Heather Hutt

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Heather Hutt
Heather Hutt, 2022.jpg
Hutt in 2022
Member of the Los Angeles City Council
from the 10th district
Assumed office
September 2, 2022
Preceded byHerb Wesson
Personal details
Born (1959-04-05) April 5, 1959 (age 64)
Los Angeles, California
Political partyDemocratic
Children3

Heather J. Hutt (born April 5, 1959) is an American politician who is currently serving as a councilmember representing the 10th District of Los Angeles since September 2, 2022. She was previously a candidate for California's 54th State Assembly district in 2021 and served as a California State Director for then-Senator Kamala Harris from 2019 to 2020.[1]

Early political career

In 2011, Hutt was hired as a District Director for Assemblymember Isadore Hall III, which she continued following Hall's election to the California State Senate. In February 2017, Hutt was named the Regional Deputy Director for then-Senator Kamala Harris. On March 28, 2019, Harris announced new hires for senior roles, to which Hutt was hired as the California State Director.[2]

On February 1, 2022, Hutt announced that she would be running for California's 54th State Assembly district after it was vacated by Sydney Kamlager's election to the California State Senate.[3][4] She was endorsed by politicians such as Janice Hahn, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, and Maxine Waters.[5] In the election, she was led by Isaac Bryan in the initial count, and lost the special primary to Bryan on May 18, 2021.[6][7]

Los Angeles City Council

In March 2022, Hutt was appointed by councilmember Herb Wesson to be his chief of staff for District 10 after he fired the previous chief of staff and former caretaker of the district, Karly Katona.[8] Hutt's appointment was historic as she is the first African American woman to serve as chief of staff since 1973, when Maxine Waters was chief deputy to David S. Cunningham Jr.[9] In July 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta granted activists against Wesson's appointment to sue, and Wesson was blocked from serving as councilmember; Council President Nury Martinez appointed Hutt as a caretaker of the district.[10]

After a month of no representation, residents of District 10 asked for voting privileges for Hutt to give them a voice in the City Council.[11][12] On August 26, 2022, Martinez introduced a motion to appoint Hutt as a councilmember, which was seconded by four other members.[1][13] The motion was opposed by Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Mike Bonin, who instead proposed instructing the City Attorney to find eligibility requirements for appointments.[14][15] On August 30, the vote to instate Hutt as a councilmember fell one vote short, with five voting for and five voting against; it was refereed to the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee for further discussion.[16] The Committee cleared her for reconsideration by the Council the next day, and Hutt was confirmed by the Council in the next meeting and sworn in on September 2, 2022.[17][18]

Electoral history

California's 54th State Assembly district special election, 2021
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Sydney Kamlager
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Isaac Bryan 21,472 50.8
Democratic Heather Hutt 10,538 24.9
Democratic Cheryl Turner 4,072 9.6
Democratic Dallas Denise Fowler 3,235 7.6
No party preference Bernard Senter 1,667 3.9
Democratic Samuel Morales 1,304 3.1
Total votes 42,288 100.0
Democratic hold

References

  1. ^ a b Powells, Darleene (August 26, 2022). "Motion made to appoint Heather Hutt for Mark Ridley-Thomas' LA City Council seat". CBS News.
  2. ^ "Harris Announces Diverse New Hires In Senior Roles". Los Angeles Sentinel. March 28, 2019.
  3. ^ "HEATHER HUTT LAUNCHES BID FOR ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 54". Los Angeles Sentinel. February 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Desai, Ishani (March 12, 2021). "Three candidates contend for District 54 Assembly seat, including UCLA staff member". Daily Bruin.
  5. ^ Gordon, Eric A. (May 3, 2021). "Race heats up in California's 54th Assembly District". People's World.
  6. ^ Desai, Ishan (May 28, 2021). "UCLA alum Isaac Bryan to represent District 54 following special election". Daily Bruin.
  7. ^ "Bryan leads semi-official results in 54th Assembly special election, just short of majority". Daily Breeze. May 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Zahniser, David (March 21, 2022). "With Herb Wesson back at City Hall, two top aides to Mark Ridley-Thomas are pushed out". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^ Blakewell Jr., Danny J. (March 23, 2022). "Wesson Appoints Heather Hutt as 10th District Chief of Staff". Los Angeles Sentinel.
  10. ^ Regardie, Jon (July 25, 2022). "District 10 Hurled Back In Time as Political Battle Royale Intensifies". Los Angeles.
  11. ^ Jackson-Fossett, Cora (August 18, 2022). "Community Requests CD 10 Voting Privileges for Hutt". Los Angeles Sentinel.
  12. ^ "Residents of 10th District still without voting member on LA City Council". CBS News. August 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Kevin Andrew, Dolak (August 26, 2022). "L.A. Council President Proposes Heather Hutt Represent District 10". Los Angeles.
  14. ^ Chou, Elizabeth (August 26, 2022). "LA City Council may tussle over the push for Heather Hutt to replace Mark Ridley-Thomas". Los Angeles Daily News.
  15. ^ Smith, Dakota (August 26, 2022). "L.A. City Council splits on how to fill indicted Councilman Ridley-Thomas' seat". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ^ "LA Council members delay Heather Hutt's nomination for 10th District". Spectrum News 1. August 30, 2022.
  17. ^ "Heather Hutt's nomination for vacant LA Council seat clears committee". Los Angeles Daily News. August 31, 2022.
  18. ^ "LA City Council appoints Heather Hutt to fill interim council member for 10th district". CBS News. September 2, 2022.
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