Newly elected California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal returned to his old high school thirty-five years after attending to be ceremoniously sworn in to his seat Saturday.
With his father, former Congressman Alan Lowenthal and his mother Bonnie, looking on, Lowenthal, who represents areas of Long Beach near Los Alamitos and Seal Beach, was introduced by his brother, Superior Court Judge Daniel Lowenthal.
Lowenthal won the seat in the Nov. 8 general election.
Many state and local elected officials attended the event, area Congressman Robert Garcia, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Sen. Lena Gonzales, and about 20 other area officials, including a dozen members of the California Assembly.
Judge Lowenthal said his younger brother showed leadership qualities as far back as grade school, taking an interest in debating issues and representing student interests. Lowenthal said his brother became student body President at Cornell University and studied Latin American studies in grad school at UC San Diego.
The younger Lowenthal became a teacher, then traveled to more than 100 countries after becoming an entrepreneur.
He is now uniquely qualified to represent the constituents in his Long Beach district.
“Josh is truly the political trailblazer in this family,” the Superior Court judge said. “He was always drawn to public service.”
In his address to the group, Josh Lowenthal pledged to use his experience to work for the district during what he called “transformative” times.
“We are in the midst of a revolution that requires us to hold on to those values across our great state,” he said.
“We are undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation in technology and artificial intelligence,” he said, “and automation that has upended social norms.” He said that combination makes the public “susceptible to disinformation and propaganda.”
Lowenthal said entire sectors of the economy are being uprooted, creating “well-founded concerns about the emotional development of our children.”
We’re in the midst of an environmental transformation, he said, “facing the painful process of migrating away from energy and systems that can threaten our very existence.” He also pledged adjustments in the criminal justice system and to work on other needed reforms, like creating more opportunities for women.
“We handicap our own achievement with our complete and total inability to provide equal opportunity for women,” said Lowenthal.
Lowenthal said he takes the constitutional oath seriously and would represent everyone equally, “not just those with the same experiences, the same perspective, the same political party, the same interests everywhere because we all need government to work for everyone.”
