Compton mayoral candidate has medical emergency, misses forum

Former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley, left, speaks at a mayoral candidates forum. He is in the running for another term.

By Angel Jennings and Abby Sewell

May 23, 2013 9:20 PM PT

Former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley was hospitalized Thursday, missing a candidates’ forum he was to attend as part of his runoff campaign to become mayor again.

A family friend told The Times that Bradley suffered a heart attack and had undergone surgery. The friend did not want to be identified.

Lakedwood Regional Medical Center confirmed that Bradley was admitted but would not comment further.

Bradley was expected to attend a candidates forum Thursday evening, but at the start of the meeting, an official announced that Bradley would not be there because of a medical emergency.

Bradley served two terms as Compton mayor, from 1993 to 2001. He ran for a third term but lost to current Mayor Eric Perrodin. Bradley was later convicted on public corruption charges. He was sent to prison in 2004 for misappropriating about $7,500 in public funds for items such as golf balls, cigars and in-room movies at a hotel.

Bradley returned to politics after a judged overturned his convictions. The district attorney plans to retry him. In Compton’s primary election in April, Bradley received the second-most votes, putting him in a runoff against newcomer Aja Brown.

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Angel Jennings

As assistant managing editor for culture and talent, Angel Jennings oversees the Los Angeles Times’ Metpro and internship programs as well as works closely with HR and department heads to help manage a broad range of responsibilities, including tracking, recruiting, interviewing and selecting diverse candidates for job opportunities and advancing the company’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and access. She also works across the newsroom on retention, training and career development efforts. Jennings previously worked as a reporter in Metro. She got her start in the Metpro program in 2011 and has since worked on assignments with many departments in the newsroom, including Metro, National, Calendar, Business and podcasts. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska.