Saturday, May 15
7 p.m.
Houghton Park Social Hall
6301 Myrtle Avenue
North Long Beach
Map

For more information, please call (310) 721-1290

R.S.V.P. below…

Steven Neal has unseated incumbent City Councilmember and Vice Mayor Val Lerch for the 9th District seat with 52.3% of the vote on Tuesday, with all precincts reporting.

“Thank you Long Beach,” Neal said in a media statement.  “Thank you to the residents of Long Beach who came out to support my candidacy.  I am looking forward to representing you in City Hall and bringing real change to the 9th District.  This is just the beginning.”

Neal, the executive director of non-profit organization, nearly won the seat in 2006 but narrowly lost to Lerch. Backed by the support of several local unions, Neal received the bump he needed to earn the Council seat. He was also assisted by the termed-out Lerch, who ran a write-in campaign and did not have his name on the ballot per term limit rules.

Lerch earned 26.1% of the vote, followed by Brad Shore with 15.7% and Dan Pressburg with 5.9%. Pressburg dropped out of the race in March due to health concerns.

Neal encountered controversy in February when comments he made about same-sex marriage drew the ire of local Democratic organizations. But strong union support and momentum from a near-victory in 2006 were enough to give him the outright victory.

“I feel good about the campaign that we ran and I’m very proud of the people we put together, and the responses from voters have been very positive,” Neal told the LBPOST.com at his election party as early results began to trickle in. “I really believe that we ran a clean campaign, that was something that me and Val talked about and I appreciated that.”

Thank you Long Beach.

Thank you to the residents of Long Beach who came out to support my candidacy.  I am looking forward to representing you in City Hall and bringing real change to the 9^th District.  This is just the beginning.

I feel good about the campaign that we ran and I’m very proud of the team we put together, and the responses from voters have been very positive. We ran a clean campaign, and I think that the voters appreciated that.

I look forward to working with Councilmember Val Lerch on the upcoming transition as well as with my other opponents because at the end of the day, I know that all of us love this community and want the 9^th District and Long Beach to prosper.

We tried to build off of the support from 2006 going into this campaign. 2006 showed the desire of North Long Beach voters for new representation that will consider their needs and that message came through loud and clear in this year’s election.

I won’t let you down.

Thank you.

Steven

Media Contact:
press@steveneal.org

Community Activist Feels Good About Running A Clean Campaign and Says Voters Message of Wanting A Change Was Loud and Clear

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Apr. 14, 2010) — Steven Neal, candidate for Long Beach City Council, 9th District emerged victorious in last night’s election with a landslide victory of 52.3% of the vote.  Neal was one of four candidates running for the 9th District which includes the neighborhoods of: DeForest Park, Coolidge Triangle, Houghton Park, College Square, Longwood, Jordan, Cherry Square, Hamilton, and Ramona Park.

“Thank you Long Beach,” said Steven Neal.  “Thank you to the residents of Long Beach who came out to support my candidacy.  I am looking forward to representing you in City Hall and bringing real change to the 9^th District.  This is just the beginning.”

“I feel good about the campaign that we ran and I’m very proud of the team we put together, and the responses from voters have been very positive,” he said. “We ran a clean campaign, and I think that the voters appreciated that.”

“I look forward to working with Councilmember Val Lerch on the upcoming transition as well as with my other opponents because at the end of the day, I know that all of us love this community and want the 9^th District and Long Beach to prosper.”

In 2006, Neal lost to incumbent Councilman Val Lerch by just 132 votes, with 1,358 to Lerch’s 1,490.

“We tried to build off of the support from 2006 going into this campaign,” commented Steven Neal.  “2006 showed the desire of North Long Beach voters for new representation that will consider their needs and that message came through loud and clear in this year’s election.”

Born in San Pedro, the son of a Naval shipyard worker, Steven Neal, 49, has lived and worked off and on in Long Beach since 1982, most recently returning to North Long Beach in 2003.  For the last 10 years, he has been director of labor and community services for the United Way.  He is a Fairfield YMCA board member, on the board of Freedom School, a literacy program, a board member of the ECHO Alliance non-profit, and a member of the Long Beach Workforce Investment Board.  Steven is also an assistant pastor at the SEAM Faith Family Church in Chino.

Steven Neal was endorsed by a number of elected officials, local businesses owners, clergy and community leaders in his bid for Long Beach’s 9th District which includes the neighborhoods of: DeForest Park, Coolidge Triangle, Houghton Park, College Square, Longwood, Jordan, Cherry Square, Hamilton, and Ramona Park.

For more information on Steven Neal, please visit: www.steveneal.org.

Follow Steven’s campaign on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/steveneal4lb.

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Election Results

Early Long Beach 9th District unofficial election results. Last updated at 3:39 a.m.

Follow the election results here.

Photo

Click here to download hi res headshot: http://steveneal.org/wp-content/graphics/New%20Image.JPG

Early Long Beach 9th District unofficial election results.  Last updated at 3:39 a.m.

9:40pm | Steve Neal, pictured right (9th District): “I feel good about the campaign that we ran and I’m very proud of the people we put together, and the responses from voters have been very positive,” he said. “I really believe that we ran a clean campaign, that was something that me and Val talked about and I appreciated that.”

Neal said that nasty strategies would have turned off voters, which is beneficial to no one. Whatever happens, he expressed an appreciation for both opponents.

“All of us love this community, wee just have different ideologies about how to bring change,” he said. “I look forward to working with all of them regardless.”

Source Article

Win or lose, this has been an amazing campaign and Steve appreciates everyone’s support.  Join Steve, his family, campaign team, and supporters this evening as we celebration Election Day in Long Beach and watch the results come in.

Tuesday, April 13
8 p.m.
Campaign Headquarters
1100 East Artesia Blvd. Long Beach, CA

Today is the day to go out and show your support for Steve Neal in Long Beach.  Remember to take some time to vote today.

Polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Your polling place location is printed on the back cover of your sample ballot booklet. Please check the polling place address for each election because locations often change. Also, poll locations are available at www.LAVOTE.net or by calling (562) 570-6101.

Frequently Asked Questions About Voting

Why was my polling place changed?

In California, there are no permanent polling sites. Locations may change from election to election if a facility previously used is not available for a particular election. Changes to precinct boundaries may sometimes occur when precincts are consolidated or realigned, especially for local elections that are not statewide. Voters should refer to their sample ballot pamphlet to make sure that they go to the correct polling place location.

What do I do if my polling place is not open when I arrive election morning?

Check the address on the back cover of your sample ballot pamphlet to make sure you have gone to the right location. Polling places often change between elections. If you are at the correct location, call the City Clerk Department at (562) 570-6101 to report that the polling place is not open.

Can I take my sample ballot or my own written voting choices into the voting booth?

Yes. It is recommended that you mark your voting choices in your sample ballot and take it to your poll location on Election Day to use as a reference. This will allow you to vote your ballot quickly. Remember to take your sample ballot out of the voting booth after
you have completed voting.

If I do not know what to do when I get to the polling place, will someone help me?

Yes. Ask the election poll workers to help you with the voting process. Poll workers are forbidden to help you in making decisions on your voting choices.

Join Steve in the last days of the campaign GET THE VOTE OUT.

All events will start at Campaign Headquarters located at 1100 East Artesia Blvd. in
Long Beach.

For more information, please email info@steveneal.org.

Saturday, April 10

9 a.m. GOTV Rally
10 a.m. GOTV Walk and Phone Calls

Sunday, April 11

12 p.m. GOTV Walk and Phone Calls

Monday, April 12

10 a.m. GOTV Walk

4 p.m. GOTV Rally
5 p.m. GOTV Walk and Phone Calls

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, April 13

7 a.m. GOTV Poll Monitors and Checks
10 a.m. Walk and Phone Calls
8 p.m. ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS WATCH CELEBRATION

Did You Know…

The Deadline to Register to Vote by Mail is April 6, 2010?

Vote by Mail applications may be submitted before April 6 for the upcoming Long Beach Election

Applications received prior to the 29th day preceding the election will be kept and processed during this period.

Under state law, a voter may apply for permanent vote by mail status. As a permanent vote by mail voter, you will no longer have to apply for future elections. A ballot will automatically be mailed to you for each election in which you are eligible to vote. A spouse or other person who resides with you may also want to apply for permanent vote by mail status.

You may request an application for Permanent Vote By Mail status by calling (562) 466-1323 or writing:

REGISTRAR-RECORDER/COUNTY CLERK
P.O. BOX 30450
LOS ANGELES, CA 90030-0450

To print or download a Permanent Vote By Mail Application, click here.