Commission Calls on Council to Choose Woman to Fill District 5 Vacancy

The city’s Commission on the Status of Women is calling on the Pasadena City Council to appoint a woman to the District 5 seat vacated by Mayor Victor Gordo.

According to a letter from commission Chair Beverly Morgan-Sandoz, a woman running for political office faces many obstacles.

Two of the four candidates vying for the District 5 seat are Jessica Rivas and Martha Shekenberg.

They are running against Michael Warner and Patrick Amsbry.

The applicants will make their respective cases at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4.

Currently, Councilmember Felicia Williams is the only woman on the council. There have not been two women on the City Council since former District 1 Councilmember Jacque Robinson lost the mayoral election in 2015. Robinson was joined on the council by District 2 Councilmember Margaret McAustin, who did not run for reelection and was replaced by Williams in the last election.

The letter states that research shows that women are less likely to have others encourage them to run for office and women often shoulder responsibilities that make it difficult to hold public office. In addition, since most offices are held by men, a woman running for office also has to overcome stereotypes as well as the advantage that incumbency affords.

“Appointing a woman to fill the District 5 vacancy will be a step towards a more representative council. It will be movement towards correcting the imbalance in representation manifested by the fact that Pasadena is 52.3 percent female, yet women hold one-of-seven council seats (less than 15 percent),” Morgan-Sandoz wrote. 

The selection process will match the one used to fill the vacant District 7 seat in 2015 after then-Councilman Terry Tornek was elected mayor.

Each applicant will have six minutes to address the council in open session, and then answer questions posed by councilmembers.

After all of the interviews are over, Gordo, who formerly represented District 5 and replaced Tornek as mayor in the Nov. 3 election, will ask for a motion and a second for an applicant, and that applicant will be appointed if they receive five affirmative votes.

In 2015, it took three motions before District 7 Councilmember Andy Wilson received a majority vote to replace Tornek. The council defeated motions that would have appointed two other candidates.

After a majority vote, City Clerk Mark Jomsky will immediately administer the oath of office.

“The interest of women in serving in elected positions is demonstrated by the number serving on the (Pasadena City College) Board [three out of seven positions and PUSD five out of seven],” the letter states. “In addition, we note the women who head city departments and hold key administrative positions, yet we concur with former Secretary of State Madeline Albright who concluded that a precious resource is wasted when women are underrepresented in the political arena.”