Lisa Calderón made it to city hall after all.
The former mayoral challenger, long a presence in city politics, will take a job in the City and County Building as the chief of staff for Councilwoman-elect Candi CdeBaca.
Calderón finished third among six mayoral candidates with 18% of the vote — about 33,000 ballots — in the May 7 general election.
She’ll work in the council district office for CdeBaca, who beat Councilman Albus Brooks to win election in District 9. Council members hire their own staffs with an allocation from the city budget.
CdeBaca and Calderón were allies during the campaign, and both say that communities need protection from a system of power and development that they view as predatory.
Now, “first and foremost is to set Candi up for success and prioritize her platform,” Calderón said. That will include affordable housing, transportation and pollution issues, she said — particularly in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Elisabeth Epps, known for her efforts to abolish the cash bail system, also is on CdeBaca’s transition team. The office hasn’t confirmed whether she’ll work on staff.