Compton residents will elect a new mayor for the 1st time in eight years

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- Compton voters filed into polling places on Tuesday to elect a new mayor: Cristian Reynaga, a realtor and entrepreneur, or current Compton City Councilwoman Emma Sharif.

Eyewitness News stopped by both campaign offices to talk with each candidate.

Sharif has served on the Compton City Council since 2015.

"I've been in California for approximately 50 years and I've been in Compton about 30 years," said Sharif, who was born and raised in Arkansas.

She attended Cal State Dominguez Hills as a mother of four and later began her political career on the school board.

"I never planned to be a representative in politics," she said. "I was 18 years old, I was involved in the civil rights movement."

Reynaga is a Compton native and has served on the Community Relations Commission and the Compton Taxpayer Committee.

"I remember being eight years old and attending council meetings with my aunt. I would go everywhere she went. I would go with her because I wanted to - I loved it," said Reynaga.

If elected, he would be Compton's first Latino mayor.

"For me, it's not really about being the first Latino mayor. For me, it's about having that positive change that we desperately need," Reynaga said, adding he is proud to speak Spanish and to be able to communicate with Compton residents who only speak Spanish.

Both candidates list public safety and infrastructure among their top priorities.

Demographics in Compton have changed over the decades. According to U.S. Census data, in 1990, roughly 54% of residents identified as Black and 42% identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The latest estimates show 73% residents identify is Hispanic or Latino and 22% identify as Black. There are roughly 96,000 residents in Compton, according to 2019 U.S. Census data.

Both Sharif and Reynaga have prominent supporters across different racial groups.

Sharif has the endorsement of Mexican American Congresswoman Nanette Barragan.

"They believe that I'm one that will work with everybody," said Sharif of her supporters. "Not only work with people but also be concerned about everybody's welfare."

Reynaga has the support of current Compton Mayor Aja Brown. He worked for her campaign in 2013.

"My supporters are very excited because they know that I'm going to bring change. They know I'm eager to get results," said Reynaga.

The number of registered voters in Compton more than doubled in the last two years, but voter turnout remains low. Elections have been decided by a sliver of the population.

In the 2021 April primary, there were just over 49,000 registered voters and about 7,700 turned out to vote-- about 16% of registered voters.