The Votes Are In!
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Politics Apr 03, 2023
Los Angeles City Hall. | Photo courtesy of Ken Lund/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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The deadline for voters to cast ballots in the special election to determine who will represent the Los Angeles City Council’s 6th District is Tuesday, nearly six months after disgraced Council President Nury Martinez resigned for making racist comments in a meeting that was secretly recorded and leaked to the public.
The seven candidates appearing on the ballot are Marisa Alcaraz, Rose Grigoryan, Issac Kim, Imelda Padilla, Marco Santana, Antoinette Scully and Douglas Sierra. Whoever is elected to the seat will represent a large portion of the San Fernando Valley, including Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Van Nuys.
If no one receives a majority of the vote, there will be a runoff between the top two vote getters, with the deadline to cast ballots June 27.
Early voting began March 25, with registered voters receiving a vote-by-mail ballot and in-person voting made available as well. Voters can cast their ballots in several ways including at three vote centers within the district, at a ballot drop-off box, and by mail if postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days.
Voters can find a voting center or a ballot drop-box location at bit.ly/3JZ5Uh2. Voting locations are slated to close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Eligible District 6 residents who missed the registration deadline can still vote at any vote center, per California’s election law. Conditional voter registration allows a prospective voter to register and cast a ballot.
Alcaraz, an environmental policy director and deputy chief of staff and environmental policy director to Ninth District Councilman Curren Price, touts several accomplishments such as crafting LA’s “Hero Pay” law to protect and honor frontline workers during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She is 38.
Grigoryan, a social activist and journalist who emigrated from Armenia a decade ago, promised to advocate for permanent supportive housing for the unhoused, more affordable housing units and eliminating food insecurity. She is 37.
Kim, a small business owner, said he’s running on a platform based on three ideas — redefine, regain and restore. He says he wants to get the small things done right, starting with faster, more responsive city services. He is 34.
Padilla, a community relations manager, said she was a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley, understands the community’s potential and is ready to partner with the community to make progress. She is 35.
Santana, director of a housing nonprofit who has worked for former state Sen. Bob Hertzberg and Rep. Tony Cardenas, said his focus would be addressing homelessness, public safety and environmental justice. He is 32.
Scully, a community organizer, said she has experience in education, specializing in racial justice consulting and advocacy work in environmental and justice for the disabled. She also wants to expand public transit. She is 38.
Sierra, a business consultant, said he’s running because the community is “ripe” for change. He said the city needs to build more affordable housing, streamline the permit process and invest in infrastructure and transportation. He is 37.
The district is being overseen by a non-voting caretaker, the city’s chief legislative analyst, Sharon Tso. A nonvoting 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.
The winner of the special election will finish the remainder of Martinez’s term, which ends in December 2024. Additional information, including vote center locations, is available at clerk.lacity.gov/clerk-divisions/elections.
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