News

Councilmember Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie today announced her campaign for re-election to represent the Ninth District on the Long Beach City Council. Since first being elected in 2022, Dr. Ricks-Oddie has focused on delivering measurable results for North Long Beach — from significant investments in infrastructure, new housing, and business investment to expanded parks, open space, and public health programs.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve the North Long Beach community. A place where I live and choose to raise my family. Together, we’ve delivered real results — more housing, stronger small businesses, safer neighborhoods, and new investments into our parks, open spaces and streets. But our work is far from finished. I’m running for re-election to keep building a healthier, more equitable Long Beach where every family has the opportunity to thrive.”

During her first term, Dr. Ricks-Oddie has:

• Supported more than 2,900 small businesses with grants and outreach, and brought new investments like El Super and Chuze Fitness.

• Advanced housing opportunities, including 84 new townhomes, a 200-unit affordable housing campus, and student housing for LBCC families.

• Secured nearly $10 million to create a greenbelt along the 91 freeway, plus new pickleball courts, playground upgrades, and hydration stations in DeForest, Ramona, and Houghton Parks.

• Completed significant investments into our main corridors, including the Artesia Great Boulevard Project, an over $50 million investment into making our streets safer and more accessible.

• Helped Long Beach achieve its first reduction in homelessness in seven years, expanding shelters, safe parking, and permanent housing placements.

• Chaired the Budget Oversight Committee, leading the most transparent budget process in city history with evening hearings and aggressive community engagement.

• Championed environmental justice, piloting cool pavement for climate resilience, preserving and enhancing tree canopy and advocating for cleaner air along the 710 and 91 freeways.

About Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie

Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie represents North Long Beach on the Long Beach City Council, where she has served since 2022. She currently chairs the City’s Budget Oversight Committee and serves as Vice Chair of both the Government Operations and Efficiency Committee and the Housing Authority. Regionally, she represents Long Beach on the Gateway Cities Council of Governments. In her first term, she prioritized community engagement through community meetings and neighborhood canvassing, expanding affordable housing, supporting small businesses, improving city services, investing in public health, and delivering millions of dollars for parks, open space and infrastructure investment in District 9. Professionally, she is the Director of the Center for Statistical Consulting at UC Irvine, specializing in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. A proud mother of two, she lives in the Deforest Park neighborhood with her husband Keith and their family.