John Paul Drayer will challenge Cristina Garcia for Assembly seat

John Paul Drayer, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia and state Sen. Tony Mendoza.

NORWALK -- John Paul Drayer, a Bellflower resident and former member of the Cerritos College board of trustees, filed papers Monday to challenge embattled Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, who is up for re-election this year. 

Garcia went on an unpaid leave of absence last week after accusations emerged of sexual misconduct. 

"Having effectively no representation in the state assembly 58th District we need new ideas & candidate to turn around the drunken misguided culture of being too close to Sacramento lobbyists," Drayer wrote in an email Sunday.

"Therefore I am seriously thinking about running for this effectively vacant seat. Plus I encourage many others to run in a strong debate about fixing Sacramento to work for working families & small businesses with tax cuts from our large surplus. I will protect the 5th amendment due process rights of men & women equally. No gender should be above another."

Drayer sent a second email Monday confirming he filed to run for the 58th Assembly district seat. 

Elected to the college board in 2012, Drayer was a controversial figure, openly sparring with other board members. He was censured at one point after calling other board members "homophobic Republicans." Drayer is openly gay.

He resigned from the board in 2017 and ran for Bellflower City Council but lost, coming in fourth place with 9.92% of the vote.

By Eric Pierce