Skip to main content
Donate

Special Election Sought to Replace L.A. Councilman Headed to Congress

By City News Service
November 21, 2012
Support Provided By
Councilman Tony Cardenas has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. | Photo: Courtesy Office of Tony Cardenas.
Councilman Tony Cardenas has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. | Photo: Courtesy Office of Tony Cardenas.

The City Council voted today in favor of scheduling a $400,000 special election for May 21 to replace City Councilman Tony Cardenas in the Sixth District, with a runoff, if necessary, on July 23.

Cardenas was elected November 6 to represent the Northeast San Fernando Valley in the House of Representatives. The council seat will become open after the congressman-elect officially resigns.

Cardenas is waiting for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to certify the Nov. 6 election results before he submits his resignation letter, spokeswoman Connie Llanos said. Barring any delays in certifying the election, Cardenas will resign Jan. 2.

"While excited about Congress, the councilman still has plenty of city business to attend to before he leaves office,'' Llanos said.

City Clerk June Lagmay said in a report to the City Council that May 21 is the earliest date a special election can be held "to minimize the time the Sixth Council District would be without representation on the council, while still providing reasonable notice for prospective candidates to meet election residency requirements and organize their campaigns."

The council's vote today authorizes the City Attorney's Office to draft an ordinance to place the special election on the May 21 citywide general election, which is likely to include races for mayor, city controller, city attorney, and other city council seats.

The ordinance is expected to be come back to the full council for a final vote before Dec. 14.

Support Provided By
Read More
A blonde woman wearing a light grey skirt suit stands with her back to the camera as she holds a sheet of paper and addresses a panel at the front of a courtroom

California Passed a Law To Stop 'Pay to Play' in Local Politics. After Two Years, Legislators Want to Gut It

California legislators who backed a 2022 law limiting businesses' and contractors' attempts to sway local elected officials with campaign contributions are now trying to water it down — with the support of developers and labor unions.
By Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters
An oil pump painted white with red accents stands mid-pump on a dirt road under a blue, cloudy sky with a green, grassy slope in the background.

California’s First Carbon Capture Project: Vital Climate Tool or License to Pollute?

California’s first attempt to capture and sequester carbon involves California Resources Corp. collecting emissions at its Elk Hills Oil and Gas Field, and then inject the gases more than a mile deep into a depleted oil reservoir. The goal is to keep carbon underground and out of the atmosphere, where it traps heat and contributes to climate change. But some argue polluting industries need to cease altogether.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters