9 candidates vying for 3 seats on Downey City Council
Councilman Rick Rodriguez will not seek a second term on the City Council. (Photo by Claudia Gomez)
DOWNEY — With the filing deadline come and gone, Downey now has a crystal-clear picture of what its 2020 City Council races will look like.
Three seats – Districts 1, 3 and 5 – are all up for grabs in November. Of the three races, two are guaranteed to bring a new face to the dais.
The Candidates
District 1
Alexandria Contreras
Blanca Pacheco
District 3
Catherine Alvarez
Dalejuan Peevy
Eric Pierce
District 5
Arturo Gonzalez
Juan Martinez
Mario Trujillo
Carrie Uva
In District 1, current Mayor Blanca Pacheco will attempt to defend her seat against challenger Alexandria Contreras.
Pacheco’s first term will come to an end with her sitting at the head of the council, during a year in which Downey – much like the rest of the world – was forced to shut down due to COVID-19.
Often described as “progressive,” her opponent Contreras entered the race after voicing what she felt was a lack of leadership at the council level.
The race with probably the most unique story behind it will be that of District 3, which Catherine Alvarez, Dalejuan Peevy, and Eric Pierce will vie for.
Notably absent from the list of running candidates is incumbent Rick Rodriguez, who after only one term will not seek re-election, opting instead to “take care of my health.”
“I’ve had three surgeries in six months. All during that time, I’ve served at City Hall,” said Rodriguez. “I was able to enjoy myself; my average work week in City Hall was 60 hours a week for four years…because I loved it. I loved it so much to serve as an elected official.
“Now, I’ve got to be concerned with my health. At my age, I can’t take anything for granted; I’ve got to be careful.”
Rodriguez hopes to pass the baton to candidate Pierce, who had initially announced he would be running for District 5.
“When I found out Rick would not seek re-election, I felt it made sense to run for his seat since I already lived in District 3,” said Pierce. “Rick did an incredible job the last four years serving Downey with integrity and unmatched enthusiasm. I’m disappointed he’s leaving public office but his health needs to come first. We want him around a long time.”
Pierce, longtime editor of the Downey Patriot, is not covering the election and has stepped away from coverage of city affairs.
He faces two new faces in Alvarez and Peevy.
Alvarez could be considered a potential dark horse in the election.
First emerging during a tense standoff with the Eden Roc Apartment complex, Alvarez has become the face of the renter’s rights movement in Downey. A now familiar face at most council meetings, she is the leader of the Downey Tenants Union.
Peevy is a self-published author and current full-time student studying criminal justice, according to social media.
The citywide District 5 race will include Mario Trujillo, Carrie Uva, Arturo Gonzalez, and Juan Martinez.
This is not the first time that Uva and Gonzalez have thrown their hats into the ring for a shot at a council seat.
A well-known realtor, Uva competed against current sitting Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Frometa back in a tight 2018 race, coming up short with just over 41% of voters opting in her favor.
It was an entirely different scenario for Gonzalez, however, who – with only 18% of votes - was completely blown out by the immensely popular Alex Saab, who at the time was running for his second term.
Trujillo is a deputy district attorney and long-time Downey resident. He is a past president of Downey Kiwanis Club.
Martinez is a relative unknown for the city, save for those who pay attention to council meetings and other organized events where he regularly protests.
He has been adamantly vocal against Senate Bill 625, a widely supported bill which would put the Central Water Basin in receivership. He has also made several claims of corruption within the council itself.
The election is Nov. 3.