments, supporting existing businesses while also promoting new ones, continuing cultural enrichment programs, and preserving hometown atmosphere.
Walser had around $1,230 on hand.
Yeh, 46, who’s a Realtor by trade, has been on the Planning Commission since 2022. He also previously held a position as a library commissioner for Torrance.
Yeh, who has lived in the city for more than 33 years, said his candidacy is driven by his passion for Torrance and his desire to shape a brighter future for his kids.
Yeh has identified three issues he aims to address: enhancing public safety, improving the local economy and pushing back on overdevelopment.
“People feel safe. People love the city. That’s why they will come to Torrance,” he said. “Without our police and fire, everything else is scary.”
Yeh had around $8,151 on hand.
Both Gerson and Walser said they support the Metro C Line extension to Torrance, while Yeh said he is concerned that it will bring riders who are homeless to the city and that the city doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to support it at the moment.
None of the three candidates expressed support for a civilian police oversight commission.
As for the airport noise, which has been a big concern to a lot of residents in the district, all three candidates said they are hopeful that all sides can come to a workable solution, and that they are against closing the airport.
2024 presidential primary election
Election day: March 5, 2024. Polls close at 8 p.m.
Early voting: You can vote at the Los Angeles County registrar’s office beginning Monday, Feb. 5. The registrar’s headquarters are at 12400 Imperial Highway, Room 3002, in Norwalk. That office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Vote-by-mail: Ballots began going out on Thursday, Feb. 1. You can submit VBMs in three ways: By mailing them to the registrar’s office (VBMs include return envelopes with the correct address and postage already included); by placing them in an official drop box; or by dropping them off at any county Vote Center.
VBM deadline: VBMs sent via mail must arrive no later than seven days after the election, but they must be postmarked by March 5. The deadline to place VBMs in a drop box or deliver them to a Vote Center is 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Vote Centers: Vote Centers open 10 days before Election Day. This year, that’s Saturday, Feb. 24. You can vote at any Vote Center in Los Angeles County. Prior to Election Day, the Vote Centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day, they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
About the ballots: In California, the order races are listed on ballots goes from local to federal, meaning the nominees for president will be listed at the bottom. Except for presidential races, California’s primaries for “partisan” offices – now known as “voter-nominated offices” have a top-two system. That means the top two vote getters in a given race advance to the general election, regardless of political party.
To find a drop box or Vote Center and for more information: lavote.gov.