The fast-approaching March 2024 primary election for the Los Angeles City Council is shaping up to be an intriguing affair, with seven seats up for election and all of them contested – including a San Fernando Valley seat where several candidates jumped in because Council President Paul Krekorian is termed out.
The L.A. City Clerk’s office on Wednesday evening, Dec. 13 released the final list of candidates who qualified for the March 5 primary election ballot.
Krekorian can’t run again in Council District 2, which includes North Hollywood and other parts of the east San Fernando Valley, opening the door to a competitive race with high interest from candidates and voters alike.
And the Council District 12 race in the West San Fernando Valley is also generating buzz, with current Councilmember John Lee contesting allegations that he violated city ethics rules. Lee will face off against a single competitor, Serena Oberstein, former president of the city’s Ethics Commission.
With only two candidates in the District 12 race, it’s possible that whoever captures the most votes in March won’t have to face a runoff in the November general election. The only possible surprise would be if a write-in candidate got enough votes in March to prevent one of the two candidates from getting more than 50% — the threshold needed to win outright in the March primary.
Voters in L.A.’s eastside District 14 — represented by Kevin de León — and voters in District 10 — which stretches from Central L.A. to parts of South L.A. and is represented by Heather Hutt — will choose from crowded fields, including the incumbents and numerous challengers.
De León, seeking reelection, faces seven challengers, including two state lawmakers. He’s expected to face criticisms from opponents for participating in a 2021 backroom meeting with two other councilmembers and a union leader, who, during a racist-filled conversation, discussed how to redraw L.A. City Council district boundaries to better suit themselves.
District 14 includes parts of downtown L.A. and eastern areas of the city such as Boyle Heights and El Sereno.
In District 10, Hutt, who was appointed to the City Council, and four other candidates are running to represent a swath of Los Angeles stretching from Koreatown in Central L.A. to Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw District and Leimert Park in South L.A.
Hutt was appointed to the council to finish out the term of ex-Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was suspended from the council and later removed after being convicted in a federal bribery case.
Below are the candidates who qualified to run in the March 5 primary election. To qualify, candidates must have collected at least 500 valid voter signatures and paid a $300 filing fee by Dec. 6 or avoid the filing fee by gathering at least 1,000 valid voter signatures.
Here’s a list of who has qualified. An asterisk denotes an incumbent.
Council District 2:
- Jon-Paul Bird, mental health professional
- Jillian Burgos, small business owner
- Marin Ghandilyan, lawyer
- Rudy Melendez, laborer/artist
- Manny Gonez, housing advocate/environmentalist
- Sam Kbushyan, state commissioner/small business owner
- Adrin Nazarian, state labor boardmember and former state Assemblymember
Council District 4:
- Levon “Lev” Baronian, engineer/Neighborhood Council member
- Ethan Weaver, deputy city attorney
- Nithya Raman,* City Councilmember
Council District 6:
- Imelda Padilla,* City Councilmember
- Ely De La Cruz Ayao, real estate broker
- Carmenlina Minasova, respiratory care practitioner
Council District 8:
- Cliff Smith, union community organizer
- Jahan Epps, real estate broker
- Marqueece Harris-Dawson,* City Councilmember
Council District 10:
- Grace Yoo, attorney/Neighborhood Council member
- Heather Hutt,* City Councilmember (appointed)
- Eddie Anderson, pastor/community organizer
- Reggie Jones-Sawyer, state Assemblymember
- Aura Vasquez, L.A. city commissioner/environmentalist
Council District 12:
- John Lee,* City Councilmember
- Serena Oberstein, nonprofit leader
Council District 14:
- Wendy Carrillo, state Assemblymember
- Ysabel Jurado, tenant rights attorney
- Teresa Hillery, attorney/community volunteer
- Miguel Santiago, state Assemblymember/parent
- Nadine Diaz, healthcare professional/advocate
- Genny Guerrero, community advocate/mother
- Kevin de León,* City Councilmember
- Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas, public school teacher
