Cover Stories It’s A Good Day In Compton; Zurita sails to win; Sharif brings new vision to City Council
It was indeed A Good Day In Compton for incumbent Janna Zurita and school board member Emma Sharif at Tuesday General Election for council seats in District 1 and District 4, respectively.
Zurita sailed to a commanding victory over Hispanic Richard Alatorre to retain her District 1 seat winning 753 votes to 615.
“This was a hard fought victory,” said Zurita from her campaign headquarters on Compton Blvd. “We had to spend over $100,000 in this election and it was a difficult race to win, but we are grateful to the voters of Compton who want us to continue to doing the good work for them.”
There are still 370 provisional ballots to be counted by Compton City Clerk Anita Goodwin, and this election will have to be certified, but it appears that Zurita’s lead will hold firm.
Meanwhile, while it was a good day for one incumbent, it wasn’t so good for the other District 4 Council member Dr. Willie O. Jones who vowed to retain Congressional candidate Isadore Hall’s seat.
Veteran Compton Unified School District Board member Shariff staved off Jones winning 433 votes to 353. Not even a Jones aid feels that the provisional ballots will be enough for him to retain his seat on the council.
While clearly being no stranger to the Hub City, Sharif has demonstrated her passion and commitment to success for all students and the larger Compton Community for more than 20 years. She has led by example; first as a classroom teacher, then as a youth director, and now as a member of the Compton Unified School Board of Trustees and possibly as a member of the Compton City Council pending certification.
Zurita had won the right to face Alatorre by capturing 456 votes for 32.9 percent to Alatorre 362 votes for 26.1 in April.
“I’m honored by the support our campaign received tonight, from residents across Compton’s First Council District. I’m looking forward to continuing t to improve the delivery of government services, increase transparency at City Hall, and move our city forward,” said Zurita.
In her first foray onto the political stage, Janna Zurita was overwhelmingly elected to the Compton City Council on June 7, 2011, soundly defeating eight-year incumbent Barbara Calhoun to represent the First District.
A product of the Compton Unified School District, Councilmember Zurita graduated from Compton High School in 1982. She furthered her education at Compton Community College and Long Beach City College, where she was trained and certified as a surgical nurse.
On July 12, 2010, Zurita was elected to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee, representing the 52nd Assembly District.
The youngest member of the Compton City Council, Councilmember Zurita was selected as Mayor Pro Tem on July 5, 2011. She currently represents the city as an alternate on the California Joint Powers Authority and the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (District 1).
As a member of the Compton City Council, Zurita is championing the causes she promised to address when campaigning. She has led the charge to reduce water rates in the City of Compton. Working to improve the quality of life for all Compton residents, Councilmember Zurita supports public safety, clean and safe parks and neighborhoods, enhanced street and sidewalk services, new business development, and senior services.
Sharif was appointed to the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2001 and in 2003 was elected to her first full term as a CUSD Board member and continues service to her present term.
She has held major leadership roles on the CUSD Board of Trustees: President, Vice President, Legislative Representative, and Clerk of the CUSD Board of Trustees. Her association with the California School Board Association began in 2004 and continues to this date, where she is an elected member of the CSBA Delegate Assembly. Her membership as a Delegate allows her to impact statewide educational issues and serve as a positive voice for Compton students, families, employees, and the Community at the state level.
Sharif holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science/Sociology from California State University Dominguez Hills and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from National University. Her determination to ensure success for all students is shown through her steadfast devotion to the "Beating the Odds" scholarship program for homeless and/or foster youth.
During her tenure as a Compton Unified School District Board member, CUSD has moved from a District under state controlled governance, financial, and educational supervision through State Receivership; to a healthy locally governed educational Institution.
Emma Sharif is dedicated to making Compton a strong, safe, healthy, well-educated city with equal opportunities for success for all.