The 2023 Los Angeles special election will be held on April 4, 2023 with a runoff on June 27, 2023 if necessary. Voters will elect a candidate in a nonpartisan primary, with runoff elections potentially scheduled. One of the fifteen seats on the Los Angeles City Council is up for election due to the vacancy of one member, councilwoman Nury Martinez of District 6, who resigned in the wake of the 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal. Sharon Tso was installed as a caretaker to the district, but no formal appointment has been made. There is potential for a recall over Kevin de León's statements made during the 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal as well. Former City Attorney Mike Feuer also proposed that a special election be held on a referendum to replace the Council's ability to redraw the City Council districts with an independent commission before the 2024 elections. On April 1, 2023, the petition to recall de León failed.
Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan, and candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.
City Council District 6 Election
The 6th district includes the neighborhoods of Lake Balboa, Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta, North Hills, North Hollywood, and Sun Valley, as well as Van Nuys Airport and the Sepulveda Basin.
Although the election will be officially nonpartisan, all qualified candidates are members of the Democratic Party except Rose Grigoryan, who is registered as "no party preference."
Candidates
Declared
Marisa Alcaraz, deputy chief of staff to city councilor Curren Price from Lake Balboa Rose Grigoryan, marketing company founder from North Hollywood Isaac Kim, skin care business owner from Van Nuys Imelda Padilla, community relations manager and candidate for Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in 2017 from Sun Valley Marco Santana, housing nonprofit director and former Controller of the San Fernando Valley Democratic Party from Van Nuys Antoinette Scully, community organizer from Van Nuys Douglas Sierra, community center facilities coordinator from Sun Valley
Qualified write-in candidates
Wendy Goodman Thum, president of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council
Carmelina Minasova, respiratory therapist
Richard Serrano, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee
Disqualified
Lanira Murphy, treasurer of the Panorama City Neighborhood Council and runner-up for California State Assembly District 46 in 2020 James Thomas, president of the San Fernando Valley NAACP
Declined
Angélica Dueñas, member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee, former president of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council, and candidate for California's 29th congressional district in 2018, 2020, and 2022 Kelly Gonez, president of the Los Angeles Board of Education (endorsed Santana) Cindy Montañez, San Fernando city councilor, former state assemblywoman from the 39th district, and candidate for this district in 2013 and 2015 Luz Rivas, state assemblywoman from the 39th district Sharon Tso, Los Angeles Chief Legislative Analyst and nonvoting placeholder for this seat
Endorsements
Fundraising
Political positions
General election
City Council District 14 recall attempt
Kevin de León's recall was first introduced in October 2022, in the midst of the 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal. The recall petition was approved by the city clerk office on December 6, 2022. The petition failed on April 1, 2023, as only 21,006 of the required 25,000 valid signatures were turned in.
Polling
Should Kevin de León be recalled?