Former Pasadena Mayors Endorse Candidate Rick Cole for City Council District 2 Seat

Former Pasadena Mayors Terry Tornek, Chris Holden, Bill Thomson and Bill Paparian have endorsed District 2 candidate Rick Cole’s campaign for Pasadena City Council.

Cole faces sitting District 2 Councilmember Felicia Williams, who is also the City’s current Vice Mayor.

Cole previously served three terms on the City Council representing District 2. He has also previously served as Vice Mayor and Mayor. 

As Mayor, he helped spearhead the revitalization of Old Pasadena, co-chaired the landmark General Plan adoption and championed neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing. Cole currently serves on the Pasadena Planning Commission. 

Cole’s campaign recently announced that 15 District 2 neighborhood civic and business leaders have also endorsed his candidacy.

Former Mayor Terry Tornek said Cole’s “extraordinary background in public service makes him the best-qualified candidate to ever seek election to the Pasadena City Council.” Torne called Cole a “true Son of Pasadena who loves this City.”

Assemblymember Chris Holden cited what he calls Cole’s “commitment to community, equity and social justice.”

Former Mayor Bill Thomson is quoted by the Cole campaign as saying that in his many years of working with Cole “on the City Council, even when we disagreed on important matters, we always found a way to work together for the good of Pasadena.” 

Former Mayor William Paparian said “Rick Cole is a genuine political visionary with a unique passion and commitment to our city unmatched by anyone in public service.  We served together on the City Council for several years and as a result, I know him well and am honored to call him my friend.”

Cole said that his term serving as Mayor of Pasadena “was the greatest honor of my life.”

Cole, who grew up in Pasadena, graduated from Blair High School and received his bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and master’s degree from Columbia University. Currently he teaches urban policy as an assistant professor at Occidental College and an adjunct professor at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Public Policy.

Once described by the LA Times as “one of Southern California’s most visionary planning thinkers,” Cole served as City Manager in three cities (Azusa, Ventura and Santa Monica) and is currently the Chief Deputy Controller at the City of Los Angeles. He is an active member of the Government Finance Officers Association and the American Planning Association.