I want to take a moment to say a heartfelt (and slightly belated) thank you to everyone who came out to our “Democracy & Dough” Presidential Pizza Party on President’s Day last week.

We had a great time despite the rain. The conversations were meaningful, the energy was strong, and the pizzas we made were delicious. Thank you to Chef Mike for teaching us dough-flipping tricks and making it such a fun experience.

One of my favorite moments was seeing kids enjoying themselves—kneading dough, choosing creative toppings, and learning kitchen safety while waiting for their pizzas to come out of the oven. We played presidential trivia and the kids knew all the answers! It was a great reminder of how special it is when our community comes together across generations.

Now I’ll share something a little more personal, and I know some of you will relate.

I made what I thought was the perfect pizza that day.  It was one of those old-school Costco-style supremes with everything on it, and I even shaped it like a heart. It was so good that I ate half of it right there at the event. Then I had to head out to a meet and greet (thank you to the Knight/Johns family for hosting!) and all I could think about was coming home to finish the other half.

Well…when I got home, the pizza was gone.  My husband, George, had eaten it.

Yes, he finished the other half of my heart-shaped, wannabe Costco supreme.

Mind you, he was at the event and had made his own pizza. But apparently mine was better. He even had the nerve to tell me it tasted just like the Costco supreme, which honestly did not make me feel any better.

For those of you who are married or have families, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I'm still craving the other half of that pizza...

In all seriousness, the past couple of weeks have been incredibly busy in the best way. I’ve had meet and greets almost every day, connecting with neighbors across the district, listening, sharing, and building momentum (separate shout outs to the Quenga, Dorch, and Miller families!).

The work continues. I am completing questionnaires, participating in endorsement interviews, connecting with voters throughout the district, and scheduling lots of uniquely-themed meet and greets.

NEXT:  Please save the date for Saturday, March 7th.

This will be our last major fundraiser, and we would love to see you there. It will be a brunch at a private residence in San Pedro and we will be discussing the San Pedro Bay Ports Complex which covers both Long Beach and Los Angeles and impacts the longshore industry.

Thank you again for believing in me and for being part of this journey. I am working hard every single day to make you proud.

Sincerely,

Vivian Malauulu

Candidate for Long Beach City Council District 7