The2023 Los Angeles special election was held on April 4, 2023, with a runoff occurring on June 27, 2023.[1] Voters will elect a candidate in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections potentially scheduled. One of the fifteen seats on theLos Angeles City Council was up for election due to the vacancy of one member, councilwomanNury Martinez ofDistrict 6, who resigned in the wake of the2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal.[2] Sharon Tso was installed as a caretaker to the district, but no formal appointment was made.[3] There was potential for a recall overKevin de León's statements made during the2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal as well, though due to the lack of signatures turned in by the deadline on April 1, 2023, the petition to recall de León failed.[4][5] FormerCity AttorneyMike Feuer also proposed that a special election be held on a referendum to replace the council's ability to redraw the City Council districts with an independent commission before the 2024 elections.[6]
Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan, and candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.
Although the election was officially nonpartisan, all qualified candidates were members of the Democratic Party except Rose Grigoryan, who was registered as "no party preference."[7]
Kevin de León's recall was first introduced in October 2022, in the midst of the2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal. The recall petition was approved by the city clerk office on December 6, 2022.[30] The petition failed on April 1, 2023, as only 21,006 of the required 25,000 valid signatures were turned in.[4]
^After the resignation ofNury Martinez, Los Angeles Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso acted as a nonvoting placeholder. Tso's only responsibilities were to maintain the day-to-day operations of the 6th district council office, and the seat was still considered vacant.
^Altering thezoning of certain areas to allow for the construction higher-density housing
^An initiative on the 2024 ballot to make Los Angeles streets safer by increasing the number of dedicated bus lanes,protected bike lanes, and pedestrian-priority areas.[25]Nury Martinez, the seat's previous incumbent, opposed Healthy Streets LA.[26]
^Some have called to close Whiteman Airport due to concerns over pollution and recent plane crashes.[27]
^Take funds from the police budget and use them to finance mental health and homelessness outreach programs
^A section of the Los Angeles Municipal Code that "prohibits sitting, lying, sleeping, and storing property in many public areas," functioning to limit public homeless camping.[28]
^"If the community seriously feels the airport needs to be closed, that's something we should seriously consider."
^Would eliminate parking minimums for housing built "near public transit"
^Would conveneneighborhood councils of nearby areas to decide whether or not to close the airport.
^Would auditLAPD to find ways to save money, but would not cut police funding
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