The Los Angeles primary election season was characterized by calls for change. But when the votes were tallied, the powers that be prevailed.
Two City Hall fixtures — Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman — will compete in the Nov. 3 runoff after knocking out Spencer Pratt, the former reality TV personality who campaigned as an outsider looking to shake things up.
And in a break with recent history, all of the City Council members running for re-election cruised to victories. Since the 2020 election, at least one council member lost their seat every two years to a well-funded, well-organized challenger.
Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said voters sometimes favor their local representative even if they have issues with city government in general.
“When voters are frustrated, they often say: ‘The system’s not working, the only one working for me is my council member,’” Guerra said. “Voters were frustrated with the city, frustrated with the way things are going, but were able to identify their council member as one of their few advocates, the one fighting the system with them.”
The one exception to the trend was City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, who became the first city attorney to miss the runoffsince 1933. Feldstein Soto found herself under assault from two sides — Deputy State Atty. Gen. Marissa Roy, a democratic socialist with union support, and John McKinney, a deputy district attorney with backing from law enforcement and short-term rental giant Airbnb.
City Controller Kenneth Mejia, on the other hand, managed to trounce challenger Zach Sokoloff even though Sokoloff’s mother spent $7.5 million on her son’s behalf, while Mejia just had $146,000 in contributions and $500,000 in matching funds.
Several council members were also bracing for for tough campaigns. For most, that never materialized. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was unopposed, and Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martínez, Katy Yaroslavsky and Tim McOsker breezed by, winning by double-digit margins.
Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez of the 1st District and Traci Park of the 11th District both overcame well-funded challengers to secure new four-year terms.
“Folks see who their representatives are, they support the fight that they’re taking on, and that they feel the difference in leadership,” said Hernandez, who herself . Hernandez, among the youngest members on the council, had unexpectedly unseated incumbent Gil Cedillo, who was seeking his third term, in 2022.
As she campaigned for a second term, Hernandez faced a pack of four challengers, including Maria Lou Calanche, the director of nonprofit Expand LA, who had raised nearly $200,000 in contributions, unlocked matching funds and saw another $300,000 from independent expenditures, which are outside groups that do not coordinate with the campaign, spent on her behalf.
Hernandez credited her win to her campaign’s ground game and meeting voters at the door to combat the dark-money funded mailers against her, as well as her record in office, such as advocating for a lowered rent cap.
“One of my colleagues told me what we’ve done is not easy,” she said. “I see it as people see what we’re doing, and they want us to keep fighting for them.”
McOsker, who secured a second term, said incumbents have historically done well in L.A., but recent years have tested them to stay true to the needs of their communities.
“We see how people react to incumbency, and so all the more reason for you to be connected to your community and respond to community,” he said. “You had a set of candidates on the ballot [on June 2] who just worked their tails off from day one until the last day of the fourth year.”
Guerra pointed to Park, who represents the 11th District on the Westside and has become a local hero to many victims of the Palisades fire, as an example of how voters stood by their representative.
Park faced Faizah Malik, a public interest attorney endorsed by the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America — a group that has successfully organized to oust incumbent council members in recent years. The contest became the most expensive council race this year, nearly breaking $2 million in contributions. The majority of the contributions went to Park, who raised $1.3 million.
Sue Kohl, a resident of the Palisades who lost her home in the fire, said the areas burned by the fire are “blanketed” with Park yard signs. In Westchester, where she relocated, Park signs also dominated front lawns.
While there has been frustration with the overall rebuilding process and everyday issues, Kohl, who volunteered for Park’s campaign, said she and others in the 11th District feel Park has been an advocate every step of the way.
“You look to [government officials] for help, and if you see them doing other things as opposed to what you as a community desperately need, you’d be frustrated and angry and ready to make a change,” Kohl said. “But with Traci, everybody looks to what she’s accomplished in the last four years and says ‘Thank you god we have this woman who is willing to do this for us.’”
Although the council incumbents prevailed, City Hall will see at least two new faces after the Nov. 3 general election because of term limits.
Estuardo Mazariegos and Jose Ugarte will vie for the District 9 council seat that is currently occupied by Curren Price, and Tim Gaspar and Barri Worth Girvan will square off for the District 3 seat held by incumbent Bob Blumenfield.
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