Los Angeles faces historic District 9 council race amid $150,000 ethics dispute
Voters in a 80% Latino district will pick the first Latino council member since 1962, while a rival in District 3 faces a complaint over undisclosed campaign expenses.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
The City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission fined council candidate Jose Ugarte $20,000 in 2025 for failing to disclose outside income from lobbying and consulting work. The fine relates to his role at Ugarte & Associates, a firm he started with his sister in 2018. Ugarte accepted the penalty and stated that his work at the firm did not overlap with his time serving as acting chief of staff to Councilmember Curren Price.
That history anchors the campaign in Municipal District 9, where voters will choose the district's first Latino councilmember since Edward Roybal held the seat in 1962. The district, which covers areas including Vermont Square and Central-Alameda, is now approximately 80% Latino. It has been represented by an African American councilmember for years, but demographic shifts have altered the political landscape. Estuardo Mazariegos, co-director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, is running against Ugarte, who served as Price's acting chief of staff from 2013 to 2019 and again from 2021 to 2019.
The candidates disagree on public safety and homelessness. Mazariegos supports reducing LAPD funding to support other city services and criticizes the city's encampment ordinance, known as 41.18. He has drawn backing from the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Councilmember Eunisses Hernández, State Auditor Kenneth Mejía, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the UTLA union. Ugarte supports Mayor Karen Bass's goal to restore the LAPD to 9,500 officers and backs the encampment ordinance. His campaign has received independent expenditures from Airbnb, Uber, and the California Apartment Association, which Mazariegos describes as attempts to buy influence.
In nearby Municipal District 3, which includes Tarzana and Canoga Park, business owner Tim Gaspar is running against former government employee Barri Worth Girvan. Both are replacing veteran councilmembers who are term-limited. Gaspar, who sold his insurance company in 2021, campaigned on bringing a business-friendly perspective to city hall. Worth Girvan, who previously worked for County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, emphasized her government experience and connections to help residents in the West Valley.
The race in District 3 has been contentious. Worth Girvan filed an ethics complaint against Gaspar with the City Ethics Commission, alleging he failed to report more than $150,000 in personal and business expenses related to his campaign. She also claimed he violated rules regarding the city's matching funds program. Gaspar called the accusations lies and described Worth Girvan as a career politician who will not push for change. An ad from Worth Girvan's campaign featured a former employee of Gaspar who alleged he created a hostile work environment.
Statewide, California voters will decide on 14 ballot measures, including proposals for voter ID, income tax rate increases, and a tax on millionaires. They will also vote for the next governor, choosing between Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra. In Los Angeles, Karen Bass faces Nithya Raman for the mayoral office. Los Angeles Metro provided free rides on all buses, trains, and bike share services from 4 a.m. on November 3 until 3 a.m. on November 4.
Los Angeles County has 5.8 million registered voters. Ballots were processed at the county's Vote Processing Center, a large warehouse-like facility. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with those in line before closing allowed to vote.
