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Chris Sweeney has called Long Beach home for nearly two decades. He chose this city to build his dreams — to raise a family, start a business, and invest in neighbors he now considers friends. A former Long Beach State athlete, Chris learned teamwork, grit, and humility on the field, lessons he brings to everything he does.
RightMealz began as Chris’s small, stubborn idea and grew into a neighborhood hub where people share meals, stories, and opportunities. He built RightMealz from the ground up, creating local jobs, mentoring young people through internships, and using the business as a platform to amplify other small local vendors.
When wildfires threatened the region, Chris didn’t wait. He turned RightMealz into a donation center, organized drives, and helped deliver nearly 6,000 sandwiches to first responders on the front lines. Those relief efforts reflect how he shows up: hands-on, practical, and rooted in care for neighbors.
Chris partners with local sports brands to run community health and wellness programs — free events where families come together to get active, learn healthy habits, and support one another.
He believes strong neighborhoods come from everyday connections: a shared meal, a coach who listens, a business that gives someone their first break.
Long Beach is where Chris wants to stay — to protect its character, support small businesses, and ensure every neighborhood has the resources and respect it deserves.
Public safety is the foundation of a thriving city. Families, workers, and business owners deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods. Recent crime data shows areas of concern. Long Beach recorded 38 homicides in 2024 and 31 homicides in 2025, highlighting the need for strong and consistent public safety leadership. Hate crimes in Long Beach rose from 34 to 43 from 2024 to 2025 — a reminder that safety must include everyone (LBPD, Oct 2025). Chris believes every neighborhood—from North Long Beach to Belmont Shore to Downtown—deserves strong public safety resources and responsive city services. Strengthening support for police and first responders, ensuring they have the staffing, tools, and resources needed to protect neighborhoods. Improving coordination between law enforcement and city services to address safety and quality-of-life concerns more effectively. Encouraging faster responses to neighborhood safety issues and persistent problem areas. Supporting prevention strategies and community partnerships that help reduce crime before it happens. Safe neighborhoods are the foundation for strong communities.
Homelessness is one of the most urgent challenges facing Long Beach. In 2024, 3,376 people were counted experiencing homelessness in the city, despite tens of millions of dollars invested annually in programs and services. Residents see the impacts along the LA River, downtown corridors, and throughout neighborhoods across the city. Long Beach needs solutions that are compassionate, effective, and accountable. Strengthening partnerships that connect people to housing, mental health care, and addiction treatment. Improving coordination with Los Angeles County and regional service providers to expand access to services. Encouraging stronger accountability and performance measurement for homelessness programs and funding. Supporting efforts that restore safety and accessibility to public spaces while helping individuals regain stability. Real solutions must help people regain stability while protecting the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
Every neighborhood deserves to be clean, safe, and welcoming. From parks and sidewalks to business corridors and public spaces, the condition of our neighborhoods affects how residents experience Long Beach every day. Graffiti, illegal dumping, neglected parks, and vacant storefronts weaken community pride and discourage investment. Improving response times for graffiti removal and illegal dumping cleanup. Strengthening street cleanliness and neighborhood maintenance programs. Encouraging better upkeep of parks and public spaces across the city. Supporting faster response from city departments when residents report neighborhood issues. Long Beach should be a city residents are proud to call home.
Long Beach maintains more than 1,600 miles of city streets, along with thousands of miles of sidewalks, lighting systems, drainage infrastructure, and other essential public assets. When maintenance is delayed, small problems become expensive repairs and neighborhoods feel the impact. Residents deserve city services that work. Prioritizing street repairs, potholes, sidewalks, and lighting improvements across Long Beach. Encouraging preventative infrastructure maintenance to address issues before they become more costly. Improving oversight and transparency for major city infrastructure projects. Ensuring neighborhoods across Long Beach receive their fair share of city investment. Reliable infrastructure improves safety, mobility, and quality of life across Long Beach.
A strong local economy benefits every resident. The Port of Long Beach generates more than $200 billion in economic activity each year, yet many neighborhoods still face vacant storefronts, underused commercial spaces, and barriers that make it harder for businesses to open and grow. Long Beach should be a city where opportunity thrives. Chris believes City Hall should be a partner in job creation—not a barrier to it. Pursuing a more streamlined business licensing process with clearer steps and more predictable approval timelines. Improving coordination between city departments, including the development of an Express Permit Team to help navigate approvals. Encouraging faster permitting for simple projects and tenant improvements where appropriate. Supporting quicker reopening of previously approved commercial spaces when a similar use existed. Encouraging investment in vacant storefronts and commercial corridors throughout Long Beach. Exploring incentives that encourage businesses to hire Long Beach residents, strengthening local job creation. Reducing unnecessary administrative barriers that discourage entrepreneurship and investment. The result: More businesses opening More local jobs created Stronger neighborhood commercial corridors More revenue for city services A stronger economy means Long Beach won’t need to rely on dipping into reserve funds just to maintain basic services. Instead, those resources can be preserved for emergencies or invested in initiatives that improve residents’ lives.
Long Beach residents deserve a city government that is transparent, efficient, and focused on results. Chris supports conducting a full public audit of city finances, staffing levels, and departmental operations to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly. Encourage greater transparency in city budgeting and spending. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Reduce bureaucratic silos between city departments. Support stronger coordination across agencies to deliver better results for residents and businesses. A City Hall that works for the people of Long Beach.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
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