1 City Council race headed to May runoff; charter amendments appear to pass

1/21

Supporter Pedro Carrillo, left, cheers as Council District 6 incumbent Nury Martinez, with daughter Isabelle, enters her headquarters. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

2/21

Incumbent City Councilman Jose Huizar acknowledges his wife, Richelle Rios, at the election headquarters. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

3/21

Supporters cheer as City Council District 6 incumbent Nury Martinez, with daughter Isabelle, enters her headquarters in Sun Valley. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

4/21

Incumbent L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar thanks his supporters. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

5/21

L.A. Unified incumbent Richard Vladovic, right, is greeted by Councilman Joe Buscaino. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times )

6/21

Los Angeles City Council District 6 challenger Cindy Montanez, middle, works the phones with volunteers three hours before the polls close at her headquarters in Van Nuys. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

7/21

Council District 6 challenger Cindy Montanez, right, hugs her cousin Flor Avendano. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

8/21

A lone voter casts his ballot at the First Mexican Baptist Church in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

9/21

People wait in line to vote at the Hermosa Beach Community Center gymnasium. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

10/21

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at the Hermosa Beach Community Center gymnasium. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

11/21

Election troubleshooter David Franco mans a lonely table overlooked by Hindi deities at the Malibu Hindu Temple polling place in Calabasas. As of 10:30 a.m., only one person had voted. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

12/21

No voters were present the first three hours of business for the Los Angeles County Consolidated Election at the Los Angeles County Registrar office in Norwalk. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

13/21

An arrow fashioned with painter’s tape on the floor of the fellowship hall at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in West Hills guides voters to voting booths. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

14/21

A voter leaves the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in West Hills after voting. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

15/21

Voters cast their ballots at Sierra Vista Elementary School in El Sereno on Tuesday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

16/21

Poll worker Janice Cummings waits for voters at the Wilshire Vista Manor in Los Angeles, where more than 30 candidates vying for City Council seats in seven races. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

17/21

Jim McShane is the sole voter at the Angels Gate Cultural Center polling place in San Pedro before 7:15 a.m. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

18/21

An election worker prepares to greet voters before 7 a.m. at the Angels Gate Cultural Center polling place in San Pedro. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

19/21

Jose Huizar and his wife Richelle walk out after casting their votes at Sheridan Street School in Los Angeles Tuesday morning. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

20/21

Gloria Molina, right, greets 99-year-old volunteer poll worker Cayetana Arvizu after casting her ballot at Sierra Vista Elementary School in El Sereno. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

21/21

City Council candidate Gloria Molina casts her ballot at Sierra Vista Elementary School in El Sereno. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

By Alice Walton

March 4, 2015 6:04 AM PT

Just one Los Angeles City Council race was headed to a runoff, with incumbents cruising to easy victories in five other contests around the city.

Based on Tuesday’s election results, the May 19 runoff to replace termed-out Councilman Tom LaBonge in the 4th District, which includes Los Feliz, Miracle Mile and Sherman Oaks, will likely be between Carolyn Ramsay, a former LaBonge aide, and community health director David Ryu. That could change as more provisional and vote-by-mail ballots are counted. Fewer than 700 votes separate Ryu from the next three finishers: nonprofit director Tomas O’Grady, attorney Wally Knox and attorney Teddy Davis.

With a 14-candidate field, it was difficult to break through to voters, according to a volunteer with the Davis campaign.

“They’d say, how am I supposed to read up on all of them? I’m not informed. I’m not going to vote,” said Joe Ferrell.

If many voters in the 4th District didn’t go to the polls, they weren’t alone. Preliminary numbers from the City Clerk’s Office show voter turnout was 8.62%. That figure will likely increase in the coming days as additional ballots are counted. Four years ago, turnout was 14.1%.

“The truth of the matter is, I don’t know why people are so lazy,” said Patricia Casado, whose parents own Lucy’s El Adobe Cafe in Hollywood, a spot long favored by politicians, including a young Gov. Jerry Brown.

Two charter amendments intended to reverse the low turnout trend appeared victorious Tuesday evening. With each receiving 76% of the vote, Charter Amendments 1 and 2 would move city and school board elections to even-numbered years when presidential and gubernatorial races are held.

Five incumbent L.A. City Council members won their elections outright and will avoid the May runoff. Council members Paul Krekorian, Nury Martinez, Herb Wesson, Mitch Englander and Jose Huizar all won with more than 50% of the vote. The 14th District’s Huizar had faced serious competition from former county Supervisor Gloria Molina, but he won with 66% of the vote compared to her 24%.

“I think this was a testament to all the work we’ve done over nine years,” Huizar said. “The voters spoke to it.

“This election was about constituents getting what they want from the city.”

In South Los Angeles’ 8th District, Marqueece Harris-Dawson of the Community Coalition beat out three other candidates to replace termed-out Councilman Bernard Parks.

Tuesday’s election included four races for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education.

Incumbent Tamar Galatzan and principal Scott Mark Schmerelson advanced to the May runoff. So did school board member Bennet Kayser and charter school advocate Ref Rodriguez, and incumbent Richard Vladovic and teacher Lydia A. Gutierrez.

Incumbent George McKenna was reelected without opposition.

Three candidates were elected to the L.A. Community College District’s Board of Trustees: incumbent Scott Svonkin, Sydney Kamlager and Mike Fong. Andra Hoffman appeared to be leading Francesca Vega in Seat 1.

Preliminary results from the City Clerk’s Office show 55% of votes cast Tuesday were mail-in ballots.