Who is Mike Bonin?

Mike Bonin, a member of the Los Angeles City council, is the father of an eight-year-old African-American child who recently came into the news after an audio leak surfaced of LA City council president Nury Martinez directing racist remarks at him. The audio was first uploaded by an anonymous user on Reddit and was later sourced by the Los Angeles Times.

After Martinez’s comments came to light, Bonin and his husband, Sean Arian, released a statement condemning the council president and saying that, “It hurts that one of our son’s earliest encounters with overt racism comes from some of the most powerful public officials in Los Angeles.” Martinez and Arian also demanded the resignation of all individuals heard in said clip. Martinez has apologised for her comments and stepped down from the position of president of the city council.

Who is Mike Bonin?

Mike Bonin was born on March 19, 1967. He is the nephew of William Constantino Jr., a lawyer who also served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Bonin’s grandfather, William P. Constantino, was a state legislator who was also a member of the Massachusetts House.

Also Read| Nury Martinez, Los Angeles City Council president, quits after audio leak of racist remarks

Mike Bonin completed his higher studies from Harvard University. He began his professional career as a news reporter for Springfield Newspapers in Massachusetts, and later also worked for Wave Newspapers in Los Angeles. Bonin worked as a reporter from 1989 to 1996 before shifting his career focus to politics.

In 1996, Bonin began working as a staff member for LA City councilwoman Ruth Galanter. From 2003 to 2004, he worked as the chief of staff for Congresswoman Jane Harman.

Also Read| Who is Nury Martinez?

Bonin contested and won in the LA city council election on the endorsement of Bill Rosendahl, whose city council election campaign he had successfully managed. He assumed office on July 1, 2013, and continued serving in the position after being re-elected in 2017. 

Bonin and Sean Arian married in 2014. Their wedding ceremony was carried out by LA mayor Eric Garcetti. The couple later adopted their African-American son.