Outside money, donations shape Valley race for L.A. City Council seat

Donations and union spending have created a lopsided contest in the race for former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez’s seat in San Fernando Valley.

Three of the seven candidates have raised significant amounts of money or are benefiting from outside spending by unions or corporations in Tuesday’s special election.

The other four candidates face an uphill battle. They have far less funding, limiting their ability to buy glossy mailers or hire consultants to spread their message to voters in City Council District 6.

Isaac Kim, a first-time candidate who lives in Van Nuys and runs a men’s skin and hair care company, raised just $20,175 through late March. He’s relying on free labor to help run his campaign: Kim’s mom is in charge of treasurer duties, while his campaign manager is working for free, he said.

California

Your guide to the L.A. City Council District 6 election to replace Nury Martinez

Marisa Alcaraz, Rose Grigoryan, Imelda Padilla, Marco Santana, Antoinette Scully, Douglas Sierra and Isaac Kim are the candidates for L.A. City Council election to replace Nury Martinez in Council District 6.

March 6, 2023

Mailers, text messages and door-knocking help introduce him to voters. Still, Kim is realistic about his lack of resources.

“The fact of the matter is the more money you have, you have the capacity to reach more voters,” Kim said.

Visibility is particularly important in an election expected to draw a low number of voters. As of Friday afternoon, 6,278 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned to the county, said L.A. County Registrar-Recorder spokesperson Mike Sanchez. In all, more than 118,000 registered voters were sent a ballot.

Imelda Padilla is a candidate for the L.A. City Council’s District 6 seat. She has raised more than $90,000 in donations and secured more than $150,000 in public money through a city program that allows candidates who collect enough small donations from residents in the district to receive matching funds.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In a boost for candidate Imelda Padilla, a committee associated with Laborers Local 300 reported spending $25,000 on television advertisements to support her campaign. The union represents construction, maintenance and plant workers.

Two outside committees are also backing Padilla and have reported spending a combined $92,300. One of the committees has received money from the American Beverage Assn. and PepsiCo.

Separately, Padilla has raised more than $98,000 in donations and secured more than $150,600 in public money through a city program that allows candidates who collect enough small donations from residents in the district to receive matching funds.

Padilla spokesperson Lauren Perez-Rangel credited the candidate’s support to her work with the L.A. Youth Council, the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council and other local organizations.

“Imelda’s edge comes from organizing in the district for the last 20 years,” Perez-Rangel said.

Another candidate, Marisa Alcaraz, a top aide to City Councilmember Curren Price, has raised more than $161,200. Outside groups, including committees backed by United Food & Commercial Workers Local 700, the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters and a real estate development company, respectively, have reported spending a combined $110,825 to support her campaign.

Marisa Alcaraz, left, a candidate for the L.A. City Council’s District 6 seat, speaks with Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo to a group of Alcaraz’s volunteers in Panorama City.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Alcaraz worked on council legislation two years ago mandating that larger grocery store chains pay employees extra money because of their work during the pandemic. UFCW, which represents grocery workers, spearheaded the initiative.

UFCW 770 drew scrutiny in the District 6 race after the committee put out 14,200 mailers in support of Alcaraz that incorrectly stated she was endorsed by the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión.

Armando Varela, executive editor of La Opinión, called for a public retraction, noting the paper hasn’t endorsed a candidate.

“We regret the error and offer our apologies to La Opinión,” said UFCW spokeswoman Bertha Rodriguez. “We would like to clarify that our political action committee functions autonomously, without any direct affiliation or coordination with the Marisa Alcaraz campaign.”

Edith Gonzalez, middle, and other volunteers head out to campaign for District 6 candidate Marisa Alcaraz, a top aide to City Councilmember Curren Price who has raised more than $100,000.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Katherine Tattersfield, volunteer field coordinator for candidate Antoinette Scully, said the incident “demonstrates why communications should come directly from campaigns so that there’s accountability for messaging.”

“You can’t unsend a piece of mail — the damage from this misinformation already reached voters,” Tattersfield said.

Another District 6 candidate, Marco Santana, director of engagement at L.A. Family Housing, has raised more than $89,020 and received $115,578 in matching funds.

A committee associated with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file officers, has spent more than $70,400 opposing Santana. One mailer from the committee highlights Santana’s opposition to 41.18, the city law that allows council members to designate areas as off-limits to homeless camps. It includes a quote from Santana in which the candidate said he would “definitely look at repealing” 41.18.

California

Shape Your L.A. — in Council District 6

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Other candidates, including Scully, a self-described police abolitionist, oppose 41.18. Scully has raised just $13,992, according to the latest filings.

Tom Saggau, a spokesperson for the Police Protective League, said that the union views Santana as the “most viable” of the candidates who oppose 41.18. The union supports the law.

“It’s not just cops” who support 41.18, Saggau said. “For a lot of Angelenos, homeless encampments next to schools and day-care care centers are something that they don’t want to see.”

The police union spent heavily in last year’s Council District 11 race, opposing candidate Erin Darling, who ultimately lost to Traci Park.

Santana, reacting to the mailer, said, “I’m clearly a threat to those who want City Hall to stay the same and to have this council seat filled with an insider who will continue to put the politics before the needs of our communities.

Mailers, text messages and door-knocking have helped introduce Isaac Kim to voters. Still, he is realistic about his lack of resources. “The fact of the matter is the more money you have, you have the capacity to reach more voters.”

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

“It is ironic that the PPL is attacking me since my public safety plan has always been to create ways that will allow LAPD officers to focus more of their time on preventing violent crime —-something the PPL says it wants.”

Meanwhile, candidate Rose Grigoryan, who runs a marketing company, has raised about $59,986. In an email, Grigoryan said she isn’t “approaching special interests that I would owe something to later on.”

Candidate Douglas Sierra, who formerly worked at management consulting firm Monitor Deloitte, has raised about $11,670, but spent more than $21,000, according to the latest filings.