Richard Alarcón Politician
Richard Anthony Alarcón (born November 24, 1953) is a California politician who was a Los Angeles City Council member. A Democrat, he served in the California State Senate and, for approximately three months, in the California State Assembly.Alarcón first served as an assistant to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley before gaining a seat on the City Council to represent the 7th District in 1993. One year into his second term as a City Councilman, Alarcón resigned to become a State Senator in 1998, representing the 20th Senate district. Term limits prevented him from seeking a third Senate term in December 2006. Among Alarcón's accomplishments while in the California Senate were workers' compensation reform and recovery funding for the community of Northridge following the deadly earthquake of 1994. Alarcón served as Majority Whip during all eight of his years in the State Senate.During the San Fernando Valley secession movement of 2002, there was talk that if the Valley seceded, Alarcon might become mayor of the new city. Alarcon decided not to run for Valley mayor, and instead opposed secession. Alarcon's council district was the most opposed to secession of any district in the San Fernando Valley.In 2005, Alarcón ran for mayor of Los Angeles. He finished a distant fifth, gaining less than 2% of the vote, behind Bernard Parks, Bob Hertzberg, incumbent James Hahn, and Antonio Villaraigosa. After serving as a state senator for 8 years, in 2006 Alarcón ran unopposed for California's 39th State Assembly district representing the San Fernando Valley area.Shortly after taking office, Alarcón announced his intention to seek a third term in 2007 as Los Angeles City Councilman in the 7th district. In the special election, held in March, Alarcón won easily (receiving 55%). He resigned from the Assembly soon thereafter. His tenure in the Assembly, totalling 102 days, was the shortest service in that house since 1981.Richard Alarcón has four children who were educated in public schools in the San Fernando Valley. He is a former teacher. Alarcón lost a son to a fatal car accident.He is a graduate of California State University, Northridge. He is Roman Catholic.