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Welcome to the Progressive Voters Guide! The Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Please share this guide with your friends and family!
City of Los Angeles, District 6
Depending on where you live, you may have the below city district races on your ballot.
Based on our analysis, the seven candidates for this position have distinct visions for the district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
The Race
This seat was most recently held by former Councilmember Nury Martinez who resigned in October 2022 after serving for nine years, including two years as President of the body. Martinez’s resignation came after leaked audio revealed her use of crude, racist language in a private discussion with two other council members. Candidates in this special election are running to fill the remainder of her term through 2024. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in this election, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election on June 27, 2023.
The Candidates
Key Initiatives: Marisa Alcaraz is a longtime City Council staffer, and has most recently served as the Environmental Policy Director and Deputy Chief of Staff to Councilmember Curren Price for ten years. During her time at City Hall, she has provided leadership on several labor and economic initiatives, including the citywide hotel worker minimum wage, Hero Pay for pandemic grocery workers, the Fair Work Week ordinance, and the pilot of LA’s Guaranteed Basic Income program. Her environmental work has included improving local healthy food access, and securing funding for parks improvements.
Rose Grigoryan is a media professional who has worked with two Armenian stations based in the United States, US Armenia and ARTN-Shant Armenian TV Network, and runs her own marketing company. During the pandemic, she began providing local information to Armenian communities about how residents could access resources and assistance programs.
Isaac Kim is the owner of a men’s skincare business and volunteers with homeless initiatives in his local community. His campaign platform focuses on reestablishing government transparency and accountability while working to improve transportation infrastructure, provide additional rights and protections to immigrants, and increase environmental regulations in the district. Kim has advocated for the repeal of Municipal Code 41.18, a controversial section that regulated the access unhoused people had to underpasses and sidewalks across the city, and publicly supports Mayor Bass’ homelessness initiative.
Imelda Padilla is a community organizer who has worked for Heritage Sierra Medical Center, Los Angeles County Women and Girls Initiative, and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. In these roles, she liaised with communities and local elected officials to increase access to local programs and resources. Padilla has also advocated for continued action to address homelessness and housing, including a repeal of Municipal Code 85.02, which moves RV housing to industrial parks and disrupts the parking access of business owners and customers. As a member of City Council, she would seek to provide regional leadership in police reform, improving economic development, supporting green infrastructure, and funding recreation programming for young people.
Marco Santana is a community organizer and public administrator who spent his early career as a district staffer for Rep. Tony Cárdenas and State Sen. Bob Hertzberg. In these roles, Santana gained a deeper understanding of community needs and public services, and now serves as the Director of Engagement for LA Family Housing. Through his service with local organizations, he has been an active member of the local democratic community, including stints as Vice President of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats and as a board member with ICON CDC.
Antoinette Scully is an activist and educator who serves as the National Organizer for Unitarian Universalists Women’s Federation, where she works toward continued equity and inclusion for women and femmes. Prior to this role, she served as the Housing Coordinator for the NoHo Home Alliance where she expanded resources for impacted individuals during the pandemic. She also founded the Black & Bookish Library Collective and, more locally, co-founded the community organizations Valley Justice Coalition and More Than Sex-Ed. As a member of City Council, she would advocate for the decriminalization of poverty and expansion of housing resources, closure of the Sun Valley Generating Station, reduction in airport pollution in the district, and an increase in local social programs.
Douglas Sierra is a business consultant who currently works with Monitor Deloitte. He is a product of LAUSD schools, and completed his post-secondary education with support from Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN) while raising a young family. Sierra would bring his non-profit, social service, and educational background to his work on City Council.
Community Leadership Experience, Fundraising, and Endorsements: Alcaraz has not run for public office before, and is the only candidate in this race who has experience working for city government. Her campaign has raised $31,000 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Alcaraz has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including UFCW 770. She has also received the endorsement of current Council Member Curren Price.
Grigoryan has not run for public office before. Her campaign has raised $9,400 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Grigoryan has not publicly listed any progressive endorsements.
Kim has not run for public office before. His campaign has not recorded any fundraising disclosures with the City of Los Angeles as of February 2023. Kim has not publicly listed any progressive endorsements.
Padilla ran for a seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District board in 2017, advancing to the run-off with 31% of the vote. She lost to a challenger in the general election by 3 points. Her campaign has raised $24,700 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. However, she did receive donations from police and fossil fuel interests during her 2017 run for LAUSD. Padilla has received the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Laborers Local Union Local 300. She has also received the endorsement of several local officials including three members of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board, Dr. George McKenna III, Rocío Rivas, and Scott Schmerelson, and District 7 LA City Council Member Monica Rodriguez.
Santana has not run for public office before. His campaign has raised $22,700 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Santana’s has received the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Stonewall Democrats, The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez and Burbank Vice Mayor Nick Schultz.
Scully has not run for public office before. Her campaign has not recorded any fundraising disclosures with the city of Los Angeles as of February 2023. Scully has not listed any progressive organizational endorsements, but has received the support of former Culver City Mayor Dr. Daniel Lee and Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony.
Sierra has not run for public office before. His campaign has raised $3,800 and is primarily self-funded. Sierra has not publicly listed any progressive endorsements.
Other background: Alcaraz, a public administrator, grew up in the Lake Balboa neighborhood and is a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley.
Grigoryan, a media and marketing professional, is from Armenia and immigrated to Los Angeles in 2012.
Kim, a small business owner, was born and raised in the 6th district. He is the son of Korean immigrants.
Padilla, a local organizer, is a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley.
Santana, an organizer and public official, is a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley. He is the son of Mexican immigrants.
Scully, a social justice activist, has lived in California for over 10 years.
Sierra, a non-profit and business professional, is from Los Angeles. He is the son of El Salvadoran immigrants.
The District
City: Los Angeles is Los Angeles County’s most populous city. Los Angeles City Council District 6 includes 260,000 residents in the neighborhoods of Arleta, Van Nuys, Sun Valley, North Hollywood, Lake Balboa, North Hills, and Panorama City.
District demographics: City Council District 6 is 68% Latino, 11% Asian, and 4% Black.
Governance Structure: Los Angeles City Council oversees the needs of 3.9 million people and manages an estimated operating budget of $11.8 billion dollars annually. Los Angeles is managed by a Mayor-Council structured government.
The Position
Los Angeles is governed by a 15-member city council with each member representing a unique district of the city. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Los Angeles are limited to a maximum of three terms with four years in each term, or twelve years in office total.
Based on our analysis, the seven candidates for this position have distinct visions for the district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
The Race
This seat was most recently held by former Councilmember Nury Martinez who resigned in October 2022 after serving for nine years, including two years as President of the body. Martinez’s resignation came after leaked audio revealed her use of crude, racist language in a private discussion with two other council members. Candidates in this special election are running to fill the remainder of her term through 2024. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in this election, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election on June 27, 2023.
The Candidates
Key Initiatives: Marisa Alcaraz is a longtime City Council staffer, and has most recently served as the Environmental Policy Director and Deputy Chief of Staff to Councilmember Curren Price for ten years. During her time at City Hall, she has provided leadership on several labor and economic initiatives, including the citywide hotel worker minimum wage, Hero Pay for pandemic grocery workers, the Fair Work Week ordinance, and the pilot of LA’s Guaranteed Basic Income program. Her environmental work has included improving local healthy food access, and securing funding for parks improvements.
Rose Grigoryan is a media professional who has worked with two Armenian stations based in the United States, US Armenia and ARTN-Shant Armenian TV Network, and runs her own marketing company. During the pandemic, she began providing local information to Armenian communities about how residents could access resources and assistance programs.
Isaac Kim is the owner of a men’s skincare business and volunteers with homeless initiatives in his local community. His campaign platform focuses on reestablishing government transparency and accountability while working to improve transportation infrastructure, provide additional rights and protections to immigrants, and increase environmental regulations in the district. Kim has advocated for the repeal of Municipal Code 41.18, a controversial section that regulated the access unhoused people had to underpasses and sidewalks across the city, and publicly supports Mayor Bass’ homelessness initiative.
Imelda Padilla is a community organizer who has worked for Heritage Sierra Medical Center, Los Angeles County Women and Girls Initiative, and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. In these roles, she liaised with communities and local elected officials to increase access to local programs and resources. Padilla has also advocated for continued action to address homelessness and housing, including a repeal of Municipal Code 85.02, which moves RV housing to industrial parks and disrupts the parking access of business owners and customers. As a member of City Council, she would seek to provide regional leadership in police reform, improving economic development, supporting green infrastructure, and funding recreation programming for young people.
Marco Santana is a community organizer and public administrator who spent his early career as a district staffer for Rep. Tony Cárdenas and State Sen. Bob Hertzberg. In these roles, Santana gained a deeper understanding of community needs and public services, and now serves as the Director of Engagement for LA Family Housing. Through his service with local organizations, he has been an active member of the local democratic community, including stints as Vice President of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats and as a board member with ICON CDC.
Antoinette Scully is an activist and educator who serves as the National Organizer for Unitarian Universalists Women’s Federation, where she works toward continued equity and inclusion for women and femmes. Prior to this role, she served as the Housing Coordinator for the NoHo Home Alliance where she expanded resources for impacted individuals during the pandemic. She also founded the Black & Bookish Library Collective and, more locally, co-founded the community organizations Valley Justice Coalition and More Than Sex-Ed. As a member of City Council, she would advocate for the decriminalization of poverty and expansion of housing resources, closure of the Sun Valley Generating Station, reduction in airport pollution in the district, and an increase in local social programs.
Douglas Sierra is a business consultant who currently works with Monitor Deloitte. He is a product of LAUSD schools, and completed his post-secondary education with support from Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN) while raising a young family. Sierra would bring his non-profit, social service, and educational background to his work on City Council.
Community Leadership Experience, Fundraising, and Endorsements: Alcaraz has not run for public office before, and is the only candidate in this race who has experience working for city government. Her campaign has raised $31,000 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Alcaraz has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including UFCW 770. She has also received the endorsement of current Council Member Curren Price.
Grigoryan has not run for public office before. Her campaign has raised $9,400 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Grigoryan has not publicly listed any progressive endorsements.
Kim has not run for public office before. His campaign has not recorded any fundraising disclosures with the City of Los Angeles as of February 2023. Kim has not publicly listed any progressive endorsements.
Padilla ran for a seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District board in 2017, advancing to the run-off with 31% of the vote. She lost to a challenger in the general election by 3 points. Her campaign has raised $24,700 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. However, she did receive donations from police and fossil fuel interests during her 2017 run for LAUSD. Padilla has received the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Laborers Local Union Local 300. She has also received the endorsement of several local officials including three members of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board, Dr. George McKenna III, Rocío Rivas, and Scott Schmerelson, and District 7 LA City Council Member Monica Rodriguez.
Santana has not run for public office before. His campaign has raised $22,700 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Santana’s has received the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Stonewall Democrats, The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez and Burbank Vice Mayor Nick Schultz.
Scully has not run for public office before. Her campaign has not recorded any fundraising disclosures with the city of Los Angeles as of February 2023. Scully has not listed any progressive organizational endorsements, but has received the support of former Culver City Mayor Dr. Daniel Lee and Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony.
Sierra has not run for public office before. His campaign has raised $3,800 and is primarily self-funded. Sierra has not publicly listed any progressive endorsements.
Other background: Alcaraz, a public administrator, grew up in the Lake Balboa neighborhood and is a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley.
Grigoryan, a media and marketing professional, is from Armenia and immigrated to Los Angeles in 2012.
Kim, a small business owner, was born and raised in the 6th district. He is the son of Korean immigrants.
Padilla, a local organizer, is a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley.
Santana, an organizer and public official, is a lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley. He is the son of Mexican immigrants.
Scully, a social justice activist, has lived in California for over 10 years.
Sierra, a non-profit and business professional, is from Los Angeles. He is the son of El Salvadoran immigrants.
The District
City: Los Angeles is Los Angeles County’s most populous city. Los Angeles City Council District 6 includes 260,000 residents in the neighborhoods of Arleta, Van Nuys, Sun Valley, North Hollywood, Lake Balboa, North Hills, and Panorama City.
District demographics: City Council District 6 is 68% Latino, 11% Asian, and 4% Black.
Governance Structure: Los Angeles City Council oversees the needs of 3.9 million people and manages an estimated operating budget of $11.8 billion dollars annually. Los Angeles is managed by a Mayor-Council structured government.
The Position
Los Angeles is governed by a 15-member city council with each member representing a unique district of the city. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Los Angeles are limited to a maximum of three terms with four years in each term, or twelve years in office total.