Filing deadline nears for candidates in Los Angeles elections

Saturday is the deadline for people to file paperwork to run for Los Angeles elected office in 2022, including the citywide seats of mayor, city attorney and controller.

The primary will be held on June 7, followed by a general election on Nov. 8.

As of Friday afternoon, the most prominent candidates running for mayor include Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles; Councilman Kevin de León; Councilman Joe Buscaino; City Attorney Mike Feuer; and real estate developer Rick Caruso.

Other candidates running to lead Los Angeles as of Friday afternoon were:

— realtor and former Metro board member Mel Wilson;

— tech entrepreneur Ramit Varma;

— businessman Craig Greiwe.

— social justice advocate and Echo Park Neighborhood Council member Alex Gruenenfelder Smith;

— Chuck Cho, who did not identified with a title;

— self-described business owner John Jsamuel Jackson;

— self-described housing advocate G. Juan Johnson;

— self-described entrepreneur Douglas Paul Nichols;

— William “Rodriguez” Morrison, who was a Republican candidate in 2017 for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 34th District and won about 3% of the vote;

— lawyer Andrew Kim;

— Jesse N. Forte, who identified himself in paperwork as an “astronaut” but whose LinkedIn indicates that he seasonally participates in simulation tests for a space architecture and engineering firm;

— construction professional Sean Isaac Enright;

— SilentRight CEO Barry “Boenvilla” Boen;

— Army veteran and self-described education advocate Austin Dragon;

— self-described businesswoman Juanita Lopez;

— self-described community activist Vincent “King Spider-D” Willis;

— business administrative consultant Jesseca Harvey;

— homeless advocate Louis De Barraicua, whose website says he teaches filmmaking;

— chiropractor Jemiss Nazar;

— Alycia Tashaunna Lowery, who works in the children’s social work field; and

— Chris Gilmore, who identified himself as a business owner.

Vying for city attorney are Deputy City Attorney Richard Kim; California Democratic Party Treasurer Teddy Kapur; civil rights attorney Faisal M. Gill, who previously served as policy director for the Department of Homeland Security; former Republican radio host and former president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works Kevin James; federal prosecutor Marina Torres; financial law attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto; and Deputy City Attorney Sherri Onica Valle Cole.

Controller candidates filed as of Friday evening are Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz; Reid Lidow, a former executive officer to Mayor Eric Garcetti; certified public accountant and housing justice advocate Kenneth Mejia; self-described public school teacher J. Carolan O’Gabhann; City Attorney’s Office spokesman Rob Wilcox; and self-described chief financial officer David Vahedi; and CFO and Assistant Director of the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Street Services Stephanie Clements.

Eight City Council seats also have elections this year — more than half of the 15-member council.

Councilman Gil Cedillo is up for his third election to represent Council District 1 — which includes the neighborhoods Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Westlake, Chinatown, Pico Union and more.

People looking to replace him so far are public policy advocate Eunisses Hernandez, community organizer Ronald Duarte, businessman and former LAUSD employee Jesse Rosas and Westlake North Neighborhood Council member Elaine Alaniz, who identified herself as a filmmaker and crisis responder.

Councilman Bob Blumenfield is running for a third term, as well, to represent Council District 3, which includes neighborhoods in the southwest San Fernando Valley. His opponents as of Friday were self-described victims’ rights advocate and lawyer Alexander Tsao, and businessman and Child Development Institute Board Member Scott Silverstein.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez is up for reelection to a second term in the City Council to represent the 7th district, which includes the northeastern San Fernando Valley. She’ll be running against community advocate Elisa Avalos, Pacoima Neighborhood Council member Reuben Garcia and Foothill Trails District Neighborhood Council President Kevin Davis.

Councilman Curren Price is up for a third term for District 9 in South Los Angeles. His opponents as of Friday evening were community advocate Adriana Cabrera, education advocate Dulce Vasquez, self-identified health care worker Miguel Isaias Lemus and former LA City Councilman for another district Nick Pacheco.

The final member of the LA City Council up for reelection this year is Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, who is running for a third term to represent the 13th district, including the neighborhoods of Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Atwater Village.

People seeking to take O’Farrell’s seat as of Friday were community organizer Al Corado; Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Stephen Johnson; labor organizer Hugo Soto-Martinez; self-identified defense sales representative Carlos Flowers; Kate Pynoos, former homelessness policy adviser to Councilman Mike Bonin; self-identified adjudicator Chad Michael Manuel; and housing rights advocate and Rampart Village Neighborhood Council President Rachael Rose Luckey.

Council District 11 — which includes Venice, the Pacific Palisades, Mar Vista and other westside neighborhoods — has no incumbent, with Bonin opting not to seek a third term. Twelve candidates were running to succeed him as of Friday: photographer Gary Copeland, civil rights attorney Erin Darling, attorney and former Board of Public Works President Greg Good, former Venice Neighborhood Council member and land use attorney Mike Newhouse, self-identified medical delivery driver Mat Smith, former adviser to a Board of Education member Allison Holdorff Polhill, current Venice Neighborhood Council President Jim Murez, self-identified property manager Cristian Orlando Letelier, security guard Vincent Sulaitis, community organizer Ronnie McCowan, attorney Traci Park and self-described international trade adviser Christopher Baker.

Council District 5 also lacks an incumbent this year, since Councilman Paul Koretz is termed-out and running to be controller. Candidates running to succeed Koretz for the district — which includes the neighborhoods Bel Air, Brentwood, Westwood Pico-Robertson, Palms and parts of the Fairfax District — are Katy Young Yaroslavsky, former senior environment and arts policy deputy for LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl; Palms Neighborhood Council Business Representative Josh Nadel; former chair of the Mid City West Neighborhood Council Scott Epstein; UCLA School of Law lecturer Jimmy Biblarz; publicist and business consultant Dory Frank, realtor Kristina Irwin, self-described businessman Danny Bahr, attorney and small business owner Sam Yebri and community organizer Molly Basler.

Council District 15, which includes San Pedro, Wilmington and Watts, had nine candidates running to replace Councilman Joe Buscaino — who is running for mayor — as of Friday evening. The field consists of entrepreneur and former Harbor City Neighborhood Council President Danielle Sandoval; businessman and former Port of Los Angeles marketing manager Anthony Santich; Tim McOsker, businessman and former chief of staff and deputy city attorney under former LA Mayor James K. Hahn; self-described investment banker LaMar Lyons; educator and community organizer Bryant Odega; self-described special educator and realtor Andrew Bak-Boychuk; self-described youth/senior advocate Mark Anthony Contreras; community activist Pati Lawrence; marketing consultant Rick Thomas.; and artist/environmental activist Robert Miller.

Three seats on the Board of Education are also up for election. Kelly Gonez is running for reelection to represent Board District 6 in the East San Fernando Valley. Her opponents are parent and teacher Marvin Rodriguez, Los Angeles Unified School District transportation supervisor Benito Benny Bernal, after-school activities program director and Los Angeles School Police Sgt. Jess Arana, self-described teacher and self-described retired businesswoman and mother Jesie Balbuena.

Board District 4 member Nick Melvoin is running  for reelection to represent the West Los Angeles and West San Fernando Valley area. His opponents are Gentille Barkhordarian, who says she’s an engineer and mother, and Negar Nikgohar, a self-described parent and educator.

As of Friday evening, eight candidates are running for Board District 2 in central and eastern Los Angeles. Candidates so far are self-described small business owner J. Benjamin Johnson; education advocate and parent Maria Brenes; self-identified accountant and community activist Erica Vilardi-Espinosa, self-identified public school teacher Miguel Angel Segura; education policy adviser Rocio Rivas; self-described educator, activist and attorney Miho Murau, counselor and mom Raquel Zamora and mom Erika Viviana Ochoa.

While the deadline for candidates to file their declaration of intention to run is Saturday, not all candidates who file will automatically end up on the ballot. Over the next 25 days, candidates will gather signatures to appear on the ballot. A minimum of 500 valid signatures from voters are required, but candidates who receive at least 1,000 signatures will avoid a $300 filing fee.

In mid-March, the nominating petitions’ signatures will be reviewed and the official candidate lists will be finalized.

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