LOS ANGELES — After nearly 10 years representing Venice and LA’s Westside, Mike Bonin shocked both critics and supporters when he announced he will not seek a third term on the powerful Los Angeles City Council. His reelection campaign was firing on all cylinders, seeking and promoting endorsements, recruiting volunteers and raising money until Bonin himself abruptly pulled the plug last week.
In an exclusive interview with Spectrum News 1, Bonin opened up about his battle with depression, which began in 2010 when his younger sister, Maureen, lost her battle with cancer.
“I was just emotionally dead,” Bonin said. “It was like living with a ghost.”
Bonin began seeking treatment with therapy and medication after her death. Then, in 2016, his predecessor and mentor, Bill Rosendahl, also died of cancer.
Recently, the councilmember said he focused his energy on fending off a recall attempt. When proponents failed to gather enough signatures to trigger a special election, Bonin took stock of his life and decided he was ready for a change.
“I just have not felt happy and energized by the job in the last couple years and that was a heavy weight that made the depression a lot heavier and a lot tougher,” Bonin said. “I (decided) I don’t need to do this.”
Bonin’s critics pounced on his announcement not to run, with the organizers of the recall campaign telling the Los Angeles Times it feels like they won by successfully showing Bonin was unpopular. The recall campaign gathered nearly 26,000 signatures from registered voters in his district. Fellow councilmember and mayoral candidate Joe Buscaino said Friday dropping out allowed Bonin to leave on his own terms, rather than lose reelection.
“If I were going to do that, I don’t know I would have done it in a way that requires a very uncomfortable confessional or testimonial about mental health. I would have just said, ‘I’m out of here. It ain’t worth it,’” Bonin said. “I was actually feeling pretty good about reelection. I knew it would be a fight. I didn’t have a fight my first two elections, but that actually got me kind of motivated. That was the high point of my day when I could engage in that.”
With Bonin out of the race, homeless advocates and progressives may have lost a reliable vote on the City Council, but he says plans to be a vocal opponent against criminalizing homelessness.
“Moving somebody from in front of an elementary school to a block away, to the sidewalk the kid walks to elementary school, doesn’t do anything to help the person living in the tent and doesn’t help the kid going to school,” Bonin said.
He’s looking forward to spending more time with his son and husband. He expected to feel regret about his decision. Instead, he feels relief.