Felipe Fuentes has caught the lobbying bug.
The first-term councilman announced Sunday that he would be stepping down ten months early next month to join the Apex Group in Sacramento. His decision will leave the northeast San Fernando Valley district without a representative until next July.
Fuentes is going to be a paid advocate for the Associated General Contractors of California and wants to be able to represent them this fall. He had already announced he was not running for reelection in January. More than 20 people have expressed interest in vying for his seat.
Reactions to Fuentes’ announcement were mixed. One resident, who opposed plans for high-speed rail routes in the district, said it’s the best news he’s heard in three years. But Councilman Bob Blumenfield called it “a huge loss” to the Los Angeles community that Fuentes represents.
Fuentes’ service for the 7th District began in 1999 when he was hired as a field deputy to then-City Councilman Alex Padilla. He went on to serve as Deputy Mayor for the San Fernando Valley under James Hahn and became Chief of Staff to the Council President in 2003. In 2007, he was elected to the California State Assembly for the 39th district. He has served in his current capacity since 2013.
Read more about Fuentes’ announcement here.
Image Credit: Flickr User channone, https://flic.kr/p/aEsXoA via (CC BY 2.0)