Twelve people have qualified to appear on the ballot as candidates for Los Angeles mayor, a group that includes social justice advocates, high-profile politicians and a billionaire real estate developer, according to the list prepared Friday by the city clerk.
Those candidates are among the 55 people who have qualified to run for 11 city offices in the June 7 election. Voters will have the opportunity to choose a new mayor, a new city attorney and a new city controller, setting the stage for the most significant turnover in political leadership at City Hall since 2013.
The ballot will also feature eight City Council races, three of which have no incumbent.
The city clerk’s office has been reviewing petitions from dozens of would-be candidates in recent weeks. On Friday, it announced the status of the final three, all of whom failed to make the ballot.
The race to replace Mayor Eric Garcetti will feature Rep. Karen Bass, City Councilman Joe Buscaino, developer Rick Caruso, City Councilman Kevin de León, City Atty. Mike Feuer, entrepreneur Ramit Varma, businessman Mel Wilson and business executive Craig Greiwe.
The list of mayoral hopefuls also includes business owner John “JSamuel” Jackson, lawyer Andrew Kim, social justice advocate Alex Gruenenfelder Smith and community activist Gina Viola.
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In the two other citywide contests, seven people are running to replace Feuer as city attorney, while seven more are seeking to succeed City Controller Ron Galperin, who is now running for state controller.
The city attorney’s race features attorney and educator Sherri Onica Valle Cole; civil rights attorney Faisal Gill; attorney Kevin James, who previously served on the city’s Board of Public Works; attorney and business owner Teddy Kapur; Deputy City Atty. Richard Kim; attorney and neighborhood council member Hydee Feldstein Soto; and former federal prosecutor Marina Torres.
The candidates for city controller are Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents part of the Westside; Reid Lidow, a former Garcetti aide; certified public accountant Kenneth Mejia; schoolteacher J. Carolan O’Gabhann; Rob Wilcox, a spokesman in Feuer’s office; and David Vahedi and Stephanie Clements, both of whom have identified themselves on the ballot as chief financial officers.
The most crowded field this year is the race to replace Councilman Mike Bonin, who is not seeking a third term in a coastal district that stretches from Los Angeles International Airport north to Pacific Palisades.
Eight candidates are seeking to replace Bonin: civil rights lawyer Erin Darling; Greg Good, a former member of the city’s Board of Public Works; Allison Holdorff Polhill, a former aide to school board member Nick Melvoin; schoolteacher Midsanon “Soni” Lloyd; Jim Murez, president of the Venice Neighborhood Council; real estate attorney Mike Newhouse; Traci Park, an attorney who specializes in municipal law; and Mat Smith, a medical delivery driver.
Four candidates are running to replace Councilman Joe Buscaino in a harbor district that extends from San Pedro north to Watts: attorney Tim McOsker, community organizer Bryant Odega; community leader Danielle Sandoval; and businessman and community advocate Anthony Santich.
On the Westside, four people are looking to replace Koretz: Jimmy Biblarz, a lecturer at UCLA School of Law; public policy analyst Scott Epstein; environmental attorney Katy Young Yaroslavsky, who served as an aide to Supervisor Sheila Kuehl; and attorney Sam Yebri, a former city commissioner.
Five candidates are running to represent a district that takes in such areas as Hollywood, Echo Park, Silver Lake and Atwater Village. In that district, two-term Councilman Mitch O’Farrell will face challenges from community organizer Albert Corado, sheriff’s Deputy Steve Johnson, union organizer Hugo Soto-Martinez and Kate Pynoos, a former aide to Bonin on homelessness and other policies.
Several contests are expected to result in a November runoff between the top two candidates. But at least four will almost certainly be decided in June.
In South Los Angeles, Councilman Curren Price will face a challenge from college administrator Dulce Vasquez. On the Eastside, Councilman Gil Cedillo will square off against Eunisses Hernandez, who previously ran La Defensa, an organization focused on criminal justice reform.
In the southwest San Fernando Valley, Councilman Bob Blumenfield will face off against businessman Scott Silverstein. And in the northeast Valley, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez will face a challenge from community advocate Elisa Avalos.
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