Outgoing Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D–Lakewood) has a piece of advice for his successor: don’t overlook the Central Valley and the rest of inland California.
Rendon spoke to The Los Angeles Times ahead of the Asm. Robert Rivas (D–Hollister) taking over as Speaker next week.
The backstory: Rendon was first elected to the Assembly in 2012, serving as Speaker since 2016 and will term out of office next year.
- Democrats brokered a deal last year to keep Rendon on until the end of June, after which Rivas will take over.
Driving the news: Speaking to the Times, Rendon’s advice for Rivas centered on the difference of what he calls Western California and Eastern California.
- For those who live in what Rendon calls Eastern California, which includes the Central Valley, the state has failed them.
What he said: In the interview, Rendon noted that both he and Rivas are from Western California, where the majority of the state’s population resides.
- “We’ve done a s–- job with Eastern California,” Rendon said. “You draw a straight line through California. Coachella, Inland Empire, Central Valley up to Redding and up. We’ve done a s–- job of making sure there’s anything close to equity in terms of resources on their side of the line.”
- During a round of campaign stump speeches across the state, Rendon noted that “sometimes you recycle s—, right? And I’m giving a speech in Westwood. I’m giving a speech in San Francisco, giving a speech to Santa Barbara, and then I don’t know where I was — maybe near Hanford. I started giving this speech about the California dream.
- “I looked around and I was like, ‘F—.’ This is not the place for that. It’s incorrect. It’s lying to people.”
