There are 20 candidates looking for votes in March 7 election to fill the Los Angeles City Council District 7 seat.
With such a crowded field, its a remote possibility that anyone will receive enough votes to win the primary outright. A runoff would occur in the May 16 general election.
The seat, which represents several Northeast Valley communities including Pacoima, Sylmar, Mission Hills, Lake View Terrace, Sunland and Tujunga, had belonged to Felipe Fuentes. But Fuentes vacated the office last fall to become a lobbyist, and no other representative was named to fill the seat.
Running for the seat are (in alphabetical order): Olga Ayala, David Jesse Barron, Franki Becerra, Jose G. Castillo, Nicole Chase, Krystee Clark, Bonnie Corwin, Fred A. Flores, Robert Dale Gibson, Terrence Gomes, John T. Higginson, Carlos Lara, Venessa Martinez, Arthur ‘Art’ Miner, Mónica Ratliff, Mark Reed, Monica Rodriguez, Constance Saunders, Mike Schaefer, and Karo Torossian
Two of the candidates — Rodriguez, former vice president of the Los Angeles Board of Public works, and Torossian, director of planning and the environment for LA Councilmember Paul Krekorian — have been the most successful fundraisers. Both reported contributions in the six figures.
There has been a history of low voter turnout in District. In the 2013 election, only 21 percent of the registered voters cast a ballot.
Although the district is considered heavily Latino, more whites tend to vote.