Roy Leads McKinney by 17 Points in City Attorney Race
UC Berkeley poll shows a widening gap in the race to replace Hydee Feldstein Soto, though nearly half of likely voters remain undecided with days until the Nov. 3 election.
By Harper Foster ·
Marissa Roy leads Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John McKinney by 17 percentage points in the race for Los Angeles city attorney, according to a poll released this week. The survey, conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Times, indicates that Roy’s advantage has nearly doubled since September. This shift occurs as the concurrent mayoral race tightens into a dead heat.
The number of undecided voters in the city attorney contest has dropped to 45%, down from 70% in September. Specific polling data shows 36% of likely voters have already selected Roy or plan to do so, while 19% support McKinney. Experts note that uncertainty in this specific race is common because many residents do not realize the office is on the ballot. Data from previous cycles show that approximately 15% fewer Angelenos vote for city attorney than for mayor, a trend observed in other cities as well.
The position carries substantial financial and operational weight. The city attorney oversees a budget of nearly $200 million and directs a staff of 1,000. The office serves as legal counsel for the Los Angeles City Council and its various municipal agencies. The role has evolved to include affirmative litigation against corporations and federal policies, a strategy that Los Angeles pioneered. Current incumbent Hydee Feldstein Soto largely avoided this approach during her tenure, creating a distinct policy divide between the two current candidates.
Roy, a 34-year-old California Deputy Attorney General, has centered her campaign on affirmative litigation. McKinney describes this strategy as grandstanding and out of alignment with voter priorities. The candidates also disagree on how to handle misdemeanors, which account for roughly one-third of the office’s workload. McKinney, who entered the race earlier this year as part of a primary upset against Soto, frames his background as an underdog story rooted in a tough upbringing in New Jersey.
Voters are divided on how to address street homelessness, the top concern for 43% of respondents. Roy proposes addressing homelessness by using the office to combat wage theft and renter harassment, aiming to keep more residents housed. McKinney advocates for individual prosecutions to induce chronically homeless residents into treatment programs. On secondary issues such as affordable housing and public safety, polling shows similar levels of trust in both candidates.
Demographic splits are distinct. Roy leads among renters, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the electorate, as well as among progressives and self-described democratic socialists. McKinney maintains a commanding lead among registered Republicans and self-identified MAGA voters. He also holds strong support among followers of former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, a group likely to influence the separate mayoral contest between Karen Bass and Nithya Raman. Independent expenditure groups continue to fund advertising for both sides, with Roy’s backers linking McKinney to President Trump and McKinney’s supporters comparing Roy to former District Attorney George Gascón.
