Pasadena City Councilwoman Felicia Williams is running for State Assembly seat – Orange County Register

Pasadena City Councilwoman Felicia Williams will compete for the seat in the 41st State Assembly, which will become vacant with the departure of longtime incumbent Rep. Chris Holden.

Williams was elected to the Pasadena City Council in 2020 to represent District 2, which is roughly bounded by Lake Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, Craig Avenue, and Lexington Avenue. She was appointed deputy mayor last December.

The 41st State Assembly District of California is located in Pasadena and includes the communities of San Gabriel Mountain and Promontory.

Williams said she wanted to run for higher office because she felt the council’s hands were tied on important issues and realized she could probably help the city more at the state level than on the city council.

“If I look at all the major crises that we’re dealing with, they’re government issues,” Williams said. “Often our hands are tied about what we as councilors can do with affordable housing, with homelessness, with the environment, because state legislation has either tied our hands or limited our options.”

Williams said if elected her priorities would be land use and planning, the environment and infrastructure funding.

She also addressed criticism that her government record was more conservative than her campaign, during which she received multiple endorsements from key Democratic Party elected officials, including Congressmen Judy Chu and Adam Schiff, and Rep. Chris Holden.

Williams also changed her party registration from a Democrat to no party preference shortly before taking office.

“All of this was done to best serve all the people of the city,” she said. “I feel that through my Council work I’ve been able to hear different opinions, to find compromises, and that’s really how I see my work here and how I would expect it to be in the legislature.”

She listed a recent vote to declare a climate emergency and set a goal to get the city’s electricity from carbon-free sources, which she worked on as chair of the Municipal Services Committee among her key accomplishments.

According to ballot records, on Jan. 25, the Felicia Williams for Assembly 2024 committee received $5,500 from the Anthony Portantino for Senate 2020 committee.