For the first time since the board’s inception 150 years ago, Los Angeles County has an all-female Board of Supervisors.
Voters elected Holly Mitchell, a California senator, to represent District 2 of Los Angeles County. The position was previously occupied by Mark Ridley-Thomas for 12 years.
Mitchell joins Hilda L. Solis, Sheila Kuehl, Janice Hahn, and Kathryn Barger in serving as the executive and legislative head of L.A. County.
Marcos Rosales, a political science student at Long Beach City College said he believes that having such a strong female presence on the board will encourage new and improved legislation to be considered in the next few years.
“It’s a good thing, I think. I hope that they take advantage of this position and bring new progressive ideas to the table. We don’t know if this will ever happen again,” Rosales said.
Controversial issues such as housing the homeless, implementing rent control, and providing free childcare are amongst a range of topics that the five representatives may have to tackle as a group. Mitchell herself supports transitional housing placement for foster youth as well as expanding low-income housing so that everyone can afford a roof over their head.
She is also a fierce supporter of the “Me Too” movement, becoming the vice chair of a legislative subcommittee on sexual harassment prevention. Along with her new role, she is also a state senator who represents California’s 30th District. Not only does Mitchell add a strong personality to the board, but she also adds diversity.
“It’s nice to see a black woman up there. Obviously they’re not gonna agree on everything but I feel like (women) are more likely to put their differences aside than men. That might be biased, I don’t know. But historically men in government don’t have a good track record of getting along. That ends up hurting the people,” Rosales said.
Janet Hund, department head of social sciences at Long Beach City College, said she believes that the new Board of Supervisors has the opportunity to do some good for the citizens of L.A. County.
“Clearly, not all women think alike but a slight gender gap tends to exist in politics with females tending to support domestic issues like quality child care, education, and health care for all. I am hopeful this board may reflect values of compassion and equity,” Hund said.
The Board of Supervisors is currently already facing criticism from business owners because they voted to ban outdoor dining at restaurants in hopes to control the spread of COVID-19 in a county that has already seen thousands of people succumb to the virus.
They are also under fire for voting in a 3-2 decision to look into removing Sheriff Alex Villanueva from his position after he refused to enforce Gov. Newsom’s Stay at Home order. The vote to remove Villanueva would typically be up to L.A. County citizens in 2022, however the Board of Supervisors believe that he is a threat to the safety of the 10 million Angelinos he is paid to protect.
The new board also faces a challenge that has never gone away but certainly resurfaced in full force during and after the 2016 presidential election: misogyny. There is always concern that an all-female board would cause some discomfort for people who believe its lack of gender diversity could lead to some big issues.
Hund does not believe this will affect the new Board of Supervisors negatively.
“I mean it’s possible. I mean it’s always possible. Because politicians tend to be judged more by how we look rather than, you know, the actual content that we’re trying to put forth in policies. But I would argue that because many of these female members have already been there, Holly’s the new one, that… I think that that’s less of a concern,” Hund said.
Ultimately, the legacy that these women leave will hopefully empower more women to step into the world of politics and continue to create progressive changes that benefit all citizens of Los Angeles County for years to come.
“I am hopeful, but we must remember that our system is not built on feminine or feminist values, so time will tell if this all-female board actually reflects feminine or feminist values in its governing,” Hund continued, “If this body can realize compassion and equity in regards to childcare, education, healthcare, poverty, and homelessness, I believe the role of gender will be undeniable.”