Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates has clapped back at attorney Kevin I. Shenkman of Shenkman & Hughes, Malibu, by firmly rejecting claims that the city's at-large election system disenfranchises Latino voters. A heated correspondence has surfaced where Gates outlined the city's stance, ready to defend its current electoral system in the face of Shenkman's litigation threats to shift to by-district elections. Gates insists that accusations of racial polarization in their elections are unfounded, having shared these views in a detailed letter—a public document available on the City of Huntington Beach's website.
As per the letter obtained by the City's official website, the challenge has been introduced by a January 25 correspondence from Shenkman. Shenkman argues that by-district elections would better serve the Latino community; however, Gates contends Huntington Beach has demonstrated a successful record of Latino candidates, rebutting Shenkman's pressure to switch election formats. In a twist to Shenkman's claim, Gates suggests that a by-district system would diminish the voter's influence on citywide decisions—reducing not only the number of council members they vote for but also the frequency of their vote from every two years to less substantial every four years.
Doubling down on the city's stance, Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, a Latina, put a personal spin on the controversy. She asserts her landslide victory in the mayoral race is a testament to the fairness of the current system, and nullifies any argument made against it. "I am 100% Latina and I won in a landslide in 2022 because I worked hard during my campaign," Van Der Mark told the official city website. Van Der Mark's reflections add a layer of complexity to the ongoing debate, as her position symbolizes the voice of a community that does not align with outsider Shenkman's appraisal of systemic bias.
Moreover, the city finds itself on familiar battlegrounds, having previously locked horns over housing policies with the state, hinting at a broader narrative of resistance to change imposed by external entities. Van Der Mark, emboldened by her heritage, encapsulates the city's fighting spirit, noting the resilience of Huntington Beach in standing its ground. "We care about our community, we will fight to protect them, and we will not roll over to mandates from outsiders," she said according to a statement released by the city. The full letter from the City to Shenkman is accessible on the city's website via this link.
