Nick Melvoin
{{short description|American educator and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Nick Melvoin
|image = Nick Melvoin, 2018.jpg
|office = Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
from the 4th district
|term_start = July 6, 2017
|term_end =
|predecessor = Steve Zimmer
|successor =
|office1 = Vice President of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
|president1 = Kelly Gonez
|term_start1 = July 6, 2017
|term_end1 = January 17, 2023
|predecessor1 = George J. McKenna III
|successor1 = Scott Schmerelson
|birth_name = Nicholas James Melvoin
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1985}}
|birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|father = Jeff Melvoin
|education = Harvard University (BA)
Loyola Marymount University (MA)
New York University (JD)
|website = {{url|boardmembermelvoin.com|Official website}}
{{url|nickmelvoin.com|Campaign website}}
}}
Nicholas James Melvoin (born 1985) is an American attorney, former teacher, and adjunct professor serving as member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for District 4 since May 16, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/215911/melvoin-new-blood-new-ideas-charter-schools/|title=Melvoin: 'New blood, new ideas' and charter schools|author=Berrin, Danielle|date=March 2, 2017|website=The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles}} A member of the Democratic Party, Melvoin is the second youngest member of the board after Kelly Gonez.{{cite web|url=https://www.laschoolreport.com/see-me-for-who-i-really-am-inside-nick-melvoins-plan-to-win-over-l-a-parents-and-teachers/|title='See me for who I really am': Inside Nick Melvoin's plan to win over L.A. parents and teachers|date=July 18, 2017|website=LA School Report|author=Szymanski, Mike}}
Early life and education
Melvoin was born in Brentwood, Los Angeles to television writer Jeff Melvoin and photojournalist Martha Hartnett Melvoin, and is the older brother of Charles "Charlie" Melvoin. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 2004 and from Harvard University in 2008, earning a Master's degree from Loyola Marymount University and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law.{{cite web|url=https://educationpost.org/coffee-break-l-a-s-school-board-candidate-on-downward-dogs-underdogs-and-finding-his-happy-place/|title=Coffee Break: L.A. School Board Candidate on Downward Dogs, Underdogs and Finding His 'Happy Place'|date=March 30, 2016|author=Bayer, Halli|website=Education Post}}
Career
File:Alex Padilla with LAUSD officials, 2021.jpg Alex Padilla (to the right), with other LAUSD officials in 2021.|250px|left]]
Melvoin started teaching at Edwin Markham Middle School through the Teach For America program and had served as a legal clerk for the American Civil Liberties Union.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-losangeles-school-board-race-20170305-story.html|title=Could the L.A. school board's balance of power tip pro-charter?|author=Blume, Howard|date=March 5, 2017|website=Los Angeles Times}} He was also the director of policy, communications and associate counsel for Great Public Schools Now and a consultant to Educators 4 Excellence and Teach Plus. After his first year at Markham Middle School, he was laid off along with 70% of teachers due to budget cuts. Melvoin worked on the ACLU’s Reed v. California lawsuit, which challenged LAUSD’s seniority-based teacher layoff policies, as well as testifying in the Vergara v. California lawsuit.{{cite web|url=https://www.law.nyu.edu/news/Nicholas-Melvoin-Vergara-v-California|title=Nicholas Melvoin '14 joins the legal battle against education inequality|website=NYU School of Law|date=April 21, 2014}}
In 2016, Melvoin announced that he would be a candidate for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for District 4, held by member and Vice President of the Board Steve Zimmer.{{cite web|url=http://laschoolreport.com/nick-melvoin-declares-candidacy-for-la-unified-school-board-district-4-seat-in-17/|title=Nick Melvoin declares candidacy for LA Unified school board District 4 seat in '17|date=February 23, 2016|author=Clough, Craig|website=LA School Report}}{{cite web|url=https://hwchronicle.com/41687/in-brief/alum-declares-candidacy-for-lausd-board/|title=Alum declares candidacy for LAUSD board|author=Handler, Sammi|date=March 9, 2016|website=The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle}} Melvoin said he ran because he realized that there "was a lot outside my classroom that was affecting what was happening inside."{{cite web|url=https://archive.kpcc.org/news/2017/02/17/69150/nick-melvoin-lausd-survey-march-2017/|title=KPCC's LA school board candidate survey: Nick Melvoin, District 4|date=February 17, 2017|website=KPCC}} The race was joined by candidates Allison Holdorff Polhill and Greg Martayan. On February 23, 2017, all four candidates debated on the role of charter schools, undocumented students, and the budget for the District at a UCLA forum.{{cite web|url=https://dailybruin.com/2017/02/23/lausd-board-of-education-candidates-dispute-platforms-at-ucla-forum|title=LAUSD Board of Education candidates dispute platforms at UCLA forum|date=February 23, 2017|author=Pauker, Madeleine|website=Daily Bruin}}
Melvoin and Zimmer competed in a runoff after the general election where Polhill and Martayan were eliminated.{{cite web|url=https://hwchronicle.com/46279/in-brief/nick-melvoin-04-to-compete-in-runoff-for-lausd-board-position/|title=Nick Melvoin '04 to compete in LAUSD runoff|website=The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle|author=Schwartz, Noa|date=March 8, 2017}} Melvoin was endorsed by the Daily Breeze,{{cite web|url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2017/05/03/endorsement-nick-melvoin-for-la-school-board/|title=Endorsement: Nick Melvoin for L.A. school board|date=May 3, 2017|website=Daily Breeze}} the Los Angeles Daily News,{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2017/05/03/endorsement-nick-melvoin-for-la-school-board/|title=Endorsement: Nick Melvoin for L.A. school board|date=May 3, 2017|website=Los Angeles Daily News}} the Los Angeles Times,{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/endorsements/la-ed-school-board-endorsements-20170509-story.html|title=Endorsement: Voters should support independent thinkers Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez for the L.A. Unified school board|date=May 9, 2017|website=Los Angeles Times}} and HuffPost.{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/endorsement-nick-melvoin-for-lausd-board-of-education_b_590bb155e4b0f711807242fe|title=Endorsement: Nick Melvoin for LAUSD Board of Education|author=Johnson, Alex M.|date=May 4, 2017|website=HuffPost}} Melvoin's campaign was criticized for receiving significant third-party spending support to defeat Zimmer, including the Walton family who spent more than $5 million for his campaign.{{cite web|url=https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2017/05/14/waltons-spending-millions-in-los-angeles-school-board-race|title=Waltons spending millions in Los Angeles School Board race|author=Brantley, Max|date=May 14, 2017|website=Arkansas Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.laprogressive.com/nick-melvoin/|title=Nick Melvoin's School Board Candidacy Controlled By Wealthy, "Special" Interests|website=LA Progressive|author=Roos, Sara|date=May 11, 2017}} The election itself was also criticized for being what was believed to be the most expensive school board election in U.S. history.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-edu-school-election-money-20170521-htmlstory.html|title=How L.A.'s school board election became the most expensive in U.S. history|author=Blume, Howard|date=May 21, 2017|website=Los Angeles Times}}
On May 17, 2017, Zimmer conceded to Melvoin in the race during a speech to his supporters, calling it devastating while saying that he would never run for office again.{{cite web|url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/steve-zimmer-concedes-to-nick-melvoin-in-highly-contested-election-for-lausd-board-president/|title=Steve Zimmer Concedes to Nick Melvoin in Highly Contested Election for LAUSD Board President|date=May 17, 2017|website=KTLA}} Melvoin won against Zimmer by fourteen points, and with his win, Melvoin replaced Zimmer as a board member for District 4.{{cite web|url=https://hwchronicle.com/47574/in-brief/alumni-make-strides-in-government-roles/|title=Alumni make strides in government roles|website=The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle|author=Weinraub, Anthony|date=August 30, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://veniceoarsman.com/3232/news/nick-melvin-the-new-lausd-board-president/|title=Nick Melvoin the New LAUSD Board President|author=Rodriguez, Bryce|date=May 18, 2017|website=The Oarsman}}{{cite web|url=https://beverlypress.com/2017/07/nick-melvoin-to-be-sworn-in-to-school-board/|title=Nick Melvoin sworn in to LAUSD school board|website=Beverly Press|date=6 July 2017 }} After the election, the charter-backed candidates, including Melvoin, had a majority on the Board of Education.{{cite web|url=https://edsource.org/2017/charter-backed-candidates-win-majority-on-l-a-unified-school-board/582104|title=Charter-backed candidates win majority on L.A. Unified school board|date=May 17, 2017|author=Zinshteyn, Mikhail|website=EdSource}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-school-election-20170516-story.html|title=Charter backers win their first L.A. school board majority|author=Blume, Howard|date=May 17, 2017|website=Los Angeles Times}}
During the 2019 Los Angeles Unified School District teachers' strike, Melvoin said that the District couldn't afford the teacher's demands.{{cite web|url=https://abc7.com/lausd-los-angeles-unified-school-district-la-teachers-strike-board-member-nick-melvoin/5084642/|title=LAUSD board VP Nick Melvoin: District can't afford to meet teachers' demands|date=January 15, 2019|website=KABC-TV}} In 2019, Melvoin announced that he would seek re-election,{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/lausds-nick-melvoin-seek-reelection|title=LAUSD's Nick Melvoin To Seek Reelection|author=Petersen, Carl J.|date=July 18, 2021|website=Patch}} and was endorsed by Teamsters Local 572 in his successful campaign.{{cite web|url=https://beverlypress.com/2021/08/teamsters-endorse-melvoin-for-school-board/|title=Teamsters endorse Melvoin for school board|date=August 26, 2021|website=Beverly Press}} He won re-election against two other candidates with nearly 60% of the vote.{{cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2022/06/08/melvoin-cruises-to-lausd-board-reelection--gonez-needs-runoff|title=Melvoin cruises to LAUSD board reelection; Gonez needs runoff|website=Spectrum News 1|date=June 8, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-07/2022-los-angeles-schools-board-election-results|title=Melvoin poised to win L.A. school board seat; Gonez in runoff; Rivas, Brenes battle for open seat|date=June 7, 2022|website=Los Angeles Times|author=Blume, Howard}} With the Board election, the teachers' union candidates won back control of the Board, and in 2023, Melvoin was replaced by Scott Schmerelson as the vice president of the Board of Education.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-17/goldberg-elected-l-a-school-board-president|title=Goldberg elected L.A. school board president amid tense labor negotiations|author=Blume, Howard|date=January 17, 2023|website=Los Angeles Times}}
In 2023, Melvoin announced that he would run for California's 30th congressional district, an open seat vacated by incumbent Adam Schiff's run for Senate.{{cite web|url=https://jewishinsider.com/2023/01/nick-melvoin-adam-schiff-california-congress-democratic-party/|title=L.A. school board member Nick Melvoin to run for Adam Schiff's seat|date= January 31, 2023|author=Deutch, Gabby|website=Jewish Insider}} He stated that he believed that his young age would match the voters' "desire for new blood and new vision."{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-02-03/senate-schiff-porter-lee-house-campaigns|title=As Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter launch Senate campaigns, the race to replace them begins|date=February 3, 2023|website=Los Angeles Times|author1=Mason, Melanie |author2=Mehta, Seema}} He lost the primary against Laura Friedman and Alex Balekian.
Electoral history
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"
|+ {{sronly|Electoral history of Kevin Kiley}} ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Year ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Office ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=3 | Primary ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=3 | General ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Result ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Swing ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | {{abbr|Ref|Reference}}. |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Total
! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | % ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | {{abbr|P|Position}}. ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Total ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | % ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | {{abbr|P|Position}}. |
|---|
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | 2017
| style="background-color:{{party color|Nonpartisan}};" | | 31,771 | 32.90% | 2nd | 38,673 | 57.23% | 1st | {{yes2|Won}} | style="background-color:{{party color|None}};" | | N/A |{{cite web|url=https://cityclerk.lacity.org/election/results.html|title=CITY OF LOS ANGELES GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS MAY 16, 2017|date=May 26, 2017|website=Los Angeles City Clerk}} |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | 2022
| style="background-color:{{party color|Nonpartisan}};" | | 82,696 | 59.81% | 1st | colspan=3 {{n/a|Runoff cancelled}} | {{yes2|Won}} | style="background-color:{{party color|None}};" | | N/A |{{efn|name=fn1|One candidate received a majority (over 50%) of the votes cast in the primary; therefore, no general election was held.}} |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | 2024
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | | 2,218 | 2.4% | 8th | colspan=3 {{n/a|Did not advance}} | {{no2|Lost}} | style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" | | Hold |{{cite web |title=California 30th Congressional District Primary Election Results |work=The New York Times |date=March 5, 2024 |access-date=March 7, 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/05/us/elections/results-california-us-house-30-primary.html}} |
References
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Category:21st-century American Jews
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:Loyola Marymount University alumni
Category:New York University School of Law alumni
Category:School board members in California
Category:Jewish American people in California politics
Category:Candidates in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections