Bobby Shriver -- the oldest child of R. Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver and nephew of President John F. Kennedy -- announced Tuesday his candidacy for the Third District seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
The former Santa Monica mayor made the announcement in front of a sun-splashed Will Rogers State Beach off Pacific Coast Highway. The district covers the western part of Los Angeles County, including the Westside, most of the San Fernando Valley, the Conejo Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains to the Ventura County line.
"I'm running because I want to shake things up," said Shriver. "I want to get things done on time and on budget."
Former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, West Hollywood Councilman John Duran and former Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich have declared their candidacies for the seat. Incumbent Zev Yaroslavsky is barred from seeking re-election because of term limits.
On his website, Shriver said he plans to continue working to deliver "first-class police and fire protection, clean up Santa Monica Bay and the beaches, create and maintain parks, and house the homeless, especially military veterans."
Shriver's father was the founding director of the Peace Corps and the Office of Economic Opportunity and Democratic Party vice presidential nominee in 1972. His mother founded Special Olympics, which organizes year-round athletic training and competition for disabled individuals.
The 59-year-old Shriver is co-founder and chairman of DATA and (PRODUCT)RED. DATA, an acronym for Debt AIDS Trade Africa, lobbies governments on the issues of debt, AIDS and trade policies as they affect Africa. (PRODUCT)RED encourages prominent businesses to offer (RED) branded products and invest a significant portion of the profits in programs intended to eliminate AIDS in Africa.
Shriver co-founded both organizations with Bono, singer for the rock band U2.
He also is a former chair of the California State Parks and Recreation Commission. He was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.
Shriver produced the first prime-time television program on the Special Olympics World Games and nine "A Very Special Christmas" records, which have raised more than $100 million to support Special Olympics organizations around the world.
