Monica Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rodriguez in 2019 | |
| Member of theLos Angeles City Council from the7th district | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Felipe Fuentes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Occidental College (BA) |
Monica Rodriguez is an American politician in California. She currently serves as aLos Angeles City Council member, and represents the7th district. The district is located in theSan Fernando Valley, and includes the neighborhoods ofPacoima,Sunland-Tujunga,Sylmar,Shadow Hills,Sun Valley,Lake View Terrace, andMission Hills. Rodriguez was sworn in on July 1, 2017.
Prior to her election to the Los Angeles City Council, Rodriguez served as Vice President theLos Angeles Board of Public Works, overseeing essential city services. She was appointed byLos Angeles MayorEric Garcetti to the Board in 2013. As Vice President, she partnered with the private sector to start a rain barrel program and spearheaded an upgrade to the city's contracting website so that it was easier to use, especially for small-, minority- and women-owned businesses that have a harder time navigating the city's contracting process. She also started a small-business academy to help less-advantaged businesses gain a leg up.[1]
Rodriguez previously served as a Community Affairs Manager for MayorRichard Riordan and as an aide to Los Angeles City CouncilmembersMike Hernandez andRichard Alarcon. She also served as a Chief Deputy toLos Angeles Unified School BoardmemberCaprice Young and as an executive in the California Realtors Association.
Rodriguez first ran for City Council in 2007, to replace former CouncilmemberAlex Padilla, who had recently been elected to theCalifornia State Senate. Though he had been elected to theState Assembly less than four months prior, former CouncilmemberRichard Alarcon successfully reclaimed his old City Council seat, defeating Rodriguez and avoiding a runoff.[2] In 2010, Alarcon was indicted on perjury and voter fraud charges for not living in his district and lying in campaign disclosure documents about his official residence. He was eventually convicted of three counts of voter fraud and one count of perjury.[3]
On May 16, 2017, Rodriguez was elected to represent the 7th District in theLos Angeles City Council, in a special election to fill the vacancy created when CouncilmemberFelipe Fuentes resigned to become a registered lobbyist.[4] During the campaign Rodriguez received the endorsements of Mayor Eric Garcetti,[5] theLos Angeles Times,[6] and theLos Angeles County Democratic Party. She defeated Karo Torrossian, an aide to City CouncilmemberPaul Krekorian by over 1,300 votes.[7]
After being sworn in in July 2017, Rodriguez joined CouncilmemberNury Martinez as the only women on the Los Angeles City Council.[8]
On June 7, 2022, Rodriguez was re-elected to the 7th District with nearly 68% of the vote during the statewide direct primary election, defeating former Pacoima Neighborhood Council President Elisa Avalos.[9]
Rodriguez lives in the Mission Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles with her husband Raul, a car salesman, and their two children.[1] She received her undergraduate degree fromOccidental College.[10]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theLos Angeles City Council from the7th district 2017–present | Incumbent |
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