Garcia, Chavez Lead Race to Replace Recalled Councilmen

In the city’s first recall election, Pico Rivera voters ejected two city councilmen Tuesday after 11 candidates lined up to fill the positions. Pending a final ballot count today, the city’s newest council members appear to be businessman Carlos A. Garcia, who was leading a field of five candidates to replace Mayor John Chavez, and E. A. “Pete” Ramirez, a housing authority lieutenant for the city of Los Angeles who was ahead of five other candidates vying for Councilman Gil De La Rosa’s seat.

The balloting culminated a three-year campaign to oust the longtime councilmen. They and other council members were targeted for recall three times in recent years for their votes on city finances, redevelopment and toxic waste storage.

Neither the recalled councilmen nor Ramirez could be reached for comment Wednesday.

Ramirez had vowed to end his 28 years at the Los Angeles Housing Authority if elected to the council. A member of the El Rancho Unified School District board, he promised to focus on fighting crime, promoting business and allowing more public comment at council meetings. He also pledged to rid the city of toxic waste, a contentious issue since state officials earlier this year renewed Southern California Gas Co.’s permit to store cancer-causing chemicals in the city.

Garcia, a Pico Rivera planning commissioner who has served as vice president of the city’s chamber of commerce, also ran on a platform of business development and community safety. “We need to work on a lot of these negative perceptions people have,” Garcia said.

Just as the recall campaigns were marked by bitter allegations and suspicions, reports of squabbles at polling places followed much of Tuesday’s voting.

“Tensions were high between people who supported the recall and people who didn’t support it,” said Cindie DeMoss, who works in the city clerk’s office.