Palacio Podcast
Dee Andrews: Incumbent Seeking Re-Election for City Council District 6
Vice Mayor Dee Andrews is seeking his third term to continue to represent Long Beach City Council District 6. Andrews faces five opponents in the March 3rd election. The Vice Mayor speaks proudly about his tenure in office and his long experience of over sixty years in Long Beach. His determination to run again, according to Andrews, is rooted in keeping alive a legacy of African-American representation on the City Council after years of exclusion. However, Dee Andrews also points to his long residency as a strong point.
“I’ve been here since I was 5 years old and like I said I’m seventy-nine years old and I know Long Beach.”
Editor’s Note: There seems to be some disagreement over whether this is Councilman’s Dee Andrews’s third or fourth run. According to the timeline of his time in office, it is technically only his third run. That’s because his most recent run in 2016 was as a write-in candidate and therefore he was not officially on the ballot. (Confused yet?). Last November, city voters approved Measure BBB which set term limits that councilmembers can serve to three while eliminating the write-in option. You can read more HERE.
Andrews first made it on the council — representing central Long Beach’s District 6 — during a 2007 special election, and has won three subsequent re-election campaigns. He won his most recent term in 2016 as a write-in candidate, because city law at the time allowed incumbents to run for an unlimited number of terms, but to only appear on the primary ballot twice.
His longevity and age, says Vice Mayor Dee Andrews, translates into wisdom.
“I know the city. I know my community…I know every corner of my district.”
PalacioMagazine.com interviewed City Council candidates for Districts 2, 6, and 8. We asked each candidate the same three questions with follow-ups for clarification and more in-depth information.
- Why are you running?
- What is your vision for the District?
- Name and discuss two or three Policy issues
PalacioMagazine.com sat down with Vice Mayor Dee Andrews to get his answers to these questions.
More on Vice Mayor Dee Andrews
“Councilman Dee Andrews has been a resident of central Long Beach, California, for the past 60 years. He is a proud graduate and former star athlete of Long Beach Polytechnic High School. While attending Poly, he received the All-American High School Football and Track Award. He was also the first African-American Student body president at Poly High School. Mr. Andrews went on to attend both the University of California Los Angeles and the California State University Long Beach. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Science and Physical Education from California State University Long Beach.
Mr. Andrew’s other achievements are the induction into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame, All American Junior College Football and Track Award, and he holds the World Record for 330 Intermediate Hurdles.
The All-American football player for the Dallas Cowboys returned to Long Beach to teach Black History and Government at Long Beach Poly and Wilson High Schools. Currently, he is employed by the Long Beach Unified School District as a Court Liaison assisting young people coming out of juvenile camps and transitioning back into school.
He has been inducted into the Long Beach Century Club Hall of Fame for his athletic accomplishments. The American Red Cross also honors the Councilman as a 2008 Hometown Hero. This honor is for the recognition of him leaping into action and helping to save an elderly woman from a burning building and chasing down a flasher who was assaulting children at a local restaurant.
Known as the “Son of the Sixth” by the residents, Mr. Andrews is a father of three adult children and seven grandchildren. His vision for the central area is to attract businesses into the 6th District and to pursue employment opportunities for the unemployed residents, with emphasis on the many individuals with barriers to traditional employment due to past criminal records. He also promotes after-school programs for youth which include tutoring and mentoring, the improvements of public safety and communication with residents, and the creation of the much-needed infrastructure improvements for central Long Beach.” Source: Official Council Biography
For more information on the re-election campaign of Vice Mayor Dee Andrews, visit his campaign Facebook page HERE.
More on the March 3, 2020 Election
- Feb 03, 2020-Feb 25, 2020: Vote by Mail — First and last day to apply. VBM Applications may be submitted between these dates (both dates inclusive). Applications received prior to the 29th day preceding the election will be kept and processed during this period.
- Feb 18, 2020: Last day to register to vote.
- Feb 22, 2020-Mar 03, 2020: Vote Centers Voting Period. Vote Centers open beginning 10 days prior to the election day.
- Mar 03, 2020: Election Day
Visit the Long Beach City Clerk website for more information on the candidates and ballot measures.
