Richard Anthony Alarcon is a Californiapolitician who was a Los Angeles City Council member. A Democrat, he served in the California State Senate and, for approximately three months, in the California State Assembly. Alarcon first served as an assistant to Los Angeles MayorTom Bradley before gaining a seat on the City Council to represent the 7th District in 1993. One year into his second term as a City Councilman, Alarcon resigned to become a State Senator in 1998, representing the 20th Senate district. Term limits prevented him from seeking a third Senate term in December 2006. Among Alarcon's accomplishments while in the California Senate were workers' compensation reform and recovery funding for the community of Northridge following the deadly earthquake of 1994. Alarcon served as Majority Whip during all eight of his years in the State Senate. During the San Fernando Valley secession movement of 2002, there was talk that if the Valley seceded, Alarcon might become mayor of the new city. Alarcon decided not to run for Valley mayor, and instead opposed secession. Alarcon's council district was the most opposed to secession of any district in the San Fernando Valley. In 2005, Alarcon ran for mayor of Los Angeles. He finished a distant fifth, gaining less than 2% of the vote, behind Bernard Parks, Bob Hertzberg, incumbent James Hahn, and Antonio Villaraigosa. After serving as a state senator for 8 years, in 2006 Alarcon ran unopposed for California's 39th State Assembly district representing the San Fernando Valley area. Shortly after winning office, Alarcon announced his intention to seek a third term in 2007 as Los Angeles City Councilman in the 7th district, replacing Alex Padilla, who was resigning after winning a seat on State Senate. In the special election, held in March, Alarcon won easily. He resigned from the Assembly soon thereafter. His 102-day tenure in the Assembly was the shortest service in the California legislature since 1981, excluding one person elected but not sworn in. Richard Alarcon has four children who were educated in public schools in the San Fernando Valley. He is a former teacher. Alarcon lost a son to a fatal car accident. He is a graduate of California State University, Northridge. He is Roman Catholic.
Residency scandal
In August 2010 Alarcon was indicted on perjury and voter fraud charges for not living in his district and lying in campaign disclosure documents about his official residence. Six members of his staff—chief of staff Saeed Ali as well as Becca Doten, Ackley Padilla, Lidia Soto, Nancy Hodges and John de la Rosa—testified in front of a grand jury on July 7. He has raised at least $9,000 from donors to cover legal fees he may face as the investigation continues. The charges were dismissed by Judge Kathleen Kennedy in May 2012, but District Attorney Steve Cooley refiled them. Alarcon was charged with 18 counts involving false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting, and perjury. On July 23, 2014, Alarcon was convicted of three counts of voter fraud and one count of perjury. After serving his full sentence through 51 days of house arrest, his conviction was overturned by an appeals court. Charges were again refiled.
