Shriver, Kuehl Square Off In Debate For LA County Board of Supervisors Seat
SHERMAN OAKS (CBSLA.com) — The race continued Wednesday for Zev Yaroslavsky's seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors as two high-profile candidates squared off in a debate moderated by KCAL9's Dave Bryan.
Kennedy family member and one-time Santa Monica mayor Bobby Shriver and 14-year state lawmaker Sheila Kuehl challenged each other's records at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks during the hour-long sit-down.
At one point, Shriver was criticized for having what some have called a questionable attendance record, following a newspaper report that he was absent for nearly 20 percent of Santa Monica council meetings during his eight years as a council member.
"This is a part-time council," Shriver argued. "I had two day jobs when I was on the council, and when I missed meetings, I was working on the day jobs. People said the work I did there saved millions of lives, so I'm not going to apologize for being absent," he said.
The candidates also disagreed on campaign finance limits, with Shriver accusing Kuehl of taking tens of thousands of dollars in donations to fund her campaign.
Kuehl meanwhile accused Shriver, the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, of financing his own campaign so that he didn't have to take donations from other groups, organizations and people.
The chosen candidate will succeed Yaroslavsky, a longtime veteran on the Board of Supervisors.
Voting is scheduled for June 3.
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