Compton residents have every right to be frustrated — even insulted.
Mayor Emma Sharif’s re-election fundraiser, scheduled for October 4, 2025, isn’t being held in Compton. Instead, it’s taking place miles away in Inglewood, at WePlay Studios — hosted by none other than Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr.
On paper, it may sound like a simple event: two mayors, one stage, and a campaign rally. But scratch beneath the surface, and the symbolism becomes hard to ignore — and even harder to stomach.
A Fundraiser That Sends the Wrong Message
For many Compton residents, this isn’t just a matter of geography. It’s a matter of representation and respect.
Holding a “Compton Next!” fundraiser outside Compton sends an unmistakable message — that the mayor’s campaign may be courting outside donors, developers, and regional power brokers rather than the community she was elected to serve.
Local voices have said as much. Critics are calling the move “a bad look” and “a real insult,” pointing out that there are more than enough venues within Compton’s borders to host such an event. The optics couldn’t be worse: a sitting mayor raising campaign money in another city while asking Compton voters for another term.
The Inglewood Connection — and Why It Raises Eyebrows
The choice of Inglewood is no coincidence. Mayor Butts isn’t just any neighboring mayor — he sits on the L.A. Metro Board, the same board that influences transit-oriented development projects that reshape working-class cities across the region.
By aligning her campaign event with Butts, Sharif risks sending a signal that her priorities might lean toward the same kind of “progress” that has priced longtime residents out of Inglewood over the past decade. Many fear this is an early indicator of gentrification creeping into Compton under the banner of “development.”
And let’s not overlook the fundraising tiers: donations range from $50 to $25,000 — suggesting a campaign more interested in deep-pocketed donors than everyday residents.
Disconnected Leadership, Disillusioned Voters
If Mayor Sharif’s goal is to strengthen community trust, this move does the opposite. Hosting your re-election campaign outside your own city is the political equivalent of telling your constituents, “I’ll get back to you once I finish networking elsewhere.”
It’s tone-deaf. It’s disappointing. And it deepens the growing sense that local leadership has become increasingly out of touch with the people who actually live, work, and struggle in Compton.
Accountability Starts at Home
Compton deserves leaders who believe in the city enough to invest in it — not just during ribbon cuttings, but during the hard, unglamorous work of community-building.
If logistical convenience or flashy venues are the justification for taking campaign events out of town, then perhaps it’s time to ask whether those conveniences are worth the political cost. Because in politics, perception is reality — and this one reeks of detachment.
Mayor Sharif’s campaign slogan may be “Compton Next!” But after this move, many residents are left wondering:
Next for whom?
Marvin McCoy is a longtime Inglewood resident