Isadore Hall, a former state Assembly member and state senator, announced Monday that he is running for Los Angeles City Controller, setting up a challenge to incumbent Kenneth Mejia, who has already declared he will seek a second term.
“The people of Los Angeles deserve better,” Hall said. “As City Controller, I’ll root out waste, fraud and abuse, fight corruption, be a relentless taxpayer watchdog, and make government work better for the people. I’m running to bring change to the City Controller’s Office.”
Hall, who moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and previously represented parts of the city in both the Assembly and the Senate, said he entered the race after encouragement from elected officials, pastors, and labor leaders, though he did not name specifics. He comes to the race with an impressive list of endorsements that includes State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor, Blanca Rubio, Mike Gipson, Lisa Calderon, LA County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger and City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.
“Isadore Hall will bring common sense solutions to the office of LA City Controller, he will protect tax dollars and execute audits to hold government accountable all while enhancing transparency,” Ma said. “I am pleased to endorse Isadore Hall for LA City Controller because I know he will be effective, deliver real results and work tirelessly on behalf of the people of Los Angeles.”
Citing his service as a state senator, reserve deputy sheriff, and California Agricultural and Labor Relations Board member, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Hall has the background, experience, and skills to excel as Los Angeles’ next City Controller. “He will protect taxpayers, bring common sense to City Hall, and deliver audits that hold government accountable while enhancing transparency so residents can clearly see how and where their tax dollars are spent. I’m proud to endorse him.”
Hall, 52, has logged nearly 15 years in elected office, beginning on the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2001. In 2003 he joined the Compton City Council, serving as Mayor Pro Tem and working to expand youth programs, promote business growth, and reduce crime.
With a commitment to public safety, Hall became a sworn reserve deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County before being elected to the California Assembly in 2008. During his six years there, he served as Assistant Speaker pro Tempore and chaired the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. He later won a seat in the State Senate in 2014, where he chaired the Senate Governmental Organization Committee and served on key panels for health, insurance, banking, and public employment. Raised in Compton as the youngest of six children of a single mother, Hall has long said his childhood experiences with economic insecurity, underfunded schools, and neighborhood violence shaped his commitment to public service. Hall says his campaign for City Controller is a continuation of his life’s work. “Believing my community deserved better is what inspired me to run for office in the first place,” he said. “That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the urgency for accountability and transparency in Los Angeles. That’s what I intend to deliver.”