Local Pastor to Seek Appointment to District 3 Seat

In an interview with Pasadena Now on Thursday, a local pastor said he planned to apply for the District 3 City Council seat left vacant by the death of John J. Kennedy.

“Yes, I plan on doing that,” said Lucious Smith, senior pastor at Friendship Baptist Church.

Smith has pastored Friendship Pasadena Church since 1996.

Smith is the Past President of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater Pasadena (IMA). Additionally, he served as the Vice President of the Clergy Community Coalition, a non-profit organization which seeks to address the issues of spiritual enrichment and community reconciliation in the Pasadena and surrounding areas.

Smith is not precluded from seeking office by the separation of church and state. That clause exists to prevent the government from establishing a national religion.

The separation is established in the First Amendment which forbids laws that establish a national religion or infringe on the free exercise of religion.

The term came to prominence in a 1947 Supreme Court case.

Smith is the second person to confirm his intentions to apply for the seat. On Wednesday, local commissioner Brandon Lamar told Pasadena Now he planned to throw his hat in the ring.

Kennedy died last month. According to the City Charter, the City Council must appoint a District 3 representative within 75 days of the vacancy to cover Kennedy’s current term.

The appointment must be made by Oct. 4.

The City is accepting applications until September 8.

In December, the City Council will again have to vote on an appointment to cover the vacancy created by Kennedy’s victory in the June primary.

“The needs of the city are important to me. I was born here in Pasadena,” Smith said. “ I live in the district, and I just believe that there needs to be someone there to advocate for the whole city, but also for the specific needs of District 3 of Councilman Kennedy,” Smith said.

In his interview with Pasadena Now, Smith stopped short of calling himself the perfect candidate to fill the vacancy.

“Well, I don’t know if I am the perfect candidate,” Smith said.

“My hope is that whoever the Council will appoint to that seat will take into account what the needs of the city are, and what the qualifications of the person is. And if indeed that is me, then wonderful. But I’m more concerned that the right person gets put in the seat as opposed to it just being me.”

The appointed Councilmember in December will hold the seat until the next general municipal election in 2024. At that point, the voters will choose the District 3 representative.

“I just hope that the city Council will do what’s right for the city and they’ll take into account the needs of the district, but even more so the needs of the city as a whole.”