There is no date that is not fulfilled: this Tuesday, June 27, the voters of the 6th district of the San Fernando Valley will decide who of the two Latino candidates, Imelda Padilla or Marisa Alcaraz, will be the new councilor who represents them in the seat that they left vacant Nury Martinez on the Los Angeles City Council.
The great challenge to overcome is abstentionism, since in the last special primary election in March, barely between 11 and 12% of voters voted, and only 5% of Latinos, so there is an optimistic expectation that increase voter turnout in Tuesday’s polls.
“We are seeing higher turnout now than in the primary, and my campaign is doing what it can to get the vote out and ensure Valley voices are heard at City Hall,” said Padilla, who placed first in the primary election for the April 4 with 25.65% of the votes against 21.13% of his opponent Alcaraz.
The sudden resignation of the president of the Los Angeles Council, Nury Martínez last October, after her participation in an audio with racist comments that was leaked to the public, left a vacancy that will be filled either by Padilla, a community activist; o Alcaraz, deputy chief of staff for Councilman Curren Price, who finds herself in trouble after strong accusations of embezzlement, perjury and conflicts of interest leveled against her by Los Angeles County Attorney George Gascón.
District 6 includes neighborhoods such as Sun Valley, Arleta, North Hollywood, North Hills, Panorama City, and Van Nuys. 72% of its population is Latino; Asian residents are 9%, and African Americans represent 3% of its inhabitants.
“District 6 is sick and tired of the homelessness crisis, homelessness, our weakened infrastructure and our neglected parks,” Padilla said.
He added that he has spoken to thousands on this campaign and the message is clear: Voters demand a fresh and clear start.
Imelda Padilla
Padilla has achieved the support of the newspapers La Opinión, Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles TimesCouncilwoman Mónica Rodríguez, Senator Caroline Menjivar, Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Bergar, Assemblywoman Luz Rivas and former Supervisor Sheila Kuehl among others.
“I look forward to earning the privilege of becoming the next councilwoman for our working families to ensure their voices are heard at City Hall,” Padilla said last March after the election.
The community activist has been working for 20 years to improve the quality of life in District 6 and the San Fernando Valley.
“From serving on the LA Youth Council, on the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council to developing the Los Angeles County Girls and Women Initiative, and leading the Valley coalition to raise wages to $15, playing an integral role in bringing resources to our neighborhoods, these experiences have served as motivation to be a change agent where it is needed most.”
Padilla is 35 years old, and is the daughter of immigrant parents from Jalisco, Mexico.
He studied Political Science and has a master’s degree in Public Administration. She has worked for the city and county of Los Angeles, and with two non-profit organizations, Pacoima Beautiful and the Los Angeles Alliance. She was a member of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council, the neighborhood where she lives.
Marisa Alcaraz
Alcaraz has been endorsed by the Los Angeles Sentinel, Councilmember Price, Los Angeles Council Speaker Paul Krekorian, Councilmember Heather Hutt, San Fernando Councilmember Cindy Montañez, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, Senator Steve Bradford, the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, among many other unions.
She is the single mother of a 5-year-old girl, the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico. In an interview with The opinion ahead of the primary election, he said he loves his community and wants to see it well represented and make it better.
He acknowledged that District 6 has a homelessness and housing crisis; and that they have not seen much investment in the area to address these two pressing problems.
“I want to help economic development and housing. I have experience working with disadvantaged communities in this city, and I can be the voice of the district at City Hall.”
To achieve this, Marisa says that she knows how to navigate the Town Hall. From 2009 to 2013, she worked with then-councilman Richard Alarcón; and from 2013 to date, she has served alongside Councilor Curren Price.
Padilla will have his party of choice at the restaurant Chicuagle from Sun Valley; The opinion He still does not have the information on the place of the electoral celebration of Alcaraz.