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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - In-person voting for the primary election began Saturday across Los Angeles County, with more vote center locations set to open on June 4 ahead of election day on June 7.
Los Angeles voters will decide on citywide races for mayor, controller and city attorney, as well as City Council districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15, while LA County voters will decide whether Sheriff Alex Villanueva will get another four-year term.
Running for mayor are billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, Councilman Kevin de León, activist Gina Viola, real estate agent Mel Wilson, business executive Craig Greiwe, social justice advocate Alex Gruenenfelder Smith, lawyer Andrew Kim and business owner John "Jsamuel" Jackson.
Councilman Joe Buscaino, City Attorney Mike Feuer and entrepreneur Ramit Varma dropped out of the race after ballots were already sent by mail in May.
Controller candidates are Councilman Paul Koretz, certified public accountant and housing justice advocate Kenneth Mejia, self-described public school teacher J. Carolan O'Gabhann, self-described chief financial officer David Vahedi, CFO and Assistant Director of the Department of Public Works' Bureau of Street Services Stephanie Clements and Reid Lidow, a former executive officer to Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Former candidate Rob Wilcox, who is Feuer's communications director, dropped out of the race earlier this month.
Candidates seeking to become city attorney are Deputy City Attorney Richard Kim; California Democratic Party Treasurer Teddy Kapur; civil rights attorney Faisal M. Gill, who previously served as policy director for the Department of Homeland Security; former radio host and former president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works Kevin James; federal prosecutor Marina Torres; financial law attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto; and Deputy City Attorney Sherri Onica Valle Cole.
Challenging Villanueva are sheriff's Chief Eli Vera, retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Cecil Rhambo, sheriff's Capt. Britta S. Steinbrenner, sheriff's Sgt. Karla Yesenia Carranza, retired sheriff's Capt. Matt Rodriguez, sheriff's Lt. Eric Strong and parole agent April Saucedo Hood.
Six candidates have filed to succeed Third District Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who opted against running for a third term. They are Sens. Henry Stern, D-Calabasas, and Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys; West Hollywood City Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath, small-business owner Jeffi Girgenti, Craig A. Brill, who lists his occupation as canine recreation provider, and Roxanne Beckford Hoge, an actress who ran unsuccessfully for the Assembly in 2018.
In the other supervisor race on the ballot, First District Supervisor Hilda Solis is being challenged by La Puente Councilman David Argudo, businesswoman Tammy Solis, entrepreneur Kevin Dalton and LA County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Smith.
The primary also includes the elections for governor, U.S. Senate, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner, member of state board of equalization, state superintendent of public instruction, U.S. representative in Congress, state senator and state assembly member, as well as other local candidates.
The top two candidates in each race will continue to a runoff in November, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote during the primary. Elections for Los Angeles City Council districts 1, 3, 7 and 9 include only two candidates and will be decided in June.
People who registered to vote before Monday and were automatically sent vote-by-mail ballots can return their ballots by mail by June 7, drop it off at a Los Angeles County vote center or in an official vote-by-mail drop box location, which can be found at locator.lavote.gov/locations/vbm.
People who missed the registration deadline can still register at any L.A. County vote center starting Saturday and through June 7. Once registered, voters will be given a Conditional Voter Registration ballot to vote. The ballot will be counted once it is verified. More information about the Conditional Voter Registration process is available at bit.ly/3lsQ9D2.
A map of vote center locations can be found at bit.ly/3z7mfw7.