What Would You Ask 54th Assembly Candidates?

Patch will be querying the candidates vying for the 54th Assembly District as the June 5 primary election campaigns shift into high gear.

The candidates and their official ballot designation are:

• Holly J. Mitchell: Democrat / Culver City / Incumbent Assemblymember
• Ed Nicoletti: Democrat / Los Angeles / Businessman
• Keith Brandon McCowen: Republican/ Los Angeles

Assemblymember Mitchell was elected to the 47th District in November 2010, which included Culver City, Baldwin Hills, Cheviot Hills, the Crenshaw District, Ladera Heights, Little Ethiopia, Palms, UCLA, West Los Angeles, portions of Koreatown, the Fairfax district, Beverlywood and South Los Angeles.

The latest redistricting maps will now see her running as the incumbent in the newly-drawn 54th District which now includes Culver City, portions of Mar Vista, parts of Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw District, West Los Angeles, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Holmby Hills, portions of Century City, Leimert Park, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, Little Ethiopia, the Fairfax District and South Los Angeles.

The top two vote getters in the June 5 primary election will advance to the Nov. 6 general election regardless of party preference or whether one candidate receives a majority of votes in the primary. The primary election will include elections for U.S. President, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as state Senate and state Assembly seats.

As of April 6, 2012, there were 248,848 registered voters in the 54th Assembly District with 64 percent registered as Democrats and 12 percent registered as Republicans, according to data from the Secretary of State's office.

We'll be gathering biographical information and presenting the candidates with a questionnaire to help voters understand where they stand on the issues.

We're asking for your help. What questions do you want us to ask the candidates?