Sierra Madre Mayor Harabedian, Running for Los Angeles County’s 5th Supervisorial District, Picks Up Key Endorsement

Sierra Madre Mayor John Harabedian, who is challenging incumbent Kathryn Barger for the 5th District seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, picked up the endorsement of U.S. Congressman Tony Cárdenas last week.

Cárdenas (D-California, 26th Congressional District) made history when he became the first Latino elected to represent the San Fernando Valley in the United States Congress in 2013.

“With his fresh perspective and experience, Mayor Harabedian is the clear choice for L.A. County Supervisor,” Cárdenas said in a statement. “He is a commonsense leader who is committed to solving the homelessness crisis, protecting all of our residents, including our immigrant communities, and ushering in a new era of criminal justice reform. We cannot rely on the same failed policies to fix the monumental challenges facing us.”

Los Angeles County’s 5th Supervisorial District is the last remaining Republican-held seat on the Board of Supervisors.

Los Angeles County has a budget of $36.1 billion, larger than the budget of at least 32 U.S. States.

Harabedian is a Democrat and is currently mayor of Sierra Madre. He said he was honored to have Rep. Cárdenas’ support.

“Our County is in a state of crisis,” Harabedian said in a statement. “We need new leadership to tackle homelessness, end gun violence, and solve our climate crisis.”

The statement said Harabedian’s campaign focuses on working to get the homeless off the streets and back on their feet, stopping the senseless loss of life from gun violence, and tackling the climate crisis.

Harabedian said he had earlier secured the support of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, Foothill Community Democrats, Los Angeles County Young Democrats, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, and Stonewall Democratic Club.