Los Angeles voters are set to elect two new members to the City Council on Tuesday, filling seats in District 3 in the San Fernando Valley and District 9 in South Los Angeles. Both races are seen as critical in shaping the future direction of the city amid demographic shifts and ongoing debates over public safety, homelessness, and economic development.
In District 3, candidates Tim Gaspar and Barri Worth Girvan are competing to succeed outgoing Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who is term-limited. The district covers neighborhoods including Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills.
Gaspar, a local businessman who sold his insurance agency in 2021, emphasizes a pro-business agenda focused on cutting regulatory barriers to stimulate small business growth. He criticizes current homelessness policies, particularly the city’s Inside Safe program, arguing for tougher enforcement of anti-encampment laws and a different approach to housing solutions.
Worth Girvan brings extensive government experience, having served as a district director for Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. Her campaign centers on leveraging public sector knowledge to improve services in the West Valley. She supports the Inside Safe initiative and advocates for expanding permanent housing options and programs like the city’s CIRCLE mobile response team, which addresses nonviolent calls involving homeless individuals.
The campaign has been contentious. Worth Girvan’s team released an ad featuring a former employee alleging Gaspar fostered a hostile work environment, and filed an ethics complaint accusing him of unreported campaign expenditures and violations of city matching fund rules. Gaspar denies these claims, calling them false, and accuses Worth Girvan of perpetuating the status quo without new solutions.
Fundraising totals indicate Gaspar has raised nearly $600,000 during the runoff, including matching funds, outpacing Worth Girvan’s approximately $287,000.
In District 9, a landmark election is underway as voters prepare to elect the district’s first Latino councilmember since 1963. The South Los Angeles area, long represented by Black councilmembers, is now roughly 80% Latino. Incumbent Curren Price is also term-limited.
The candidates, Estuardo Mazariegos and Jose Ugarte, share backgrounds as Latino immigrants who arrived as children and undocumented individuals. Both have years of experience as community organizers, but they differ on key issues such as policing and homelessness.
Ugarte, who placed first in the June primary with about 39% of the vote, supports restoring the Los Angeles Police Department to a force of 9,500 officers, aligning with Mayor Karen Bass’s goals. He endorses enforcement of Municipal Ordinance 41.18 to restrict homeless encampments near sensitive areas and emphasizes improving safety, cleanliness, and affordability in South L.A. His campaign has received over $1 million in independent expenditure support from groups including Airbnb, Uber, and the California Apartment Association.
Mazariegos, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Los Angeles chapter and prominent figures like U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, calls for increased oversight and reduction of the police budget, reallocating funds to departments such as Recreation and Parks. He criticizes ordinances targeting encampments as ineffective and advocates for focusing on addiction and mental health support. Mazariegos accuses groups backing Ugarte of seeking to displace low-income residents through financial influence in the election.
The fundraising between the two candidates is nearly equal, with each raising about $350,000 in contributions and matching funds.
Endorsements in the race reflect the candidates’ differing approaches: Mazariegos has support from progressive leaders and unions, while Ugarte is backed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, immigrant rights groups, and influential elected officials.
The outcomes of these races may significantly affect the council’s stance on small business regulation, homelessness, public safety, and representation in communities experiencing demographic transitions.