Pasadena City Council Candidates Election Forum Planned

The Pasadena Community Coalition, Pasadena Media and the Pasadena Star News have announced a jointly-hosted online election forum for Pasadena City Council candidates on Thursday, May 12, starting at 6 p.m.

The organizers said the public will hear about the candidates for the Pasadena Primary Nominating Elections and how they stand on such Pasadena related issues as law enforcement, gun violence, homelessness and housing, cannabis and development during this forum, which will be live on Zoom and recorded for later viewing.

Election Day is June 7 for City Council Districts 3, 5 and 7, and for the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7.

Currently, six candidates are running for the three City Council districts on the ballot in June: Brandon D. Lamar is challenging incumbent Councilmember John J. Kennedy for District 3; Councilmember Jess Rivas is running unopposed at District 5; and businessman Allen Shay, City Planner Ciran Hadjian, and Pasadena Planning Commissioner and attorney Jason Lyon are running for the District 7 seat currently held by Councilmember Andy Wilson, who has decided not to run for reelection.

Pasadena Community Coalition Chairman Martin Gordon will be moderating the forum. Reporter Brennon Dixson from the Star-News and Justin Chapman, who writes for Pasadena Now and is host of NewsWrap Local at Pasadena Media, will be asking the questions.

Members of the community can send in questions by email prior to the forum, to bdixson@scng.com.

For this election, vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed to voters on May 9. Early in-person voting centers will open on May 28 and polling will close on June 7 at 8 p.m.

For more election information, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/city-clerk/elections-2022.