NEW UPDATE: Laura Richardson (D) was finally elected to fill the vacancy in this seat and took office on September 4, 2007. She should easily hold the seat for the Democrats. She was born on April 14, 1962 and is a Methodist.

NEW UPDATE: Under California law, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special election date to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Juanita Millender-McDonald (D). The primary will be held on June 26, 2007. If no one candidate gets a majority of votes, the candidates with the most votes in their respective parties will face a run-off August 21, 2007. Eleven Democrats, four Republicans, one Green Party candidate, and one Libertarian have qualified to appear on the ballot. State Senator Jenny Oropeza and State Assemblywoman Laura Richardson, both Democrats, are the front-runners in the election to replace Millender-McDonald.

UPDATE: Juanita Millender-McDonald (D) died Sunday, April 22, 2007, of cancer. Governor Schwarznegger has fourteen days to call for a special election to fill the vacancy. This is a strong Democratic district that is now filling up with Mexicans. This has been a district with an Afro-American congressman and it will be interesting to see what happens in the special election. Will the Hispanic vote be able to flex its muscles and take the district? The problem for the Hispanic candidate is that most of the new Mexican residents are not American citizens and can't vote.

ORIGINAL COMMENT: This is another traditional Black area of LA that is filling up with Hispanics. This district is only 1/4 Black now and about 1/2 Hispanic. The Hispanics can't vote so the Blacks still predominate. Kerry polled 74% of the vote in this district. Juanita Millender-McDonald first won a special election in 1996 with only 27% of the vote, but she has won with over 70% since then. She was born in 1938 and is Baptist.