Community relations manager Imelda Padilla took the early lead Tuesday evening in the special election to fill the Los Angeles City Council seat formerly held by Nury Martinez while three candidates were locked in a close race for second.
Martinez had 2,136 votes, 25.65%, according to figures from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Marisa Alcaraz was second with 1,572 votes, 18.88%, Rose Grigoryan was third with 1,545 votes, 18.56%, and Marco Santana was fourth with 1,447 votes, 17.38%.
Small business owner Isaac Kim was the only other candidate in the field of seven to top 10%, with 952 votes, 11.43%.
If no candidate receives a majority, there will be a runoff between the top two vote-getters, with the deadline to cast ballots June 27.
Council District 6 consists of Van Nuys, Arleta, Lake Balboa, Panorama City, Sun Valley and the eastern portions of North Hills and North Hollywood.
Early voting for the special election began March 25. The deadline to cast ballots was 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Padilla has pledged to prioritize “an immediate solution to the unhoused crisis because what is currently occurring is not working.”
“I will propose an emergency remediation of encampments, connecting the unhoused population to essential services that will support them in finding housing, employment, and health services,” Padilla said her campaign’s website.
“I will work cohesively with all stakeholders, residents, non-profits organizations, religious leaders, business owners and health organizations to develop and implement sensible hyper-local solutions that make our communities safer, sanitary, and sustainable.”
The 35-year-old Padilla was born in Van Nuys and raised in Sun Valley, graduating from Roscoe Elementary School, Byrd Middle School and Polytechnic High School. She received a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from Cal State Northridge.
Alcaraz, deputy chief of staff and environmental policy director to Ninth District Councilman Curren Price, touts several accomplishments, such as crafting L.A.’s “Hero Pay” law to protect and honor frontline workers during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She is 38.
Grigoryan, a social activist and journalist who immigrated from Armenia a decade ago, promises to advocate for permanent supportive housing for the unhoused, more affordable housing units and working to eliminate food insecurity. She is 37.
Santana, a housing nonprofit director who has worked for former state Sen. Bob Hertzberg and Rep. Tony Cardenas, said his focus would be addressing homelessness, public safety and environmental justice. He is 32.
Martinez represented the district until October, when she resigned first her council presidency and then, two days later, her seat altogether. Her resignations came in the wake of Martinez being caught making racist comments in a meeting that was secretly taped and leaked to the news media.
Former Councilman Gil Cedillo was also in that meeting, along with Councilman Kevin de León and Ron Herrera, president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor. Herrera also resigned his post, while Cedillo ultimately left the council at the end of his term after losing his bid for re-election in June.
De León has defied continued calls for his resignation but has been stripped by the council of major committee assignments and largely shunned by council colleagues.
The district is being overseen by a non-voting caretaker, the city’s chief legislative analyst, Sharon Tso. A non-voting caretaker does not hold a seat on the council, but oversees the council office to make sure the district provides constituent services and other basic functions.