Los Angeles city voters in three City Council districts — in the San Fernando Valley, South LA, and the Eastside — will need to go to the polls again on Nov. 5, 2024, to choose their representative.
Read Ahead
Meanwhile, four other City Council races were decided outright in March. In those races, incumbents Nithya Raman of the 4th District, Imelda Padilla of the 6th District, Marqueece Harris-Dawson of the 8th District, and John Lee of the 12th District won their respective races. They each garnered more than 50% of the votes, allowing them to avoid a runoff.
LA County’s election results were certified last Friday, showing voter turnout to be 28.90% across the county. The LA County Registrar-Recorder’s office tallied and reviewed ballots starting from the March 5, 2024 election results. The results were certified on Friday, March 29, and can be viewed here.
The turnout in LA city was 28.5%, just slightly lower than it was countywide. This turnout figure was calculated using the “ballots cast” figure in the Registrar-Recorder’s Statement of Votes Cast figures for Measure HLA, which was on the ballot for all LA city voters.
There are a total of 15 council seats across the city. Even-numbered districts like the ones that came up this year are on the ballot during presidential election years, while odd-numbered districts are on the ballot in the midterm years.
The four-year, LA City Council term sought in these elections begins Dec. 9, 2024.
Here are the runoff races going to the November general election;
Council District 2
In the 2nd District, which covers the southeast San Fernando Valley, former Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and small business owner Jillian Burgos will face off in the November runoff.
Nazarian is well-connected to prominent California elected officials and has strong ties to the LA City Council President Paul Krekorian. He served as chief of staff for Krekorian in the state legislature and at the city. Burgos came in a surprise second place – ahead of better-funded and connected candidates – putting her in position to challenge an establishment candidate in the runoff.
Votes: Nazarian received 14,033 votes, which is 37.18% of the total votes. Burgos received 8,430 votes, which is 22.34% of the total votes.
Turnout: 30.4%, which is above the 28.5% citywide turnout and the 28.9% countywide turnout.
Money in the race: Nazarian raised $664,533. He also qualified for the maximum $174,000 amount in matching funds. Nazarian was also supported by $276,135.10 in independent spending by a PAC for downtown business lobbying group Central City Association, billboard companies Outfront Media and Lamar Advertising Company, and a PAC for the LA County Federation of Labor. SEIU Local 721 and SEIU Local 2015 also sent communications to their members supporting Nazarian.
Burgos raised $74,135, largely from loans to herself, supported by donations in small amounts. She also received donations from Streets for All, a transit-focused organization that endorsed Burgos, and the California Women’s List, a group that works to elect women into office. Burgos qualified for $93,642 in matching funds.
Communities in the District: North Hollywood, Studio City, Sun Valley, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Valley Village, and Van Nuys.
Council District 10
In the 10th District, which covers much of Mid-City, incumbent Heather Hutt and attorney Grace Yoo, have advanced to the November runoff.
Hutt is an incumbent, but unlike others elected to the position, she was appointed to it nearly a year after the seat first became vacant in October 2021. The previous councilmember, Mark Ridley-Thomas, was suspended in the wake of federal indictment charges. Ridley-Thomas was later convicted on the corruption charges, and sentence. Last October, Ridley-Thomas was set to appeal the conviction.
Votes: Hutt received 13,499 votes, which is 37.78% of the overall votes. Yoo received 8,257 votes, which is 23.1% of the overall votes.
Turnout: 26.45%, which is below the 28.5% citywide turnout and the 28.9% countywide turnout.
Money in the race: Hutt raised $252,552. Hutt was also supported by $365,607.01 in independent spending from the firefighters union; the Carpenters Union, a labor group that has bolstered the careers of both former mayor Eric Garcetti, and the current mayor, Karen Bass; and IBEW Local Union 18, which represents utility workers.
Yoo raised $253,394.81, which includes donations from Lancaster mayor and attorney R. Rex Parris, investor Clifford Goldstein, political consultant Renee Nahum, and Hans Johnson who is president of Progressive Victory. Many of the donations are also from presidents, CEOs, and owners of various companies. Several donations come directly from businesses, such as Yellow Cross Medical Clinic Inc., 7 Dias Tire Co Inc., Corbel Architects, ETL Consultant Inc., Kim’s Auto Center/Body & Paint, and the restaurant Soo Won Galbi.
Communities in the District: Koreatown, Mid-City, Crenshaw, The Village Green, and Leimert Park.
Council District 14
In the 14th District, challenger Ysabel Jurado won more votes than the City Council member for that district, Kevin de León. The two will face off in a runoff in the November general election. LA Public Press reporter Elizabeth Chou’s guide to the 14th Council District race.
Votes: Jurado received 8,618 votes, which is 24.52% of the total votes. De León received 8,220 votes, which is 23.39% of the votes.
Turnout: 26.8%, which is below the 28.5% citywide turnout and the 28.9% countywide turnout.
Money in the race: De León raised $345,934. He also qualified for the maximum matching funds amount of $174,000. His funds come from a variety of interests including jewelers, real estate investors, a hotel owner who spends on politics, and a lobbyist tied to the proposal for a gondola between Union Station and Dodger Stadium.
Jurado raised $220,303.23 and qualified for the maximum amount of $174,000 in matching funds. Maximum $900 donations came from groups like the Engineers and Architects Association, PALAD (Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats); ACCE (Alliance of CA for Community Empowerment Action); Progressive Victory, United Union of Roofers Waterproofers & Allied Workers Local Union 36; and California Women’s List, a PAC (Political Action Committee).
Outside groups spent $687,961 in support of a candidate who did not make the runoff: Miguel Santiago, an Assemblymember. Santiago was supported by independent expenditures from the LA County Federation of Labor, a powerful umbrella group for labor unions in the LAs area; the Carpenters union, another influential labor group that has bolstered the careers of both former mayor Eric Garcetti, and the current mayor, Karen Bass; a group that calls itself “LCCC A Bi-Partisan Coalition of Municipal, County, Latino Appointed and Elected Leaders” that receives funding from soda beverage companies and has sought to influence other city elections.
Communities in the District: El Sereno, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Eagle Rock and parts of Downtown Los Angeles, including Little Tokyo and the Arts District.
