Tenant rights attorney Isabel Jurado is leading Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon in the race to represent downtown and much of the city’s East Side, according to early filings released Tuesday. was.

The year-long, intense campaign pits Jurado, a first-year candidate, against a politically tarnished veteran who took part in a secretly recorded conversation that included racist and vulgar language. Councilman De Leon contested.

Jurado, who spent much of the election day wandering around the district, said her campaign was, among other things, about ensuring that city services were provided equitably.

“It’s about racial justice. It’s about change. It’s about good governance and local government that works for people,” she said.

The 14th District seat was one of three Congressional seats on the ballot Tuesday.

In the San Fernando Valley, former state Rep. Adlin Nazarian has made an early return, beating out small business owner Jillian Burgos in the race to replace City Councilman Paul Krekorian, who is resigning due to term limits. .

Nazarian said he was “cautiously optimistic” but awaiting further results. At the same time, he said he thought his message resonated with voters.

“My campaign was about making Los Angeles a place where businesses can thrive, families can thrive, and people can feel safe and live an affordable and sustainable life,” Nazarian said.

Mr. Burgos and Mr. Jurado had been trying to push the Legislature further to the left on issues such as public safety and city spending. With support from the Democratic Socialists of America, LA Forward, and other progressive groups, they are seeking to expand the bloc of City Council members who would rein in LAPD spending and implement new tenant protections.

Burgos said her team knocked on more than 65,000 doors during the campaign. In these conversations, voters expressed concerns about the high cost of housing and having to work multiple jobs or live with multiple people just to pay rent.

“Many are concerned that if we don’t expand rent control and work to enforce anti-harassment ordinances against tenants, people will be forced out of the district,” Burgos said.

Nazarian worked in Sacramento from 2012 to 2022 and was at one point a senior aide to Krekorian. Crekorian’s neighborhoods include all or part of areas such as North Hollywood, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, and Valley Village.

Former state Rep. Adlin Nazarian is running to replace U.S. Rep. Paul Krekorian in the San Fernando Valley.

(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

Burgos, a member of the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, co-owns a murder mystery theater company and is seeking to become the council’s first Afro-Latino member.

In the district stretching from Koreatown to the Crenshaw Corridor, City Councilwoman Heather Hutt had a wide lead over attorney Grace Yu, according to early returnees.

Hutt, who previously served on the staff of several state elected officials, was appointed to the City Council in 2022 as a temporary replacement for Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was indicted on corruption charges. After Ridley-Thomas was convicted, the council reappointed Hutt to the interim post.

Minutes after voting closed, Hutt said her campaign aimed to “bring sensible resources to the community,” such as cutting down trees and picking up “bulky items” from curbs and sidewalks. Ta.

“I ran a good race and I feel like I did a great job,” she said.

Yoo previously ran for the 10th District seat in 2015 and 2020, but lost both times. She promised to be more proactive than Hutto on homelessness, trash removal and neighborhood quality-of-life issues.

In an interview, Yu said his campaign is about change.

“It was about having elected officials who listen to people’s opinions about basic city services and how to deal with problems,” she said. “Voters want someone who is willing to listen and get the job done.”

City Councilwoman Heather Hutt has been sworn in and is running for office for the first time.

(Irrfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

Hutto, who is running for city council for the first time, touted her efforts to combat homelessness, saying her district saw a 12% decrease in street encampments last year. Labor and business groups spent more than $648,000 supporting Hutt’s campaign in the runoff.

Initial results may change as Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s staff will be counting mail-in ballots in the coming days. In previous years, the close race changed in the week after the election as late-arriving ballots were counted.

Los Angeles residents were also deciding on several amendments to the City Charter, the document that governs government operations at City Hall.

Early voting results show voters overwhelmingly support Charter Amendment DD, which puts redistricting (the process of creating new boundaries for the city’s 15 legislative districts) out of the hands of city politicians. The matter will be handed over to an independent committee of citizen volunteers. .

The proposal was first announced in the wake of the 2021 redistricting process following complaints over efforts to redraw several districts in the Valley. The policy gained new momentum after the 2022 audio leak scandal. Three city council members, including Mr de León, and prominent labor leaders were heard on recordings discussing how to draw lines that would benefit either them or their allies.

In earlier elections, voters also supported Charter Amendment LL, a companion measure that would have introduced independent redistricting to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Both DD and LL are expected to go into effect in time for the next redistricting to coincide with the release of the 2030 U.S. Census results.

Mike Dowling votes as his dog Remy waits in line at the North Weddington Recreation Center in North Hollywood.

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

Charter Amendment ER, a plan to strengthen the authority of the City Ethics Commission, was also ahead in early returns. The measure, drafted in the wake of several corruption scandals at City Hall, would provide the agency with a minimum budget of $7 million in 2025-2026.

“This is the end of gerrymandering in Los Angeles and the beginning of a new era focused on ethics and stronger democracy,” said Krekorian, who was instrumental in getting DD, ER and several other measures on the ballot. said.

Early filing results show voters approved a Charter Amendment (FF) that would allow some officers in the city’s smaller law enforcement agencies to switch to the more favorable Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Plan. It was shown that there is.

Charter Amendment FF applies to approximately 460 park rangers, port police officers, and law enforcement officers assigned to the city’s airports. It would cost the city’s general fund $23 million initially and about $1 million annually thereafter.

Yet another city action, Charter Amendment HH, was ahead in early returns. The measure expands the city attorney’s subpoena powers and clarifies that the city manager can obtain records about city contractors. It would also require the Port Commission to have at least two local representatives, one from San Pedro and one from Wilmington.

Charter Amendment 2, which makes a series of technical changes to the city charter, was also ahead in early returns.

The measure would allow the Department of Recreation and Parks to enter into a joint agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District. It would also clarify that the Los Angeles Zoo and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument are property of the park.