“I am a fierce believer that we can create a Culver City that works for everyone.”
At Nancy Barba’s campaign launch on March 16, 2024, a residence in the Arts District held a backyard full of supporters, signs and speeches. The sunny afternoon gathering was the moment for Barba to begin her run for a Culver City Council seat on the November ballot, and the applause was loud.
Barba was preceded at the microphone by Our Culver organizer Sebastian Hernandez, current City Council candidate Bubba Fish, School Board Vice President Triston Ezidore, and Culver City Mayor Yasmine Imani McMorrin, all of whom spoke about the need to address the issues that the city is facing, and not turn back to the insular policies of the past.
Barba began by stating “I am my ancestor’s wildest dreams. My grandparents were braceros, [a term for legal ‘guest workers’ brought in from Mexico] they picked oranges and cotton, all over the Western United States. My mother, who raised four children as a single parent, did the best she could for us with her jobs as a seamstress. I was ‘bussed’ from South LA to Sherman Oaks as a part of the de-segregation efforts [of Los Angeles Unified School District] It’s no surprise at all that I am an equity champion, and I am asking that we focus on care and safety rather than criminalization.”
Barba has already served the city on the Finance Advisory Committee, and is currently a member of the Planning Commission. Her professional career is as a director at an energy efficiency firm. “I’m a climate practitioner, working with city, state and local governments, on decarbonization and energy efficiency programs.”
Barba noted that, along with others in the crowd, she had helped to found Culver City for More Homes, “making housing more available and affordable for everyone. As a city commissioner, I have worked to create the solution to homelessness, which is housing. We can make this … a 15 minute community. This is an urban planning concept, meaning we can walk or bike to work and school, and to shop for the things we need in an easy 15 minutes. This is a major issue for climate, and we know we can make it happen.”
She also voiced her support on working against the prejudice and hate crimes that have been on the rise since 2016. “It’s critical that we stand up for every group that is being scapegoated, because we see it everywhere – if it’s not immigrants, it’s people of color or homeless people – the truth is that we are here because we have not invested in care, for decades.”
Barba also spoke to the need for balance between business interests and community needs. “We want to enhance the city’s reputation as a desirable place for business; not just for business, but for residents and for business.” Noting that more housing and services were a central focus for anyone trying to attract employees, she framed her concepts for city policies as ‘both/and’ rather than ‘either/or.’
While both Bubba Fish and Nancy Barba have hosted events announcing their campaigns, and Council member Vera has communicated that he is running for re-election, there are still more candidates expected. November’s election is shaping to be a very intense council race.
Judith Martin-Straw
