2023 Los Angeles special election
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The 2023 Los Angeles special election was held on April 4, 2023, with a runoff occurring on June 27, 2023.[1] Voters will elect a candidate in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections potentially scheduled. One of the fifteen seats on the Los Angeles City Council was up for election due to the vacancy of one member, councilwoman Nury Martinez of District 6, who resigned in the wake of the 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal.[2] Sharon Tso was installed as a caretaker to the district, but no formal appointment was made.[3] There was potential for a recall over Kevin de León's statements made during the 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal as well, though due to the lack of signatures turned in by the deadline on April 1, 2023, the petition to recall de León failed.[4][5] Former City Attorney Mike Feuer also proposed that a special election be held on a referendum to replace the council's ability to redraw the City Council districts with an independent commission before the 2024 elections.[6]
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April 4, 2023 (first round)
June 27, 2023 (runoff) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 out of 15 seats in the City Council 8 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan, and candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.
District 6
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April 4, 2023 (First round)
June 27, 2023 (Runoff) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 6th district includes the neighborhoods of Lake Balboa, Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta, North Hills, North Hollywood, and Sun Valley, as well as Van Nuys Airport and the Sepulveda Basin.[7]
Although the election was officially nonpartisan, all qualified candidates were members of the Democratic Party except Rose Grigoryan, who was registered as "no party preference."[7]
Candidates
Declared
- Marisa Alcaraz, deputy chief of staff to city councilor Curren Price from Lake Balboa[8][7]
- Rose Grigoryan, marketing company founder from North Hollywood[9]
- Isaac Kim, skin care business owner from Van Nuys[9][7]
- Imelda Padilla, community relations manager and candidate for Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in 2017 from Sun Valley[8][7]
- Marco Santana, housing nonprofit director and former Controller of the San Fernando Valley Democratic Party from Van Nuys[7][10]
- Antoinette Scully, community organizer from Van Nuys[9][7]
- Douglas Sierra, community center facilities coordinator from Sun Valley[9][7]
Qualified write-in candidates
- Wendy Goodman Thum, president of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council[11]
- Carmelina Minasova, respiratory therapist[11]
- Richard Serrano, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee[11]
Disqualified
- Lanira Murphy, treasurer of the Panorama City Neighborhood Council and runner-up for California State Assembly District 46 in 2020[8]
- James Thomas, president of the San Fernando Valley NAACP[12]
Declined
- Angélica Dueñas, member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee, former president of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council, and candidate for California's 29th congressional district in 2018, 2020, and 2022[13]
- Kelly Gonez, president of the Los Angeles Board of Education[13] (endorsed Santana)[10]
- Cindy Montañez, San Fernando city councilor, former state assemblywoman from the 39th district, and candidate for this district in 2013 and 2015[13]
- Luz Rivas, state assemblywoman from the 39th district[13][14]
- Sharon Tso, Los Angeles Chief Legislative Analyst and nonvoting placeholder for this seat[3]
Endorsements
Federal politicians
- Tony Cárdenas, U.S. representative for California's 29th congressional district[15]
Local politicians
- George McKenna, member of the Los Angeles Board of Education[7]
- Rocio Rivas, member of the Los Angeles Board of Education[7]
- Joy Picus, former Los Angeles city councilor[16]
- Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles city councilor[17]
- Scott Schmerelson, member of the Los Angeles Board of Education[7]
Labor unions
- Laborers' Union Local 300[7]
State legislators
Local politicians
- Heather Hutt, Los Angeles city councilor[7]
- Curren Price, Los Angeles city councilor (Alcaraz currently works for Price)[19]
Labor unions
Local politicians
- Kelly Gonez, president of the Los Angeles Board of Education[10]
- Nithya Raman, Los Angeles city councilor[16]
Newspapers
Labor unions
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36[7]
Organizations
- Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters[7]
- San Fernando Valley Democratic Party[7]
Organizations
- Sunrise Movement Occidental[7]
Organizations
- Indivisible East Valley[7]
Newspapers
Organizations
- Ground Game Los Angeles[23]
- Los Angeles Democratic Socialists of America[23]
- Sunrise Movement Los Angeles[23]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of February 18, 2023[24] | |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Contributions |
| Marisa Alcaraz | $100,606 |
| Rose Grigoryan | $23,379 |
| Isaac Kim | $13,275 |
| Imelda Padilla | $55,362 |
| Marco Santana | $53,900 |
| Antoinette Scully | $5,688 |
| Douglas Sierra | $8,113 |
Political positions
| Candidate | Eliminate parking minimums |
Increase upzoning[b] in District 6 |
Refuse donations from real estate and police interests |
Support Healthy Streets LA[c] |
Close Whiteman Airport[d] |
Police staffing level |
Reallocate police funding[e] |
Repeal Section 41.18[f] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marisa Alcaraz | No[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Increase[17] | ? |
No[7] | |
| Rose Grigoryan | ? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| Isaac Kim | No[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | No[17] | Status quo[17] |
Yes[17] | Yes[7] |
| Imelda Padilla | Yes[29] | No[29] | Yes[29] | No[17] | Increase[17] | No[17] | No[7] | |
| Marco Santana | No[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[17] | Increase[17] | Yes[17] | Yes[7] |
| Antoinette Scully | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[17] | Decrease[17] | Yes[17] | Yes[7] |
| Douglas Sierra | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Increase[17] | No[j][17] | Possibly[k][7] |
General election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imelda Padilla | 3,424 | 25.66 | |
| Marisa Alcaraz | 2,819 | 21.13 | |
| Marco Santana | 2,523 | 18.91 | |
| Rose Grigoryan | 1,985 | 14.88 | |
| Isaac Kim | 1,455 | 10.90 | |
| Antoinette Scully | 745 | 5.58 | |
| Douglas Sierra | 393 | 2.95 | |
| Write-in | 162 | 1.23 | |
| Total votes | 13,506 | 100.00 | |
| Imelda Padilla | 8,520 | 55.79 | |
| Marisa Alcaraz | 6,751 | 44.21 | |
| Total votes | 15,271 | 100.00 | |
District 14 recall attempt
Kevin de León's recall was first introduced in October 2022, in the midst of the 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal. The recall petition was approved by the city clerk office on December 6, 2022.[30] The petition failed on April 1, 2023, as only 21,006 of the required 25,000 valid signatures were turned in.[4]
Polling
Should Kevin de León be recalled?
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Yes | No | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategies 360[31] | January 10–16, 2023 | 400 (RV) | ± 4.9% | 58% | 25% | 17% |
Notes
- After the resignation of Nury Martinez, Los Angeles Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso acted as a nonvoting placeholder. Tso's only responsibilities were to maintain the day-to-day operations of the 6th district council office, and the seat was still considered vacant.
- An initiative on the 2024 ballot to make Los Angeles streets safer by increasing the number of dedicated bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian-priority areas.[25] Nury Martinez, the seat's previous incumbent, opposed Healthy Streets LA.[26]
- Take funds from the police budget and use them to finance mental health and homelessness outreach programs
- "If the community seriously feels the airport needs to be closed, that's something we should seriously consider."
- Would eliminate parking minimums for housing built "near public transit"
- Would convene neighborhood councils of nearby areas to decide whether or not to close the airport.
- Would not enforce 41.18 without adequate housing