By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
Saturday was a big day for Phineas Banning High School, filled with guest speakers, the Pilots marching band and cheerleaders celebrating the school’s centennial, but for State Assembly candidate Dr. Ayanna Davis, it brought back special memories.
“I started learning how to campaign right here at Banning,” said Davis, a Class of 1988 graduate of the school located at 1527 Lakme Avenue in Wilmington. “I ran for Associate Student Body Vice President, senior class Vice President, field commissioner, student commissioners, and I won them all.”
Davis, a Compton Unified School District board member and LAUSD principal with 25 years of experience, is running to succeed term-limited Assembly member Mike Gipson (D-Wilmington, Compton, Carson, Gardena, Harbor Gateway, North Long Beach) in the 65th Assembly District with the incumbent’s strong endorsement.
Phineas Banning High School opened its doors in January 1926. The school’s original red brick building survived the 1933 Long Beach earthquake but was damaged in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and eventually torn down. The current facility opened in 1975 and continues to serve students in grades 9-12, led by Principal Adela Retana.
For Davis, the return to Banning was both nostalgic and symbolic of her campaign’s emphasis on authentic community connections. During the centennial ceremony, she shared a humorous memory from her cheerleading days, recalling a seagull that “blessed me in front of all of my peers” at a Banning-Carson pep rally.
Gipson, who has represented the district since 2014, offered an enthusiastic endorsement of his would-be successor.
“She’s homegrown, and I think that’s what she brings – her own sense of values and her determination to bring strong leadership here, because she’s been here,” Gipson said. “She didn’t just parachute here. She can touch the people. She’s real and she’s authentic.”
Davis brings three decades of education experience to the race and has indicated that serving on the Assembly Education Committee would be a priority. “I can bring 30 years of education to the assembly from a perspective that may or may not be there already,” she said.
The candidate emphasized that her approach to governing centers on community involvement and collaborative leadership. “I really believe in community involvement. I like partnership. I love to collaborate. I don’t like top-down leadership,” Davis said.
Asked about her political philosophy, Davis positioned herself as a pragmatic problem-solver. “I think what’s most important is to be a person who believes in problem solving, to be a pragmatic and common-sense leader,” she said.
Davis said her campaign is building a broad coalition that includes unions, community organizations, elected officials, educators, and business sectors.
But Saturday was a day for memories as much as campaigning. “I’m grateful to see what true community involvement looks like. I love this, and I’m happy to see some Wilmington pride,” Davis said.
The primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026.
