After voters go to the polls on Tuesday, the balance of power on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors could change, ending the reign of the so-called “five little queens.”
Twelve candidates are vying for three races that could reshape the board, which has been all-female since 2020, and fundamentally change its approach to issues such as public safety and homelessness, among other issues.
Incumbent Supervisor Janice Hahn is facing two male challengers in her bid for her third and final term. Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is seeking the seat for the next term. Lose His candidates are seeking reelection as top police officer and John Cruikshank, the mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, a city of about 40,000 people. Hahn represents District 4, which covers the southern and southeastern parts of the county, including Long Beach and Torrance.
Supervisor Kathryn Berger, a two-term, union-backed lifelong Republican, has replaced prominent Democratic Rep. Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) to represent the northern 5th District of the county, which includes Lancaster and Santa. He is running with four candidates, including Clarita and Burbank.
Finally, Superintendent Holly J. Mitchell retains her seat after one term, representing District 2, which includes South L.A., Inglewood, Carson, and unincorporated Marina del Rey and Willowbrook. are fighting to do so. Her challengers for the seat, which has been held by a black leader for the past 30 years, include educator Daphne D. Bradford and nonprofit executives Clint D. Carleton and Katrina Williams. .
Each supervisor represents approximately 2 million voters and can hold office for up to three terms. In the past, many supervisors have been re-elected twice and served for 12 years.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in each constituency on March 5, the top two candidates will compete in a runoff election in November.
Five county supervisors manage a $43 billion budget and 110,000 employees and are responsible for operating everything from local public hospitals to prisons.
Supervisors also serve as a quasi-city council for the county's 1 million residents in approximately 120 unincorporated areas.
Villanueva's candidacy was expected to bring some excitement to the normally sleepy county supervisor race. During his one term as sheriff, he regularly argued with supervisors and their staff over the size of the budget and scope of oversight.
But his fundraising has lagged far behind Hahn's, limiting his ability to get the message across that Los Angeles County needs new leadership in a crime-ridden area. At some point, X's main account, formerly known as his Twitter, was shut down, further limiting his reach.
Berger, a county employee since the late 1980s, and Holden, who has held public office for about 35 years, are the best-known candidates in District 5. The two had a verbal spat over the mail, with Holden implying that Mr. Berger supported Donald Trump, which Mr. Berger denied. She has repeatedly stated that party affiliation has no place in local politics.
Like Hahn and Berger, Mitchell is running in a redistricted district. In 2021, an independent redistricting commission relocated predominantly white communities, including Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, from Hearn's 4th District to his 2nd District. This raised concerns about whether black leaders could continue to win seats.
Election results will begin to be tallied around 8:30pm on Tuesday and will be updated through March 26th. It could take days, if not weeks, for the winner of the election race to be determined.
