Mark Ridley-Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Ridley-Thomas
Ridley-Thomas in 2013
Member of the Los Angeles City Council
In office December 14, 2020 – March 17, 2022 (in suspension Oct. 20, 2021 – Mar. 17, 2022)
Preceded by	Herb Wesson
Succeeded by	Herb Wesson
Constituency	10th district
In office July 1, 1991 – December 1, 2002
Preceded by	Robert C. Farrell
Succeeded by	Bernard Parks
Constituency	8th district
President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council
In office July 1, 2001 – December 1, 2002
Preceded by	Ruth Galanter
Succeeded by	Cindy Miscikowski
Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from the 2nd District
In office December 1, 2008 – December 6, 2020
Preceded by	Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Succeeded by	Holly Mitchell
Chair of Los Angeles County
In office December 6, 2016 – December 5, 2017
Preceded by	Hilda Solis
Succeeded by	Sheila Kuehl
In office December 4, 2012 – December 3, 2013
Preceded by	Michael D. Antonovich (Mayor)
Succeeded by	Don Knabe
Chair Pro Tem of Los Angeles County
In office December 8, 2015 – December 6, 2016
Preceded by	Hilda Solis
Succeeded by	Sheila Kuehl
In office December 6, 2011 – December 4, 2012
Preceded by	Zev Yaroslavsky
Succeeded by	Don Knabe
Member of the California State Senate from the 26th district
In office December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2008
Preceded by	Kevin Murray
Succeeded by	Curren D. Price Jr.
Member of the California State Assembly from the 48th district
In office December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2006
Preceded by	Roderick Wright
Succeeded by	Mike Davis
Personal details
Born	Mark Thomas (1954-11-06) November 6, 1954 (age 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Avis Ridley-Thomas
Children	Sebastian and Sinclair Ridley-Thomas
Residences	Los Angeles County, California
Alma mater	Immaculate Heart College University of Southern California

Mark Ridley-Thomas (born November 6, 1954) is an American former politician and convicted felon. He spent three terms on the Los Angeles City Council from the 8th district from 1991 to 2002, and again for the 10th district from 2020 until his expulsion from the council in 2022. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 2nd Supervisorial District from 2008 to 2020, a California State Senator representing the 26th district from 2006 to 2008, and was a California State Assemblyman representing the 48th district from 2002 until 2006. He was Chairman of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.

Indicted on nineteen criminal counts in 2021, Ridley-Thomas was found guilty of seven of the charges on March 30, 2023, including conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud, and four counts of honest services wire fraud "extracting special benefits for his son from USC while voting in support of motions and a contract sought by the university." On August 28, 2023, Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Education and early career

Ridley-Thomas is a graduate of Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and earned a baccalaureate degree in Social Relations and a master's degree in Religious Studies from Immaculate Heart College. Ridley-Thomas went on to earn a Ph.D. in Social Ethics and Policy Analysis from the University of Southern California (1989).

After a brief stint as a high-school teacher, Ridley-Thomas was executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles (1981–1991). During that period he also hosted a public affairs program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK-FM in Los Angeles.

Political career

Los Angeles City Council (1991–2002)

Ridley-Thomas with San Francisco Mayor Feinstein, Supervisor Burke, and Los Angeles Mayor Riordan in 1984

Ridley-Thomas served the first of three terms on the Los Angeles City Council, beginning in 1991, representing the city's 8th Council District. During his tenure on the council, he created the Eighth District Empowerment Congress. He founded the African American Voter Registration, Education, and Participation (AAVREP) in 2002, the largest organized effort to register African American and urban voters in the state of California in more than a decade. He was also the president pro tem of the council.

California State Assembly (2002–2006)

Ridley-Thomas would have been forced to leave the council in 2003 because of city term limits that prevented him from running for reelection, so he chose instead to run for a seat in the California State Assembly representing California's 48th district. In his 2002 election, he defeated his Republican opponent, Gerard T. Robinson, with more than 80% of the vote. In the Assembly, Ridley-Thomas served as chair of the Democratic caucus and was a major proponent of efforts to encourage an NFL team to move to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is located in his district. He also sponsored a law that aided redevelopment in Exposition Park as part of a failed effort to attract a team. In the Assembly, Ridley-Thomas, as chairman of the Select Committee on the Los Angeles County Health Care Crisis, was a leader in addressing the problems facing the hospitals and health care system of Los Angeles, sponsoring a bill that would create the Office of Inspector General in an effort to detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse in government agencies.

California State Senate (2006–2008)

In 2006, Ridley-Thomas announced that he was running for the California State Senate, vying for the 26th Senate district seat being vacated by term-limited Senator Kevin Murray. He defeated his opponent in the Democratic primary, Marvin C. McCoy, with more than 87% of the vote and faced no Republican opposition in the general election. In the Senate, Ridley-Thomas joined with a group of lawmakers who introduced a package of legislation designed to crack down on gang violence by allowing city and county prosecutors to employ tougher sentencing measures and increase asset forfeitures against gang members, authoring a bill which would make it easier for law enforcement officials to deal with racially motivated gang activity. He was also one of the lawmakers who called for tourists to boycott the LAX Hilton because of its efforts to overturn a city ordinance that would grant a living wage to airport-area hotel workers. Ridley-Thomas chaired the Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development and its two subcommittees on Professional Sports and Entertainment, and The Economy, Workforce Preparation and Development. He also served on the Senate Appropriations; Energy, Utilities and Communications; Health; and Public Safety committees.

Los Angeles County Supervisor (2008–2020)

Ridley-Thomas with three of his Supervisor colleagues and Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2015

Mark Ridley Thomas Bridge, which comprises part of the Park to Playa Trail, Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles County, California

On October 25, 2007, Ridley-Thomas announced that he would be running for the Second District seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors being vacated by Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke. His most formidable opponent was former LAPD police chief Bernard C. Parks, the member of the Los Angeles City Council who replaced Ridley-Thomas when he was elected to the State Assembly. Ridley-Thomas was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the area's labor unions (including the law enforcement unions), and numerous elected officials. Ridley-Thomas edged out Parks in the June 3 primary by a margin of 45% to 40%, but since neither candidate received a majority of the vote, the top two candidates advanced to a runoff election in November. Ridley-Thomas won a 62% to 38% victory over Parks. Ridley-Thomas became the first black man ever elected to the Los Angeles County Board.

In 2012 Ridley-Thomas won a second term as Supervisor, due to no opposing candidate in the primary in the June primary.

Voters approved term limits on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for three terms. Therefore, in March 2015, Ridley-Thomas sought and won his third and last term without any serious opposition.

Return to Los Angeles City Council (2020–2022)

Thomas was elected to a fourth 4-year term on the Los Angeles City Council in Council District 10 in the November 3, 2020 election. On October 18, 2021 Ridley-Thomas announced his intention to step back from his duties in order to fight charges of corruption; two days later, the Los Angeles city council formally voted to suspend him from his duties. Four months later, he was expelled from the council and replaced by Herb Wesson, who was appointed by City Council President Nury Martinez in 2022.

Federal corruption indictment and conviction

On October 13, 2021, the United States District Court for the Central District of California announced that a federal grand jury had indicted Ridley-Thomas and Flynn for "a bribery scheme in which his son received substantial benefits from USC in exchange for Ridley-Thomas supporting county contracts and lucrative contract amendments with the university while he served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors."

On March 30, 2023, Ridley-Thomas was found guilty of seven of the nineteen charges on March 30, 2023, including conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud, and four counts of honest services wire fraud "extracting special benefits for his son from USC while voting in support of motions and a contract sought by the university." On August 28, 2023, Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months in prison.