2023 Los Angeles special election

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]

2023 Los Angeles special election

← 2022 April 4, 2023 (first round) June 27, 2023 (runoff) 2024 →
1 out of 15 seats in the City Council 8 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Independent Seats before 13 1 Seats won 1 0 Seats after 14 1 Seat change 1

Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan, and candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.

District 6

2023 Los Angeles City Council District 6 special election

← 2020 April 4, 2023 (First round) June 27, 2023 (Runoff) 2024 →

Candidate Imelda Padilla Marisa Alcaraz Marco Santana First round 3,421 25.69% 2,812 21.12% 2,515 18.89% Runoff 8,520 55.79% 6,751 44.21% Eliminated   Candidate Rose Grigoryan Isaac Kim Antoinette Scully First round 1,980 14.87% 1,452 10.90% 744 5.59% Runoff Eliminated Eliminated Eliminated

City Councilor before election Vacant[a] City Councilor Imelda Padilla

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

Imelda Padilla

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]

Marisa Alcaraz

State legislators

• Wendy Carrillo, California state assemblywoman^[18]

Local politicians

• Heather Hutt, Los Angeles city councilor^[7]
• Curren Price, Los Angeles city councilor (Alcaraz currently works for Price)^[19]

Labor unions

• International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 94^[7]
• Unite Here Local 11^[4]
• Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters^[20]
• United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 770^[7]

Marco Santana

Local politicians

• Kelly Gonez, president of the Los Angeles Board of Education^[10]
• Nithya Raman, Los Angeles city councilor^[16]

Newspapers

• Los Angeles Times^[21]

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]

Isaac Kim

Organizations

• Sunrise Movement Occidental^[7]

Antoinette Scully

Organizations

• Indivisible East Valley^[7]

Douglas Sierra

Newspapers

• Los Angeles Daily News^[22]

Declined to endorse

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]	Possibly[g][17]	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	Partially[h][29]	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]	Possibly[i][17]	Increase[17]	No[j][17]	Possibly[k][7]

General election

2023 Los Angeles City Council district 6 special 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

Hypothetical 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

1. 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.
2. Altering the zoning of certain areas to allow for the construction higher-density housing
3. 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]
4. Some have called to close Whiteman Airport due to concerns over pollution and recent plane crashes.^[27]
5. Take funds from the police budget and use them to finance mental health and homelessness outreach programs
6. A section of the Los Angeles Municipal Code that "prohibits sitting, lying, sleeping, and storing property in many public areas," functioning to limit public homeless camping.^[28]
7. "If the community seriously feels the airport needs to be closed, that's something we should seriously consider."
8. Would eliminate parking minimums for housing built "near public transit"
9. Would convene neighborhood councils of nearby areas to decide whether or not to close the airport.
10. Would audit LAPD to find ways to save money, but would not cut police funding
11. Would not enforce 41.18 without adequate housing