LA Elections
Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks reacts to 'official' re-election victory
The Los Angeles City Clerk’s office made it official today - Bernard Parks has won re-election to the L.A. City Council. He avoided a runoff with just more than 51 percent of the vote.
City of Los Angeles
The General Municipal Election is Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Here, you can find links to local measures, KPCC's stories and candidate profiles. If you see something needs correcting or clarification, please send a note to us here.
Voter Resources
Quick links to candidates
- Los Angeles City Council District 2
- Los Angeles City Council District 4
- Los Angeles City Council District 6
- Los Angeles City Council District 8
- Los Angeles City Council District 10
- Los Angeles City Council District 12
- Los Angeles City Council District 14
- Board of Education District 1
- Board of Education District 3
- Board of Education District 5
- Board of Education District 7
- Board of Trustees Seat 1
- Board of Trustees Seat 3
- Board of Trustees Seat 5
- Board of Trustees Seat 7
- Los Angeles City Measures
Los Angeles City Council District 2 - Winner: Paul Krekorian
Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles City Councilman
Democrat Paul Krekorian was elected to Los Angeles' second City Council district in 2009. Krekorian is running for re-election.
Los Angeles City Council District 4 - Winner: Tom LaBonge
Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Councilman
Tom LaBonge has served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the Fourth District since 2001, taking over the position after the death of John Ferraro. LaBonge is running for re-election.
Los Angeles City Council District 6 - Winner: Tony Cardenas
Tony Cardenas, Los Angeles City Councilman
Tony Cardenas has served in politics for 15 years, first as a three-term state assemblyman and now as a Los Angeles city councilman. Cardenas is running for re-election.
Los Angeles City Council District 8 - Winner: Bernard Parks
Bernard C. Parks, Los Angeles City Councilman
Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks is serving his second term in the 8th District. Parks is running for re-election.
Los Angeles City Council District 10 - Winner: Herb Wesson
Herb J. Wesson, Jr., Los Angeles City Councilman
Herb J. Wesson, Jr. currently serves as a Los Angeles city councilman, representing the 10th District. Wesson is running for re-election.
Los Angeles City Council District 12 - Winner: Mitchell Englander
Mitchell Englander, policeman/Los Angeles City Council deputy
Mitchell Englander has served as the chief of staff to Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith. Englander is running to replace Smith on the City Council, District 12; Smith is retiring.
Los Angeles City Council District 14 - Winner: Jose Huizar
Jose Huizar, Los Angeles City Councilman
Jose Huizar, 42, was elected to the Los Angeles City Council’s 14th District in 2005. Huizar is running for re-election.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Board of Education District 1 - Winner: Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte
Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, educator/school board member
Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte was elected to represent District 1 of the LAUSD Board in 2003 and was re-elected in 2007. LaMotte is running for her third term.
Board of Education District 3 - Winner: Tamar Galatzan
Tamar Galatzan, prosecutor/school board member
Tamar Galatzan was elected in May 2007 as the 3rd District representative to the LAUSD Board of Education. Galatzan is running for re-election.
Board of Education District 5 - Sanchez wins plurality, but likely faces runoff against Kayser
Bennett Kayser was a Los Angeles Unified School District middle school science and health teacher for 14 years. Kayser represented the 13th City Council District on the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, which worked on rewriting L.A.'s constitution. Kayser is running for the LAUSD School Board, District 5, where current board member Yolie Flores has decided not to run for re-election.
Luis Sánchez is a former city commissioner and serves as the chief of staff to Los Angeles Unified School Board President Monica Garcia. Sánchez, 35, is hoping to succeed Yolie Flores on the LAUSD School Board, District 5; Flores previously announced she would not seek a second four-year term.
Board of Education District 7 - Winner: Richard Vladovic
Richard A. Vladovic, school board member
On July 3, 2007 Richard Vladovic was sworn in as a school boardmember for the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 7. Vladovic is running for re-election.
Los Angeles Community College District
Board of Trustees, Seat No. 1 - Winner: Mona Field
Mona Field, community college professor
Mona Field was first elected to the Los Angeles Community College District Board in 1999 and reelected in 2003 and 2007. She was elected by her colleagues to serve as the president of the Board of Trustees in 2004 and in 2009. She is running for re-election to the board.
Board of Trustees, Seat No. 3 - Winner: Steven Veres
Steven Veres, community college teacher
Steve Veres was elected to a four-year term on the San Fernando City Council in March 2003 and re-elected in 2007.
Board of Trustees, Seat No. 5 - Vonkin wins plurality, but likely faces runoff
Manuel "Manny" Aldana, Jr., neighborhood council board member
Manuel Aldana, Jr. is a board member of the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council.
Mark Lee, neighborhood council board member
Mark Lee is a neighborhood council boardmember.
Lydia A. Gutierrez, teacher/neighborhood council board member
Lydia Gutiérrez presently serves as an elected board member on the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council. She chairs the public safety committee.
Scott Svonkin, school board member
Scott Svonkin is a school board member, former businessman and long-time community activist.
Nicole Michelle Chase, youth advocate/consultant
Nicole Michelle Chase is a youth advocate and development and marketing consultant.
Octavio Pescador, university professor
Octavio Pescador is a university professor who has taught education and social sciences at numerous institutions domestically and internationally including Cal State LA and the University of Southern California.
Pamela R. Bolin, treasurer, neighborhood council
In March 2010, Pamela R. Bolin was elected to the Northridge West Neighborhood Council and appointed treasurer.
Board of Trustees, Seat No. 7 - Winner: Miguel Santiago
Miguel Santiago, community college board member
Miguel Santiago was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District on March 26, 2008 and was sworn in on April 9, 2008. He was elected to the Board the following year during the 2009 primary election.
City of Bell
Full term member of the City Council - Winners: Saleh, Valencia, Alvarez
Ali Saleh, small business owner - Winner
Ali Saleh was born and raised and still lives in the city of Bell. He is running in the general municipal election to become a full term member of the City Council of the city of Bell.
Violeta Alvarez, Social Services Worker - Winner
Violeta Alvarez, 44, works as a social service worker for Los Angeles County where she works to ensure that people who seek government services are eligible. Alvarez is running in the general municipal election to be a full term member of the City Council of the city of Bell.
Nestor Enrique Valencia, health care administrator - Winner
Nestor Enrique Valencia has been a member of the Bell community for more than 30 years. Valencia is running in the general municipal election to be a full term member of the City Council of the city of Bell.
Special Vacancy Election - short term member of the City Council - Winner: Ana Maria Quintana
Ana Maria Quintana, attorney/organizer
Ana Maria Quintana, 35, graduated from Yale University with a degree in American studies and a masterís degree in economics from the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. Quintana is running for the special vacancy election to succeed Luis Artiga.
Candidate to succeed Teresa Jacobo, who voters chose to recall - Winner: Danny Harber
Danny Harber, 66, has lived in the city of Bell for 38 years. Harber retired from the baking industry after 35 years. Harber is running to succeed Teresa Jacobo if Jacobo is recalled.
Links to Los Angeles City Measures
- Pension Reform, Measure G (Passed)
- Restriction on Campaign Contributions from City Contractors, Measure H (Passed)
- DWP Ratepayer Advocate, Measure I (Passed)
- DWP Revenue Transfers and Budget Deadline, Measure J (Passed)
- Reassignment of Funds for Library System, Measure L (Passed)
- Tax on Medical Marijuana, Measure M (Passed)
- Public Funding of Campaigns, Measure N (Passed)
- Tax on Oil Companies, Measure O (Failed)
- Emergency Reserve and Budget Stabilization Fund, Measure P (Passed)
- Civil Service Hiring Rule Changes, Measure Q (Passed)
A new pension system for police, fire and harbor department employees hired after July 1. It would require personnel hired after July 1 to contribute some of their salary to pay for their health pension as a way to lower the city's mushrooming retiree costs.
Election campaign financing forms, including a measure barring contributions from people or companies who are bidding for city contracts of $100,000 or more. Another would give City Council candidates access to more public funding.
Measure I would create an independent Office of Public Accountability, which would include a ratepayer advocate position, to safeguard consumers' interests.
Measure J would require the DWP to finalize its budget by March 31, so the utility can notify the city of the amount of surplus funds it can transfer to the city for the July 1 fiscal year.
A measure to protect funding for the library system, which suffered drastic cutbacks in staff and hours last year due to the municipal budget crisis.
Measure M would raise up to $10 million a year by charging medical marijuana dispensaries $50 for each $1,000 in gross receipts. Berkeley and other California cities already tax the clinics, while other regions have struggled to ban them entirely.
Measure N lifts restrictions on the amount of funding that candidates can receive from independent groups during city and Los Angeles Unified School District elections. It also removes the requirement that self-financed candidates give advance notice before spending more than $30,000 of their personal money and increases the amount of contributions that opponents of self-financed candidates are allowed to receive.
Measure O would tax oil production in the city. The $1.44 per barrel excise tax would generate $4.1 million a year.
Establishment of a contingency reserve to cover shortfalls and unanticipated expenses; an emergency reserve, totaling 2.75 percent of the city's general fund, in the event of fiscal emergency; and a budget stabilization fund.
Changes in civil service hiring rules, particularly those affecting public safety employees.
KPCC's LA Municipal Election Coverage
- Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks reacts to 'official' re-election victory
- Bernard Parks challenger says she has him 'on the ropes'
- Parks in tight race to keep his seat
- AirTalk: Los Angeles election results are in
- LA Unified incumbents win re-election
- Bell city voter: 'Now people are paying attention'
- District 4 LA City Council race: LaBonge vs. Box vs. O'Grady
- Little-known LA police/fire retirement plan pays pension, salary at same time
- Whatever the election results, Bell city voters win
- Bell city residents remember candidate Miguel Sanchez as soft-spoken, strong
- Los Angeles voters to decide on measures I & J Tuesday
- Marguerite LaMotte seeks re-election to LAUSD board
- Patt Morrison: L.A. Council District 4 debate: LaBonge vs. Box vs. O’Grady
- Patt Morrison: Mark your ballots – it’s election time again
- The Madeleine Brand Show: Measure G would roll back pension benefits for new public safety workers
- AirTalk: Battle for L.A.’s 8th District City Council seat - Parks vs. Hogan-Rowles
- Measure G would reduce pensions for new police, firefighters
- Patt Morrison: March 8th Ballot’s Measure G gets the ball rolling on pension reform
- AirTalk: Debating Measure M - it’s high time for LA voters to decide on taxing medical marijuana
- Measure G is modest reform of LA city pensions
- Patt Morrison: Measure M’s for money: if you sell marijuana in Los Angeles… the city wants its share
- LA Labor endorses five candidates for Bell City Council
- LA city ballot measure locks in money for libraries
- The Madeline Brand Show: LA City Council races heat up
- Los Angeles City Council races heat up with 2 weeks to go
- Bell residents arrive in droves for election forum
- AirTalk: Friends turn foes in battle over 14th District City Council seat
- AirTalk: Debating Measure L – as in how should our L-ibraries be funded?
- AirTalk: Debating Measure O - should LA tax oil?
- LA City Council race features 2 former friends: Huizar, Martinez
- Big players silent on LA Unified endorsements
- Candidate list final for LAUSD school board race
- Candidates file for LA Unified board seats











