Latino Reaches Runoff in Compton Council Race

A 57-year-old bakery owner on Tuesday became the first Latino to win enough votes to become a candidate in a Compton City Council runoff election. Pedro Pallan, president of the city’s Latino Chamber of Commerce, came in second in a six-way race with 21% of the vote.

However, between now and the June 4 runoff Pallan faces an uphill fight in his quest to become the first Latino elected to municipal office in the city. The leading vote-getter, Omar Bradley, 32-year-old Lynwood High School teacher, received 31.2%.

Pallan’s showing at the polls was a milestone for Compton Latinos, who have been pressing both city and school officials for a greater share of the political power, for affirmative-action hiring programs and for better services. Recently released U.S. Census figures show that the number of Latinos in the city jumped 131% over the last 10 years and that Latinos now make up 44% of the city’s population.