[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he Heart of Screenland was well over a century in existence when Daniel Lee made history as the first African American ever elected to Culver City Council in 2018—a position he had unsuccessfully ran for a few years prior.
Now, Lee is currently setting his sights on the empty seat for California’s 30th State Senate District up for grabs in a special election set for March 2nd.
An area made up of Culver City, Ladera Heights, alongside parts of Inglewood and Los Angeles, the seat was left vacant by current Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors member Holly Mitchell. California Governor Gavin Newsom called for the special election late last year.
During Lee’s time as a city councilman, he successfully pushed for rent control measures in favor of renters, insured commercial development ordinances were inclusionary, increased property transfer tax on sales above $1.5 million, and took steps to phase out toxic oil extraction from Culver City’s portion of the Inglewood Oil Field that affected nearby residences.