Five Democrats and one Republican will square off Tuesday for the 39th Assembly District seat, which became vacant when Raul Bocanegra resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.
Bocanegra resigned Nov. 27 after initially saying he would serve out the remainder of his term representing the northeastern San Fernando Valley. He opted to step aside amid rising calls for him to resign.
The district includes communities such as North Hollywood, Mission Hills, Sylmar, Arleta and Lake View Terrace.
The five Democrats on the ballot are:
— Yolie Anguiano, a former Assembly staffer and Mission Hills Neighborhood Council member, as well as a former member of the city’s North Area Valley Planning Commission and a worker for Homeboy Industries.
— Patty Lopez, an activist and community volunteer who represented the district in the Assembly from 2014 to 2016, when she lost her re-election bid to Bocanegra.
— Patria Patrick, a documentary producer and author, as well as a political activist who has produced films focused on environmental hazards and previously ran for Congress.
— Luz Maria Rivas, a teacher and former city public works commissioner, and founder of a nonprofit group that promotes science, technology, engineering and math education and careers for young girls.
— Antonio Sanchez, who worked as a field director under then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and works for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11, and once ran for the LAUSD Board of Education.
The lone Republican in the race is Ricardo Benitez, a contracting business owner who has twice run for statewide office and says he has been a longtime activist and advocate for “upward mobility and grassroots causes.”
The district is heavily Democratic, with nearly 53 percent of voters registered as Democrats, and 15 percent Republican, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a June 5 general election.