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Special election to fill Nury Martinez’s former seat could cost over $7M
Los Angeles Oct 21, 2022
| Photo courtesy of Intellectual/Pixabay
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A special election to fill the Sixth District seat vacated by Nury Martinez’s resignation for her involvement in the City Hall racism scandal could cost Los Angeles up to an estimated $7.65 million, the city clerk’s office said Friday.
The election would take place on April 4, 2023 at the earliest, with a runoff — if necessary — taking place on June 27. The council is set to discuss calling a special election at Tuesday’s meeting and allocating $7.65 million for the two elections.
The Sixth District — which includes central and eastern portions of San Fernando Valley — is being overseen by a non-voting caretaker, the city’s Chief Legislative Analyst, Sharon Tso. A non-voting caretaker does not hold a seat on the council, but oversees the council office to make sure the district provides constituent services and other basic functions.
Martinez resigned from the council last week. Her term was set to expire in December 2024.
Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, D-Arleta, who was floated as a candidate for the seat if the council holds a special election, said this week that she wasn’t interested.
“I love my role in the state Assembly, which allows me to work on — and make progress on — the issues that I care most about, especially environmental justice and empowering underserved communities,” Rivas said on Twitter.
The other two council members involved in the leaked conversation that spurred the scandal, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, have so far defied calls to resign. De León said earlier this week that he does not plan on stepping down, and a spokesman for Cedillo said Wednesday night that the councilman remains at “a place of reflection.”
De León’s term also expires in December 2024.
Cedillo lost his re-election bid to Eunessis Hernandez in June and will leave office in December. Council President Paul Krekorian has suggested swearing in Hernandez immediately if Cedillo resigns.
Recently, Councilwoman Heather Hutt served as the non-voting caretaker of the 10th District for several months before being appointed as council member last month in place of Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who is suspended as he awaits trial on federal corruption charges. Previous fill-in Councilman Herb Wesson was legally barred from serving on the council.
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