Imelda Padilla, the presumptive winner in last week’s Council District 6 special election, was appointed by the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday, July 5, as a voting representative on the council while election results are certified and declared final.
“Congratulations, Councilmember Padilla,” Council President Paul Krekorian said the moment the council voted 10-0 on the appointment.
The newest member of the Los Angeles City Council took the oath of office and, after getting a hug from Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who had endorsed her, immediately took her seat around the so-called horseshoe where the 15 councilmembers sit.
Padilla said people are welcome to call her “Councilmember Imelda.” She thanked her family, including her mother, “for raising us the way that she raised us” as her mother, one of her sisters and two nieces sat in the front row of the Council Chamber.
“The 6th District is ready to have a voting member, to have someone advocate for things,” said Padilla.
“Let’s get to work,” she said.
Padilla, who turns 36 next week, takes the empty seat of disgraced former Councilmember Nury Martinez. Padilla claimed victory on Friday, shortly after her election rival, Marisa Alcaraz, conceded and before the latest vote count by the county registrar showed Padilla still leading by more than 11 percentage points.
Before the council voted on the appointment, Rodriguez and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez praised Padila’s strong work ethics.
“Today is a very special day where we not only honor democracy in this process, and the right candidate won, but we will be honoring what this community is deserving of – and that is a representative that knows who they are, that (the community) is a piece of who they are, and will bring that heart every single day” to the job, Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez added that she was pleased to “finally have another partner back in fighting for the northeast San Fernando…
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