Council Race: Mazariegos Narrows Ugarte Lead to 347 Votes
Counting in Los Angeles District 9 continues as the gap shrinks, while District 3 confirms a winner.
By Harper Foster ·
Estuardo Mazariegos reduced Jose Ugarte's lead in the Los Angeles Council District 9 race to 347 votes on Sunday. The candidate cut the margin by 70 votes compared to the previous day's total. Officials have not determined how many ballots remain uncounted in the contest.
The current tally stands at 18,856 votes for Ugarte, representing 50.46% of the count. Mazariegos holds 18,509 votes, or 49.54%. This figure reflects the status as of Sunday afternoon.
The two men are competing to replace City Councilman Curren Price, who is leaving office. The district encompasses areas from downtown Los Angeles to South Los Angeles. Ugarte previously served as a deputy chief of staff to Price. Mazariegos co-directs the Los Angeles chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment.
The winner will be the first Latino to represent District 9 since Edward Roybal resigned in 1962 to join the U.S. House. Every council member who has held the seat since Roybal has been Black. The outcome of this election will end a 64-year streak.
In Council District 3, which covers the southwestern San Fernando Valley, Barri Worth Girvan has secured victory. Her lead over Timothy K. Gaspar stands at 35,855 votes to 33,523. This result is final as of the latest update.
