Imelda Padilla elected to LA City Council in special election

LOS ANGELES (CN) — The next city councilmember representing Los Angeles’ East San Fernando Valley is Imelda Padilla.

Early results of the District 6 special election Tuesday gave Padilla a robust 1,500-vote lead. And while the latest batch of 4,000 ballots counted may not have moved the needle much — she’s currently ahead by less than 2,000 votes, or 12 percentage points — she declared victory on Friday.

“As we wait for the final results of this election to be certified, I feel incredibly encouraged by the semifinal official returns released Tuesday night and I am ready to serve as the next councilwoman for the communities of CD 6,” Padilla said in a written statement. “To the voters and supporters of my opponents, know this, I will work every day to gain your support and trust. I am ready to bring a new chapter of leadership to the Valley.”

Her opponent, Marisa Alcaraz, conceded the race on Twitter, writing: “Winning is never a guarantee; nevertheless Team Alcaraz poured our hearts, sweat and soul into this race. We ran a robust, intentional and community-centered campaign that unfortunately fell short of the win.”

Padilla will replace former City Council President Nury Martinez, who resigned after the release of an audio recording in which she and two other councilmembers spoke in crass and racist terms. The recording sparked a firestorm at City Hall, with angry protestors dominating the council meetings for more than a month.

Restoring the public’s trust in City Hall and moving on from Martinez’s tarnished legacy was a top issue for voters. Padilla had once worked for Martinez as a field deputy during her first 18 months in office, a resume item that Alcaraz used in attack mailers.

But another scandal upended the race.

Two weeks before election day, City Councilman Curren Price was charged, by the LA County District Attorney’s Office, with embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest. Alcaraz had worked for Price for years in several roles, most recently as his deputy chief of staff. The shoe was officially on the other foot.

The scandal may not have played a decisive role. Many residents in Council District 6 had already voted early, by mail, before the news broke. And the early vote went to Padilla by a strong margin. Padilla’s campaign strategist, Michael Trujillo, said Padilla’s advantage was that she spent most of her career working in the district — unlike Alcaraz, who’s worked at City Hall for more than a decade.

“Marisa was raised in CD 6, but she commuted every day to City Hall,” Trujillo said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. But Imelda was on the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council. And her professional career was more embedded inside of the district than Marisa’s. When you have those relationships with the local community, it’s just worth its weight in gold.”

The election won’t be certified for weeks. And City Council is scheduled for a three-week recess in July, returning on August 1. But City Council President Paul Krekorian introduced a motion Friday morning to immediately appoint Padilla to the seat currently filled by a non-voting caretaker.

“Ms. Padilla’s not being sworn in as the Councilmember of District 6 until at least August 1 may hinder her ability to fully prepare her office during the summer recess and could affect her ability to aid her constituents during that period,” Krekorian wrote. The motion is set for a vote next week.

Padilla may start her new job early, but it won’t be long before she has to campaign again. Because the special election occurred late in Martinez’s term, Padilla will have to run for reelection eight months from now, in March.

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