CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO — Marq Hawkins, who grew up in Compton with friends Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Yella, is running for mayor of Cal City against current mayor Kelly Kulikoff.
- Hawkins has arranged a Meet the Candidates event on Monday, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 10447 South Loop in California City. The event is also available on Zoom. More information can be found on the event website and for more events visit Hawkins' site.
- Kelly Kulikoff, the current mayor of California City, says he's running for re-election.
- Duane Vasquez, who created I Love Cal City, says he's in the process of running for mayor.
- Jesse Hightower, the former Cal City police chief, is running for one of two council seats. The candidates for council also include: former city clerk Socorro Chavez, Shawn Bradley, Quiana Sandres-Spears and Michael Hurles. LaShelle Cooper is also running for council. Cooper is a currently a council member. She took over the seat vacated by Karen Macedonio.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
You would think with all the chaos in California City that no one would want to try and lead the high desert community... well think again.
I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter...
Not only is current Mayor Kelly Kulikoff running for re-election... but he has at least two other candidates in this race.
"I was the guy in the group that stayed in school and had sort of that academic piece that I brought in. We were all "blerds," black nerds, but we sort of understood the importance of what we were doing," Marq Hawkins says.
Hawkins, who is running for mayor of California City, grew up in Compton, where he was a founding member of World Class Wreckin' Cru, the group that included Dr. Dre and Yella who went on to fame with NWA.
Hawkins also says Ice Cube was a mentor of his while in LA.... saying they had a passion to succeed …
"To set a good example for our community and for the hip-hop community," Hawkins says.
Hawkins tells me he's going to help Cal City change its tune.
He says he wants success for the desert town. A tall task.
Voters recently shot down a measure that would have helped fund police and fire. In addition, several issues in the most recent grand jury report have not been solved.
"Something has to change. The city needs a new direction. It needs new leadership," Hawkins says.
Kelly Kulikoff says he wants to continue his job as mayor.
"I have the knowledge and ability to balance this budget," Kulikoff says.
Duane Vasquez, who created I Love Cal City, tells me he's in the process of running for mayor.
He worked for the city golf course and was among 19 employees who were cut due to budget shortfalls.
The deadline to turn in the proper paperwork to run for mayor is Friday at 5 p.m.
"I just feel there hasn't been anyone that joined the race for mayor as of yet that I see as a candidate that can actually get something done and move us forward," Kulikoff says.
Hawkins has arranged a Meet the Candidates event on Monday and invites candidates running for council as well.
Jesse Hightower, who was fired as police chief in April, is running for one of two council seats.
Hawkins tells me he might rap during his campaign. He joked around with me using a diss similar to Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar's.
"Kelly not us. Kelly not us. … Nah, I'm not going to do that to him."
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