Two Burbank City Council members are campaigning for new offices in 2024

By Fronnie Lewis Tuesday, March 28, 2023

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Burbank
Burbank City Council
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Mayor Konstantine Anthony
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Vice Mayor Nick Schultz

It’s official — Burbank Vice Mayor Nick Schultz is running for the State Assembly in District 44. The city council member announced his campaign in emails and press releases last Friday, March 24. Just days before on March 12, Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony tweeted out his intentions to challenge incumbent Kathryn Barger for her Los Angeles County Supervisor position. The primary is March 5, 2024.

The launch of Anthony’s campaign is set for Monday, April 3. However, the mayor already sounds like a candidate in some of his tweets. Also, Anthony and Schultz have quite a bit in common. Both council members are in full campaign mode seeking donations, endorsements, and community involvement. Each has more than a year left on his first term on city council. Not only are both very active in Burbank, but outside the city limits as well. In fact, rumor has it both gave off vibes of someone with an eye on holding a higher office. Perhaps, the sudden dramatic shift in the political landscape gave them the incentive to take the leap.

First elected in 2016, State Assembly member Laura Friedman represents District 44. Last January, Friedman jumped into the race for Rep. Adam Schiff’s congressional seat in District 30. Friedman’s announcement followed Schiff’s decision to run for Dianne Feinstein’s U.S. Senate seat. Last month, Supervisor Barger kicked off her campaign for reelection to a third term in District 5. Still, Mayor Anthony decided to join Pasadena State Assembly member Chris Holden ( District 41) in the tough battle of facing off against the veteran supervisor.

Then again, maybe the shuffling of politicians in the area was not behind the bold moves by Anthony and Schultz. Perhaps the uncertainty of the upcoming changes in the Burbank City Council election prompted the two to look elsewhere for jobs. In January, the Burbank City Council voted to begin the process of transitioning from an at-large to a by-district election for council seats. The first community forum on the transition is set for this Thursday, March 30, at the Buena Vista Library. Also, the Burbank Unified School District is switching to a by-district method for the election of its school board. So a lot of changes ahead for Burbank.

Note: photo courtesy Nick Schultz for State Assembly 2024, graphic from Konstantine Anthony’s campaign for Los Angeles County supervisor

Fronnie Lewis

Fronnie Lewis is the editor of mediacitygroove.com. She has an extensive background in newsgathering and writing, including more than two decades as a newswriter at KNBC-TV Los Angeles. She graduated from Stanford University, where she studied journalism and broadcast news.