Scott Crichton (#32 on the ballot)

Hi, I’m Scott Crichton, and I would like to represent you as a delegate to the state Democratic party. I live in Culver City with my wife, son, and our three rescue dogs, and I work as an installer of audio-visual systems with a small family-owned company. I have been active in Democratic politics in my spare time for several years, knocking on doors for candidates like Mayor Karen Bass, LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, and Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, and hosting fundraisers for candidates such as Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-2) and Christy Smith. I am a member of the Heart of LA Democratic Club and the Stonewall Democratic Club. 


I believe in an inclusive Democratic Party that welcomes everyone who is interested in getting involved, and reflects the interests and needs of the average voter – not just well-connected insiders. I am running to bring that grassroots perspective to the party, and I am excited to get to work!

 Kimberley Griffin (#16 on the ballot)

A native Angeleno, Kimberley Griffin grew up in Winsor Hills/View Park and currently is a Culver City resident.
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Kimberley had a 20-year career in law enforcement. During her time there, she was directly involved in programs focused on providing an alternative to incarceration. Her law enforcement experience lead her to the current career of the executive protection of high profile individuals.

Kimberley is a dedicated servant, when she is not working, she volunteers with numerous organizations that advocate for affordable housing, the support and mentorship of young women and the protection of children forced into human trafficking. This will allow her to bring a unique perspective.

​Kimberley is a graduate of Santa Monica College and has her degree in science. She loves to read and travel to learn and experience various cultures.

Liesl Griffin (#29 on the ballot)

I have been working in the legal field for the past fourteen years. Most recently becoming a licensed attorney in the state of California. My past experiences have helped me to develop team-player, detail oriented, and quick-learning skills. I believe that by being part of Democratic Assembly will have a positive impact on our local community. If given the opportunity, I will utilize my skills to bring an impactful contribution to the party. I am very interested in becoming more involved with our local politics. Thank you for your vote.

Nigel Lifsey (#27 on the ballot)

Nigel Lifsey was born and raised in South Los Angeles, attended Brentwood School, and is a graduate of Boston University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Economics in 2006.

Nigel was a longtime resident of Long Beach where he served on the Citizens Police Complaint Commission, advocating for more oversight and transparency in policing from 2020-2022. He is currently the President of the Greater Long Beach Black Democratic Club, and sits on the Board of Extraordinary Families, a nonprofit child foster and adoption agency serving families in Los Angeles County.

He is a strong believer in eliminating economic equity gaps by encouraging financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and home ownership in marginalized communities.
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Linda C. Lucks (#11 on the ballot)

Linda Lucks is lifelong community activist who has lived and worked on the Westside since 1970, in Venice and Del Rey. Linda coordinates community engagement and special events for Venice Community Housing (www.vchcorp.org), a nonprofit organization that supports, builds affordable housing and advocates for equitable and inclusive communities that advance racial and economic justice.

Linda served as CA Democratic delegate during Assembly member Autumn Burke’s term and was the elected president of the Venice Neighborhood Council for two terms while serving on Mayor Villaraigosa’s Board of Neighborhood Empowerment. Over the years she served on various City, County, State Commissions and nonprofit boards, including Families in New
Directions (the Crenshaw Consortium, Neighborhood Youth Association and the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana laws (NORML).

A graduate of UCLA and former elementary school teacher, Linda loves to read, dance, follow politics, spend time with her children and grandchildren (one of whom attends USC). Go Bruins!

Darrel C. Menthe (#17 on the ballot)

Darrel Menthe is a non-profit executive director with a substantial history of political involvement in Culver City and beyond. He is currently the Vice Chair of the Culver City Finance Advisory Committee, which reviews revenue items for the City of Culver City.

Darrel previously served as the Vice President and Treasurer of the Culver City Centennial Celebration in 2014-2017, and for the past six years led the Culver City Downtown Business Improvement District. During the pandemic, he was instrumental in organizing the temporary closure of downtown city streets for outdoor dining.

Darrel ran for Culver City Council in 2020 with the support and endorsements of multiple local Democratic clubs and elected officials. His more recent candidacy for School Board was endorsed by the LA Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO) and the Culver City Federation of Teachers.

Darrel received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, M.A. in Political Science from UCLA, and his B.A. in Political Science and Comparative Literature from UC San Diego, where he led the College Democrats during the 1992 Clinton Campaign. He lives in downtown Culver City with his spouse, Sarah, and their two children.

Denice N. Renteria (#20 on the ballot)

I am running to represent all residents of our district to bring people together in a respectful manner and restore the public’s trust in our democratic process. One beautiful aspect of our district that cannot be understated is our diversity. Despite our strong diversity, there are many voices in the community that become overlooked due to lack of representation. I’m here to represent individuals who have blue-collar jobs. I’m here to represent individuals who chose not to pursue a traditional academic route. Estoy aquí para representar los Latinos y las Latinas en la comunidad. In order for us to make changes, we must ensure that all our voices are heard. Please help me make a difference with your vote.

Eric G. Rudin (#28 on the ballot)

Eric is a lifelong Democratic Party member who has been active and interested in politics since visiting his Congressman, then Henry Waxman, at the Capitol during a high school debate club trip. Eric's view of the world is one where all of us, as people from all walks of life, unite to move society forward, create a sustainable future, and achieve equality under the law. As your Assembly District delegate, that will be Eric's aim.

Today we face existential crises both politically and environmentally. Politically, as we learned from the January 6 Committee, democracy is being challenged by authoritarianism. Moreover, rights that we hold dear are under attack, including the right to vote free of racist voting laws, a woman’s right to choose, a person’s right to marry the person they love, our right to send our children to school without fear that they will be massacred in a mass shooting. . . And we have healthcare, immigration, homelessness, education; the list goes on. Environmentally, our scientists have implored us to save our planet. We must move toward a sustainable future immediately and incentivize everyone to lower their carbon footprints drastically.

However, Eric's favorite law professor taught the class that it is not enough to identify society's problems. We must find solutions. In our Democratic Party, we have a wide array of ideas about how to tackle societal ills. It's time to see that as a good thing. We should learn from each other’s backgrounds and experiences. Instead, sadly, we seem to be at each other’s throats far too often. The vitriol must stop. The coming together must begin. The stakes are simply too high. We all have similar ideals. Let us unite to make them realities.

As for his personal life, Eric, his wife, and their soon to be 4-year-old daughter live in Culver City. Eric was born and raised in Los Angeles, went to UCLA for his B.A. and Loyola Law School for his law degree. He has been in private practice as an attorney for 12 years. The majority of Eric's practice is dedicated to representing victims of sexual abuse, mostly children and women. He also represents family, friends, and neighbors in personal injury matters when the need arises. In Eric's free time he cherishes time with his family. He also enjoys writing, reading, playing golf, coaching youth sports, and serving as a mentor.​

Aura Vasquez ​(#1 on the ballot)

Aura Vasquez is a Afro-Colombian, immigrant, community organizer and renewable energy advisor who embodies the values and future of the Democratic Party. She uses her skills as a community organizer and her political experience to rally Americans around the most important issues of our future: economic, social and environmental justice.

She works to secure our nation’s future by protecting affordable housing, investing in energy infrastructure and creating the jobs that will build the 21st Century economy – where she already has a history of success. 

As an organizer, she championed immigrant rights in California, mobilizing communities to end unfair impoundment laws targeting immigrants. Aura fought predatory developers in trying to push out affordable housing in Koreatown to replace it with luxury condominiums. She is now part of the PICO Neighborhood Council, supporting micro-mobility and pedestrian safety, keeping housing affordable in Los Angeles, and giving residents greater access to the council.

Aura’s leadership in environmental justice is unmatched. She led the Sierra Club’s 'Beyond Coal' Campaign, securing a commitment from Los Angeles to go coal-free by 2025. She also helped pass the ban of single-use plastic bags in LA, established the country’s largest solar panel program, and ended legislation that would force residents to pay utilities for revenue lost due to the use of that solar energy.

As the youngest-ever commissioner and first immigrant on the Board of Commissioners to the LA Department of Water and Power, she guided the utility to be more equitable, sustainable, and affordable. She brought the first solar for renters program in the country to LA and retired three coastal gas plants polluting communities of color, replacing them with renewable energy – the country’s first real taste of the Green New Deal.   

In 2020, she founded Ready to Help, a mutual aid organization that organized residents to address some of the most underreported but pervasive issues facing their communities during the pandemic. Ready to Help provided refurbished laptops for local students to study remotely, gathered food to support food banks and families, and began lobbying the Los Angeles City Council to open public school playgrounds as parks for neighborhood children.

She was overwhelmingly elected as a California delegate in 2020 for Assembly District 50, a win that earned her a place on the Executive Board. During her tenure, she introduced the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge in an effort to end the California Democratic Party’s reliance on the gas and oil industries.

Aura’s professional and life experience led to her beliefs in the need for environmental protection, comprehensive immigration reform and affordable housing protections for renters. Her top priority is the development of communities through investment in sustainable energy and housing, which brings a dignified living wage in new energy jobs and environmental protection for the future for all Americans.  ​

Albert Vera (#26 on the ballot)

Business owner Albert P. Vera is a lifelong Culver City resident born in 1965 to Italian and German immigrants, Albert and Ursula Vera.

While growing up, Albert spent much of his spare time and time after school working alongside his parents at both their family business – Sorrento Italian Market, and in the family-owned olive fields north of Bakersfield.

He graduated from the South Bay Police Reserve Academy in 1985 and spent 15 years working as a reserve officer in the Culver City Police Department..
Albert’s father served 12 years on the City Council from 1992-2000 and from 2002-2006, and Albert has long been committed to giving back to the community he calls “home.”

Since his parents’ deaths, Vera has revitalized the family businesses. The Sorrento market retains its old-world charm, but he has made numerous upgrades and improvements, including the introduction of new imports from all over Italy and the creation of what has become one of Southern California’s finest Italian wine departments. He has also taken over the family’s ranches and expanded the production of olive oil. Vera Ranches also produces a wide array of fruit and vegetables, which Albert oversees personally with weekly visits to the ranches.

Albert has maintained the broad philanthropic efforts undertaken by his father, something he believes in deeply, donating to a wide array of organizations from local churches, schools and youth sports teams.

He is a member of the Culver City Exchange Club and has served on both the Culver City Landlord/Tenant Board and the Culver City Civil Service Commission.

Albert also serves on the Culver City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Culver City Palms YMCA Board of Managers and the board of Upward Bound House, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeless children and their families find permanent, supportive housing.

Albert is the current mayor of Culver City and sits on these various boards and subcommittees.

Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin (#15 on the ballot)

As a lifelong Democrat, feminist, social justice activist, and arts advocate, I am excited about bringing my perspective to the party in an official role as a delegate. 
 
My introduction to the fight for equality began as a child when my mother took me to Washington, DC to march for the Equal Rights Amendment. Some progress has been made, but the fight for equality is far from over, even in the Democratic-majority California. To that end, I am a founding member of Heart of LA Democratic Club, the first feminist Democratic Club in Los Angeles County through which I regularly volunteer for candidates and causes on local, state, and national campaigns. I am proud of the work that we do to advocate for reproductive rights, equality, and representation of all traditionally marginalized people. In addition to Heart of LA, I am also a member of Stonewall Democratic Club, Santa Monica Democratic Club, Avance, and Moms Demand Action (which I represented in a speech at a Karen Bass rally after the horrific mass murders at Uvalde).
 
Professionally, I am a performing artist and the producing managing director for an LA-County-based nonprofit theatre company. I also serve as a Cultural Affairs Commissioner for the City of Culver City, and I am a member of SAG-AFTRA's Hollywood Local Women's Committee. I earned my MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology and my Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Illinois. I have also served on the Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways Committee and the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee for the Culver City school district.   
 
I believe that my extensive background intertwining equality and social justice with the arts will be an asset to the party. Art has the potential to serve as a bridge to bring people together, expand thinking, improve dialogue, and create safe, just, and vibrant communities for all. Frankly, we need more artists to serve. In response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, our SAG-AFTRA Women's Committee wrote what became the union's policies that ensure that members are informed of their reproductive rights and can get reproductive care regardless of what state in which they live or work. I was on the advocacy team for The Equitable Payroll Fund for the Performing Arts (SB1116), signed into law by Governor Newsom this year. Supported by labor unions, performing arts employers, and arts advocates, the bill will help prevent the demise of more non-profit performing arts organizations and arts jobs, a big and important sector in California's economy. In my role as Cultural Affairs Commissioner (and past Chair) for Culver City, I co-authored the city's first artist laureate program, and awarded performing arts grants of over $200,000 to small arts organizations for 2023.

On a personal note, I live in Culver City with my husband Jack and our three wonderful daughters who attended Culver City Public schools K-12, and then each continued their studies in California in University of California schools.

Endorsed by Americans for Democratic Action/Southern California.
 
I am excited to serve, and I would be honored to have your support and vote. 

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