Re “Councilman Bloom’s Unique Path, from Law to Homelessness”
The setting at the dinner hour last evening at Moonshadows in Malibu was the kind that lovers dream about – long, supple rays of a faintly fading sun doing an intimate dance across the surface of the shoreline waters that swayed and waved just beneath the tables of delighted diners.
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Richard Bloom, with supporter Andrea Kune-Clark
A perfect moment for – well, a much more prosaic event than love.
This was Assembly candidate Richard Bloom’s latest fundraiser in his tight race with first-termer Betsy Butler for a seat Nov. 6 in the newly drawn 50th District, Hollywood to the Westside beaches. Latest internal polling by the Bloom camp shows a five-point margin over Ms. Butler, who has been strongly visible during her two years in Sacramento as the successor to a chair formerly held by Ted Lieu, who jumped to the state Senate.
“Assembly candidate Richard Bloom” still does not quite have a familiar ring.
He has spent 13 productive but not controversial years on the Santa Monica City Council, down to the present moment. He remains one of its best-liked members.
Enemies? Where? Where?
Rare is the seasoned politician who doesn’t accumulate a significant booing section. Mr. Bloom appears to have escaped.
Two like-minded Democrats are matched in yet another test of California’s new rule that pits the top two primary election finishers in the general election, regardless of party.
While there are undeniable parallels in the outlooks of Mr. Bloom and Ms. Butler, his credentials as a humanitarian are unique among seasoned politicians. And that may help explain his lead against an opponent who has received respectable reviews.
The main differences between them, says Mr. Bloom, “are my history in the district and my long record of accomplishments. We have a different approach to governing, too. I see myself as fulfilling my role as representative of the people in the district. It is not all about me.
“You can’t represent every individual among 480,000 people. So you try to synthesize that, to represent as well as possible the largest groups in the district.
“On the City Council, that comes very naturally to me.”
Doing Something About It
Unlike fellow politicians who talk about helping the less fortunate, Mr. Bloom, a family man, left a comfortable professional niche a few years ago and plunged into a much less glamourous pursuit.
Hitting his professional stride in his 50s, after more than 30 years as a family law attorney, the restless Mr. Bloom put it aside to enlist with an organization that advocates for the homeless, Path Partners.
Still not sounding the exactly correct chord in his life, Mr. Bloom bided his time on the Council until this juicy Assembly seat bobbed before his eyes.
His future began to take shape three years ago this month. It was triggered by the downturn in the economy, which prompted him to leave his executive role at Path.
“I was reassessing what I wanted to do with my life,” Mr. Bloom said.
The expiration date of his fourth and latest term on the Council would dovetail with an opportunity to take a swing at the state Legislature.
Components of a Decision
One other element helped – redrawing the district that affects Santa Monica, running from Malibu/Pacific Palisades to Hollywood
Mr. Bloom’s campaigning, casual in the early months, has been intense for the past year.
“From my perspective,” he said, “the redistricting was very friendly for me. This territory has been my stomping grounds for the last 45 years. I have lived in all parts of the District.”
He was a California Coastal Commissioner, Chair of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, Chair of the Westside Cities Council of Governments, and board member of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy,
A spokesperson said that “Richard has represented every corner of the Assembly district by protecting our irreplaceable environment, by helping to find agreement on regional transportation projects and by providing leadership on a range of other important issues.”
“It just makes a lot of sense to me to run for this seat,” Mr. Bloom said.
“Fundamentally, my agenda starts with approving jobs in the economy and doing more responsible budgeting. This is what I have seen work in Santa Monica. It would help us restore cuts to education, which was a big priority for me in Santa Monica, as it is for the state.”
To summarize, “education, social services and the environment – climate change. Those are the big issues for me.”
