Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath appeared to be on her way to a second term Tuesday evening, grabbing a commanding early lead over three challengers, while state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo was poised to claim the board seat being vacated by the termed-out Hilda Solis.
Five candidates were vying in Tuesday’s election to replace Solis, but Durazo was the most notable candidate on the list of people looking to represent the First District, which includes areas such as Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, downtown and the San Gabriel Valley. A longtime union and labor leader, Durazo previously served as secretary-treasurer of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She also served on the city of Los Angeles Airport Commission.
A tally of early ballots showed Durazo with 57.7% of the vote. If she holds on and earns more than 50% of the vote when all ballots are eventually counted, she will claim the seat without need for a November runoff.
Elaine Alaniz, a disaster recovery specialist who also serves on the Westlake North Neighborhood Council, was running second with 16%. She wrote on her website that she has “built her life around helping people navigate crisis, rebuild stability and reconnect to opportunity.” She cited the fentanyl crisis and combating homelessness as among her top concerns.
David Argudo, a La Puente City Council member and lifelong county resident who served in the Marine Corps, was running third at 10.8%. He said his campaign is focused on improving public safety, tackling homelessness, bolstering mental health services and ensuring transparency and accountability in county government. He said he wants to fix broken county policies and improve struggling programs for residents.
Noel Almario, a birth doula and advocate for maternal health, was fourth at 8.6%. She said she is dedicated to “amplifying marginalized voices” and working on behalf of working families. She said she wants to ensure access to preventative healthcare, increase the availability of affordable housing and build trust between residents and law enforcement.
Annabella Figueroa Mazariegos, a county employee, was running last at 7%.
Horvath, who has represented the Third District for the past four years, was having no trouble fending off a trio of challengers, earning 63.4% of the early balloting. It’s been nearly 50 years since a sitting member of the Board of Supervisors has lost a re-election bid. She will also claim victory outright if she maintains 50% or more of the vote.
Horvath, a former West Hollywood mayor, touted her work over the past four years to take on homelessness through creation of a county department to address the issue. She also pointed to her work on behalf of residents recovering from the Palisades Fire, her opposition to federal immigration raids and her work to usher through a county government overhaul, including a planned expansion of the Board of Supervisors.
Realtor Tonia Arey was running a distant second in the race, with 19.5% of the early ballots. She said she was motivated to join the race following the Palisades Fire, saying the recovery effort is moving too slowly, with no urgency from county government.
Carmenlina Minasyan, a doctor who said she has practiced medicine in countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia and Armenia, was far behind at 8.6%. She previously ran for the Los Angeles City Council and state Legislature.
Tomás Sidenfaden, a businessman and software engineer, was last in the race with 8.5%. He said he is focused on improving public safety, making the county more affordable, tackling homelessness and streamlining permitting processes to improve the availability of housing.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Robert Luna is seeking a second term as the county’s top cop. He won the job four years ago by defeating incumbent Alex Villanueva, who is again running for the post.
Early balloting showed Luna with 46.7% of the vote, just under the 50% needed to avoid a runoff. Villanueva was a distant second at 23.6%.
Also challenging Luna are former sheriff’s Sgt. Eric Strong, retired Capt. Mike Bornman, Sgt. Karla Carranza, former Assistant Sheriff Brendan Corbett, sheriff’s Lt. Oscar Martinez and detective André White.
County Assessor Jeffrey Prang is also seeking another term, with four challengers on the ballot: Stephen Adamus, a property assessment specialist; real estate appraiser Rob Newland, tax consultant Steven Palty, and deputy assessor Sandy Sun.
Early returns showed Prang with 58.4% of the vote, putting him on an early pace for re-election.