L.A. City Council District 8 election voter guide

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March 5 is primary election day in the Los Angeles City Council District 8 race in a large swath of South Los Angeles. Running for a seat are a union community organizer, a real estate broker and a current council member.

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Who are the District 8 candidates?

Cliff Smith

Smith, 54, is a roofer and union community organizer. He served on the South-Central Neighborhood Council, led the demand for the LAPD to release the autopsy report of Ezell Ford and was a delegate to the South L.A. Alliance of Neighborhood Councils. He is in his third elected term as business manager of Roofers Local 36 in L.A. He attended Rutgers University, studying history and political science. Born in Chicago, he lives in South L.A. with his wife and three children.

Jahan Epps

Epps, 40, is a business owner and real estate broker. He graduated from West L.A. College, where he discovered his interest in real estate, before transferring to Cal State L.A. to study chemistry. He has volunteered for youth organizations and programs. Born and raised in the city, he lives in South L.A.

Marqueece Harris-Dawson

Harris-Dawson, 54, is the incumbent council member running for reelection. He chairs the city’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee and is a former president and chief executive of the nonprofit Community Coalition. He graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in math and political science and has a certificate in nonprofit management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Born and raised in South L.A., he still lives there with his wife.

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Where is District 8?

The 8th Council District takes in all or part of West Adams, View Heights, Hyde Park, Van Ness, Vermont Vista, Park Mesa Heights, Baldwin Hills and Adams-Normandie.

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Homelessness

Smith said that the construction of public and low-income housing needs to be a priority, as does filling vacant living units across the city. He supports seizing through eminent domain hotels in the district that attract crime and prostitution and converting them to transitional housing.

Epps said he wants to increase homeownership and make financing more readily available for residents looking to buy a home. He also wants to see more mental health and drug treatment facilities that cater to the specific needs of unhoused people.

Harris-Dawson said the city needs to continue to build more affordable housing but also ensure more parks, grocery stores and other services exist to support more people. He also wants to see more temporary shelters and to improve the conditions and security at existing ones. He thinks additional mental health and substance abuse facilities are needed, as well as stronger renter protections.

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Policing and public safety

Smith and Harris-Dawson said there needs to be more transparency and accountability from the Los Angeles Police Department.

Smith called for a restructuring of the department and its relationship to communities. He believes that could be achieved with a police control board made up of elected civilians. He also wants to see more green spaces, work opportunities and investments in schools in hopes of increasing public safety.

Harris-Dawson called for the LAPD to move away from command and control and more into community-engaged policing with programs such as senior lead officers and the Community Safety Partnership. He wants to see better and faster response and intervention for noncriminal, disruptive behavior such as cars doing doughnuts.

Epps said funds for the LAPD should be redistributed to support more social workers and other professionals who can respond to nonviolent and noncriminal calls. From a public safety standpoint, he wants to see improved traffic safety with more signals, crosswalks or speeding cameras. He would also consider creating safe, designated spaces where residents can partake in street culture activities.

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Who is backing the candidates?

Smith is backed by Roofers Local Union 36 and the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police.

Epps is endorsed by Jose Manuel Anderson, founder and president of the business development service NewSwing Academies, K.A.U.S.E. nonprofit founder Yana Shmuliver and Networking Options for Women founder Lana McLeod.

Harris-Dawson is supported by Mayor Karen Bass and several members of the City Council, L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, the L.A. County Federation of Labor, Central City Assn. of L.A., United Fire Fighters of Los Angeles City and Abundant Housing L.A.