After more than eight months of speeches and a crowded primary election that narrowed the candidates to two, the runoff to replace former Councilmember Nury Martinez on the Los Angeles City Council will come down to voting day Tuesday, June 27.
Candidates Imelda Padilla, whose background is in community organizing, and Marisa Alcaraz, a top aide to City Councilmember Curren Price, are vying for the Council District 6 seat that represents parts of central and eastern San Fernando Valley. It includes the communities of Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Van Nuys.
Padilla led the vote count in the April primary election, capturing 603 more votes than Alcaraz – a 4.52% margin. But with more than half the voters – over 7,200 people – casting ballots for other candidates in the April race, both Alcaraz and Padilla hope to pick up new supporters in the runoff.
As of Monday afternoon, the county registrar’s office had received 10,732 ballots by mail and 162 people had cast votes at a vote center, according to Mike Sanchez, a spokesperson for the office.
During the primary election in April, 13,510 people in Council District 6 voted, and the voter turnout was 11.4%.
Special elections tend to have low voter turnouts. Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC, in an interview last month said the candidates’ ground game – and who they convinced to show up to vote – could be critical.
“Ultimately, it’s going to be a get-out-the-vote race,” she said.
For those who haven’t voted, here’s a refresher on the two candidates, their positions on key issues, who’s backing them and information about where to vote.
The candidates
Both candidates were born and raised in the San Fernando Valley by at least one parent who immigrated from Mexico. Both still live in the communities where they grew up. And both have master’s degrees in public policy or public administration.
Padilla…
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