LONG BEACH - As soon as Dee Andrews steps outside his campaign office on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, he is greeted by a string of hellos and friendly honks. Teenage boys and girls, along with their mothers, and seniors stop in their tracks for a quick chat with the self-proclaimed son of the 6th District.
On a recent afternoon, the conversation goes beyond the usual. Andrews, 66, explains that he is running for the 6th Council District seat in a May 1 special election. Do they live in the 6th District, he asks.
Are they registered to vote? A Latina excitedly says she'll register in order to vote for the man she calls "papi." A group of black teens wave and cross the street to pay their respects.
A mother of three teenagers stops on her way to a clothing store, assuring him that she's registered and will vote for him. To Andrews, who moved to Long Beach from Texas when he was 6 years old, the 6th District is like a small town where everyone knows each other. Or at least him.
He grew up here, attending Roosevelt Elementary, Franklin Junior High and Poly High School. The All-American football player returned to his hometown to teach history and government at Poly and Wilson high
As a court liaison for the Long Beach Unified School District, Andrews helps young people coming out of juvenile camp transition back into schools. He believes in second chances. "We're very hard on mistakes, but someone's gotta forgive," he said.
Andrews has had his own mistakes. In his 30s while hanging out with star athletes, he says, he was caught with marijuana and cocaine. "It almost destroyed my life," he said.
He spent 8 months in jail. It took 10 years to regain his teaching credentials. In the meantime, he sold cars, unloaded cargo and worked in the oil fields to make a living.
He credits his religion for turning his life around. "That's my past. I have nothing to hide.
I don't want to have to lie," he said. He has devoted his life to mentoring at-risk youth and founded The Fathers, a community group that teaches black and Latino children about their heritage and identity. "All I can do is talk to kids," he said.
Andrews is able to talk to, and connect with, apparently anyone, regardless of ethnicity, status or age. "He knows the local people. He can talk to everybody," said Tracy Kittinger, a volunteer political consultant for Andrews' campaign.
"He could go out to campus and talk people out of rioting. He knows the district better than anyone else." When he walks into a local Cambodian grocery store, all the employees greet him with a traditional bow.
They never let him pay for anything, he said. He's hoping his community roots will help him finally win the seat he's been seeking since 2000. He ran twice before and came close to winning the first time.
"It's not about politics, but it's absolutely about the people. I'm a people person," Andrews said. "I don't need any more accolades or titles.
All I want to do is help the community. I know this community like the back of my hand." The district is in dire need of jobs, he said.
"Criminals don't commit crimes if they have jobs. Jobs are essential to this area." As a councilman he said he would push for rent control, after-school programs, safer streets and smoother roads.
"I've been here so long but I've seen so little done," he said. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has endorsed Andrews because they are friends, Andrews said. He's counting on the relationships with residents he's formed over the years to help him win.
His campaign slogan is "Wannabe Politicians Come and Go, but Dee Andrews Never Left!" Andrews has collected $8,440 in monetary donations and $2,550 in nonmonetary contributions in about three months, placing him in third place among the six candidates. If he doesn't win this time around, he won't run again, he said.
But he'll still be in the 6th District. "This is where I plan on dying," he said. Mira Jang can be reached at or at (562) 499-1278.
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