Leonard Lahtinen
Leonard Lahtinen was a candidate for District 1 on the Anaheim City Council in California. Although Anaheim's city council elections are officially nonpartisan, Lahtinen is known to be affiliated with the Democratic Party.[1] He was defeated in the general election on November 8, 2016.
District 1 was a new district in 2016. In 2014, voters approved a ballot measure to expand the Anaheim City Council in 2016 from four council members to six council members.[2] Starting with the 2016 elections, city council members were also selected in by-district elections rather than at-large elections.[2]
Lahtinen previously ran for the city council in 1998.[3] He won 14 percent of the vote in that race, placing fourth of seven candidates competing for the two available council seats.[3]
Biography
Lahtinen obtained a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and an M.A. from Northern Illinois University.[4] Before his retirement in 1993, he was a teacher in the Anaheim Union High School District.[4][5]
Lahtinen has been an elected member of the North Orange County Community College District Board since 1990, and has served as its secretary, vice president, and president during his tenure.[6] He is the vice chair of the West Anaheim Neighborhood Council and has served as president of the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association, chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority Citizens Advisory Committee, foreman pro tem of the Orange County Grand Jury, and a member of the Anaheim Museum Board of Trustees, the Anaheim Boys and Girls Club Board of Trustees, the City of Anaheim Growth Management Committee, the Magnolia School District Bond Oversight Committee, the West Anaheim Neighborhood Development Council, and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim.[4][6]
Campaign themes
2016
Lahtinen participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Provide services to eliminate homelessness[7][8] | ” |
When asked what he would most like to change about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Improve neighborhood amenities especially in West Anaheim[7][8] | ” |
When asked what he is most proud of about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | The Disneyland, Anaheim Convention Center resort area[7][8] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Homelessness | |
| Crime reduction/prevention | |
| K-12 education | |
| Government transparency | |
| Public pensions/retirement funds | |
| City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | |
| Housing | |
| Transportation | |
| Unemployment | |
| Recreational opportunities | |
| Civil rights | |
| Environment | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer four questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| State | |
| Increased police presence/activity | |
| Recruiting new businesses to your city |
Additional themes
In his candidate statement of qualifications, Lahtinen said:[9]
| “ |
As a longtime active West Anaheim resident, I am excited our neighborhood finally has the opportunity to elect its own Anaheim City Council Member this November. I would be honored to serve as that individual. My wife and I have been West Anaheim residents and homeowners since 1962, when I became a teacher in the Anaheim Union High School District. We raised our two sons here, where they proudly attended our neighborhood’s public schools. I have served as Vice Chair of the West Anaheim Neighborhood Council, a West Anaheim Little League Team Manager, an Anaheim Boys & Girls Club Board Member, and a Council Member at my West Anaheim church. I have represented you since 1990 as an elected Member of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees. I have worked to make Cypress and Fullerton Colleges among the most respected Community Colleges in California and helped move our District headquarters and its classrooms to West Anaheim. I know West Anaheim well, including the number of challenges we face as a community-- Beach Boulevard, the homeless, and a proliferation of apartments. I have the experience to make sure they receive necessary attention. I respectfully request your vote.[8] |
” |
Elections
2016
The city of Anaheim, California, held elections for city council on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 12, 2016. Because of a switch from at-large to by-district elections, four of the six city council seats were up for election.[10][11] The following candidates ran in the Anaheim City Council District 1 general election.[12]
| Anaheim City Council, District 1 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Denise Barnes |
27.28% | 3,646 |
| Steven Chavez Lodge | 25.10% | 3,355 |
| Leonard Lahtinen | 21.38% | 2,858 |
| Mark Daniels | 14.22% | 1,901 |
| Orlando Perez | 6.06% | 810 |
| Angel VanStark | 2.99% | 400 |
| Freddy Carvajal | 2.97% | 397 |
| Total Votes | 13,367 | |
| Source: Orange County Elections, "Official Results for Election," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Endorsements
2016
Lahtinen received endorsements from the following in 2016:
- Democratic Party of Orange County[13]
- Former Anaheim City Council Member Shirley McCracken[14]
- Former Anaheim City Council Member Irv Pickler[14]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Lahtinen and his wife, Janet, are members of the Faith Lutheran Church of West Anaheim.[4][6] Their sons, Lee and Todd, attended West Anaheim public schools.[4]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Leonard Lahtinen Anaheim. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Anaheim, California
- Municipal elections in Anaheim, California (2016)
- United States municipal elections, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Anaheim Blog, "UPDATED: Final List of Anaheim City Council Candidates," August 15, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 City of Anaheim, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed August 31, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 League of Women Voters, "Member, City Council; City of Anaheim," accessed August 31, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Voice of OC, "Leonard Lahtinen Announces Candidacy for Anaheim City Council," June 28, 2016
- ↑ League of Women Voters, "Full Biography for Leonard 'Len' Lahtinen," accessed September 6, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 North Orange County Community College District, "Biographies," accessed September 1, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2016, "Leonard Lahtinen's Responses," October 19, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ City of Anaheim, "Candidate Statement of Qualifications," accessed September 1, 2016
- ↑ City of Anaheim, "Elections 2016," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ KPCC, "5 changes for Anaheim now that district elections are coming," February 10, 2016
- ↑ City of Anaheim, "Qualified Candidate List - November 8, 2016 Election," accessed August 15, 2016
- ↑ OC Politics Blog, "Official Endorsements for Orange County Candidates General Election: November 8, 2016," accessed August 31, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Voice of OC, "Anaheim City Councilmembers Shirley McCracken and Irv Pickler Endorse Leonard Lahtinen for Anaheim City Council," September 6, 2016
