6
Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe announced this week he has legally changed his name to Lamar A. Hernandez-Thorpe.
He stated on his website that “Contra Costa Superior Court grants Mayor Thorpe’s petition to change his name to ” Lamar A. Hernandez-Thorpe.”
The name change was foreshadowed last year when Thorpe made the announcement during a March Antioch City Council Meeting. At the time, he said it was to honor his family.
Back on March 31, 2023, Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe released the following Statement:
Office of the Mayor:
At the March 28th Antioch City Council meeting, Mayor Thorpe announced that in October 2022 his father, Guillermo Ochoa Hernandez, was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer.
After a series of cancer medicines, his father, 6 siblings, and Mayor Thorpe have decided to spend their father’s remaining time at home in hospice care.
Mr. Hernandez and his late wife Teresa welcomed numerous children into their home as foster parents. Mayor Thorpe was their first foster child having arrived to them at two-days old.
The Hernandezes adopted many children throughout the years and gave each of them their last name.
While the Hernandezes fought to adopt Mayor Thorpe as an adolescent, they could not as his biological mother never gave up her parental rights.
It does not matter what Mayor Thorpe’s status was as a foster child, his parents are the Hernandezes. Had they legally adopted him, Mayor Thorpe’s name would have changed to Martin Hernandez as he is still known today among family, close friends, and his childhood community- El Sereno.
Therefore, to honor both his parents, Mayor Thorpe will be petitioning to officially change his name to include “Hernandez” as his parents intended.
Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe makes the name change as he enters an election year where the mayors seat is up for grabs. So far, former City Manager Rob Bernal announced he is running.
Hernandez-Thorpe has had a rough couple years as he is likely seeking re-election where the city has not been able to retain a city manager or police chief while several department heads have left and city has nearly 90 vacancies under his leadership. The city has also had to deal with several of his transgressions.
