Real-Time Election Results 2024: Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES, CA — Will Los Angeles shift away from a district attorney's office with a progressive approach to criminal justice? Will the county expand the board of supervisors and establish an Ethics Commission and a Compliance Officer?

The polls closed across Los Angeles County and the state of California at 8 p.m., with the possible exception of Vote Centers that have lines.

SEE ALSO: Real-Time Election Results 2024: Los Angeles District Attorney's Race

The Registrar of Voters and Patch will update the results throughout the night as votes are tallied, and the page will be refreshed for the latest updates. Check back here after 8 p.m. for Real-Time Election Results.

Real-Time Race Results For Long Beach/ Los Angeles County: Nov. 5, 2024 General Election:

Jump to the contest/measure of your choice in the results below.

Los Angeles City Council

There were three open Los Angeles City Council seats on the Nov. 5 ballot, and the council is guaranteed to get some new blood with Council President Paul Krekorian out of the running in District 2 in the San Fernando Valley.

For full coverage of the election in California, click here.

District 2 serving the eastern San Fernando Valley: Former Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian held a nearly 17- point early lead Tuesday evening over business owner/political newcomer Jillian Burgos, who are vying to succeed longtime City Councilman Paul Krekorian for his Second District seat on the L.A. City Council.

Nazarian received 26,616 votes, about 58.48% of the vote, while progressive challenger Burgos received 18,896 votes, or 41.52%, according to early results released by the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

Nazarian and Burgos are vying to represent the Second District, encompassing the East San Fernando Valley neighborhoods of North Hollywood, Studio City, Sun Valley, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Van Nuys and Toluca Lake. Krekorian, who has served nearly 15 years, will be vacating his position due to term limits in December.

District 10 serving central Los Angeles: Heather Hutt -- the incumbent appointed to the L.A. City Council from District 10 after her predecessor, Mark Ridley-Thomas, was convicted on federal corruption charges -- appeared headed Tuesday evening for a full four-year term, as she held a big lead in her first time facing voters.

In results as of late Tuesday night, Hutt was ahead of challenger Grace Yoo by a nearly 25% margin. Hutt received 25,749 votes, or about 62%, while attorney Yoo stood at 15,532 votes, or about 38%, according to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

The 10th District encompasses the neighborhoods of Arlington Heights, Koreatown, Mid-City, Palms, South Robertson, West Adams and Wilshire Center.

According to a spokesperson for Hutt's campaign, the councilwoman is "proud of the work" she and her team have done, and she feels "lucky to be part of this process and have her communities trust in her."

A representative for Yoo's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

District 14 serving the Eastside: Progressive challenger Ysabel Jurado appeared headed for victory Tuesday evening over incumbent Kevin de León for the District 14 seat on the Los Angeles City Council -- with de León apparently unable to overcome the political damage incurred when he was heard participating in a secretly recorded 2021 conversation in which crude and racist language was used.

In results as of late Tuesday night, Jurado was leading with 21,814 votes, or about 56%, while de León had 17,086 votes, or about 44%, according to results released by the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

The two candidates were vying to represent a district that includes downtown L.A., Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno and Northeast L.A.

At an election night party in Highland Park, Jurado said she and her team were celebrating the end of a "nearly two-year journey." She recounted that she decided to run on the eve of her 33rd birthday because of the tape -- leaked in 2022 -- in which de León was among several officials recorded.

"And as someone who has lived here my whole life, I was furious that, once again, my community had been betrayed by our leadership," Jurado said. "And year after year, I'd seen a charlatan after a charlatan use this district as a stepping stone -- my home that I care for and has cared for me. And I decided to throw my hat in the ring."

She continued, "But tonight we celebrate us, all of us."

Jurado, who would be expanding the progressive bloc on the council, also shared that she faced a lot of obstacles on the campaign trail, including homophobic and sexist behavior.

"But here's the thing, they must have forgotten that I'm HLP (Highland Park) born and raised. ... It takes a whole lot more than that to scare us out of standing up for our community," Jurado said. "And they tried to bury us, but they didn't know that we were seeds, and here we are unbroken, unyielding, unapologetically unyielding and present and blooming."

Meanwhile, de León, at his election night gathering, noted that he faced challenges after the infamous leaked recording, and how he refused to quit.

Los Angeles Unified School District

Incumbent Scott Schmerelson was clinging to a narrow lead Tuesday evening in his bid for another term on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, which will feature two new faces thanks to the pending retirements of Jackie Goldberg and George McKenna.

In the battling for McKenna's District 1 seat -- representing areas including Palms, South Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills and Koreatown -- longtime Dorsey High School teacher Sherlett Hendy Newbill handily defeated community organizer Kahllid Al-Alim in Tuesday's election.

They both advanced to the runoff by topping a seven-candidate field in the March primary election, but neither received the 50% of the vote needed to claim the seat outright.

Newbill touted her years of experience as a teacher, coach and parent. She is calling for increased counseling and mental health support for students, improved safety on school campuses and "supportive school environments."

"As a board member, my heart and my door will always be open to working with you, whether you are a parent, teacher, administrator, or concerned community member," she said on her campaign website.

Al-Alim called for more parent engagement and ending the "school to prison pipeline." His campaign took a hit during the primary due to the emergence of antisemitic social media posts, costing him the endorsement of the influential United Teachers Los Angeles teachers union. The candidate apologized for the posts.

"There is a very long history of Jewish and Black people backing each other and working in solidarity for justice. I want to continue that important work," he said in a Feb. 20 statement.

In District 3, which covers much of the northern and western San Fernando Valley, voters elected Schmerelson to represent the district in 2014 and again in 2020. As of late Tuesday night, he had about 53% of the vote, giving him a narrow lead over teacher Dan Chang.

During his campaign, Schmerelson vowed to improve student safety and equip schools with current technology, air conditioning and air filtration. He has also touted his work as a "watchdog" for the schools to ensure they receive their fair share of funding.

"Scott has doggedly pursued that promise, ensuring that the taxpayers' money is spent wisely, making sure the board District 3 schools received their share of facility upgrades, and constantly focused on community needs such as having safe, clean and environmentally aware schools," according to his website.

Chang's campaign says he wants to "empower" schools in the valley by cutting through the district's bureaucracy, while improving student safety and ensuring students are prepared to move on to college.

"We need change so that every school is fully funded and empowered," according to his website. "That starts by working together to: reduce the Downtown budget and redistribute funding to school sites. Then, local schools can decide how to best serve their students' needs."

In District 5, which stretches from the East Hollywood and Eagle Rock area to southeast Los Angeles, four candidates -- teacher Karla Griego was handily outpacing teacher and Huntington Park City Councilwoman Graciela "Grace" Ortiz in their race to take over the seat being vacated by Goldberg, who has held the post since 2019.

Griego, who was endorsed by Goldberg, said she wants to improve support services on campuses and advocate for "marginalized students."

On her website, she said her 20 years as a special education teacher has taught her "the things that students, parents, and educators truly need are never given to us. Crucial services for English Learners and students with disabilities, protections and support for our most vulnerable students, and good wages and reasonable case loads and class sizes for educators, these were all won through students, parents, and educators organizing together to make our voices heard."

Ortiz said she wants to "build communities through education."

"She strongly believes that if our school system and communities work in collaboration, our society will strengthen and in turn improve the quality of life for all," according to her website. "As a council member, Graciela has collaborated with schools and educators in the city to provide resources, opportunities and programs that will enhance the education of all children. Graciela knows that a child's education is the key to their success and the success of all our communities."

Tanya Ortiz Franklin won re-election outright in March for the District 7 seat, which covers an area including Carson, San Pedro, Gardena and parts of South Los Angeles.

City Ballot Measures

Voters in the city of Los Angeles had their say on five city charter amendments dealing with ethics reform, redistricting, police and fire pensions, government transparency and administrative authority.

The amendments were proposed in the aftermath of the scandal that erupted in 2021 when a secret recording emerged between then-City Council members Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo and current Councilman Kevin de Leon discussing power dynamics in the city in crude and racist terms. And several city leaders have been convicted of or charged with corruption over the last few years, prompting efforts aimed at increasing transparency and accountability at City Hall.

Amendment DD would create an independent commission to make decisions about City Council district boundaries following each U.S. Census. Currently, the mayor and council make decisions about those districts — if the charter amendment passes, elected officials would no longer be involved in the process.

Amendment HH would require city commission appointees to file financial disclosures in order to be appointed to their roles, clarify the controller's audit authority over city contractors, expand the city attorney's subpoena power and more.

Amendment II would include gender identity in city-employment nondiscrimination rules, allow electronic signatures on certain city documents, allow the city to lease sites in public parks to the Los Angeles Unified School District for park-related purposes and more.

Amendment ER would establish a minimum annual budget for the City Ethics Commission, give the commission more authority over spending and personnel matters, allow the commission to hire its own lawyer under certain circumstances, impose additional qualifications on commission members and the executive director, prohibit the appointment of elected officials' relatives or campaign donors to the commission and increase the maximum penalties the commission may impose.

Amendment FF would implement changes to rules around public retirement fund membership for police, airport, harbor and Recreation and Parks employees.

A detailed overview of the proposed charter amendments is available on the city's website.

LAUSD Ballot Measures

Voters within the Los Angeles Unified School District boundaries were asked to vote on Amendment LL, which would amend the city charter to establish a redistricting commission for the school board.

Currently, district boundaries are determined by the City Council and mayor. The amendment would give that power to a redistricting commission that would be selected without involvement from elected officials.

A detailed overview of the proposed amendment is available on the city's website.

LAUSD voters also weighed in on Measure US, the $9 billion bond measure for school facility improvements. The measure will require support from more than 55 percent of voters to pass.

If approved, the measure would increase property tax rates by about 2.5 cents per $100 of valuation to generate $456,123,000 annually until 2059.

County Ballot Measures

Los Angeles County have cast their votes on measures A and G.

Measure A: Los Angeles County voters were leaning in favor Tuesday evening of a measure that would replace an expiring sales tax for anti- homelessness programs with a higher levy that has no sunset date. With vote-counting continuing late Tuesday, 55% of voters were favoring Measure A, with 45% of voters against it.

If approved, Measure A would repeal a quarter-cent county sales tax approved by voters in 2017 under then-Measure H. That sales tax had a 10-year lifespan, so it is set to expire in 2027. Measure A -- the Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now measure -- would replace Measure H with a half-cent sales tax with no end date, meaning it would be in effect in perpetuity unless it is repealed by voters.

County officials said they want to lock in a larger, dedicated revenue stream to address the region's housing and homelessness crisis: Measure H is set to expire in 2027, while Measure A would never expire.

Measure G would significantly overhaul LA County's government charter, which has remained largely unchanged since 1912 — despite the county's population increasing twentyfold.

The biggest change would be an expansion of the Board of Supervisors from five to nine members, which would reduce the size of each supervisor's consistency. Currently, each board member represents around 2 million people in districts that cover huge swaths of the county.

Measure G would also make the county chief executive officer an elected position. The CEO, who oversees the county's day-to-day operations, is currently appointed by the board.

It would also create an independent ethics commission and two new positions: county legislative analyst and director of budget and management.

District Attorney

Perhaps the most closely watched race in Los Angeles County has been the battle for district attorney. It was the most scrutinized district attorney’s race in the country, with incumbent George Gascón a lightning rod for progressive reforms that are hailed by his supporters and characterized as soft on crime by his critics.

He faced former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman, who pledged to emphasize justice for victims and to reverse Gascón’s policies eschewing many sentencing enhancements, the death penalty, and charging juveniles as adults.

Voters faced a choice between two distinct approaches to criminal justice.

The office is nonpartisan. However, Gascón ran as a Democrat, and Hochman as an Independent two years after launching a campaign for state attorney general as a Republican.

Both men emerged from the crowded field of 11 candidates in the March primary, with Gascón garnering about 25 percent of the vote to Hochman’s 16 percent.

However, Hochman surged ahead of Gascón with likely voters heading into election day, according to at USC, CSU Long Beach and Cal Poly Pomona survey. The poll had Hochman with a commanding 24-point lead over Gascón. About 44 percent of likely voters said they support Hochman, while only 20 percent said they support Gascón.

SEE ALSO: Meet Nathan Hochman, Candidate For LA County District Attorney

State Measures

Of course, it wouldn’t be a major election in California if there were not a slew of proposed propositions on the ballot.

There are 10 statewide propositions on the ballot, including two $10 billion bond measures for school construction and to address climate change. There are also two amendments to the state constitution, one which would repeal the unenforceable ban on same-sex marriage and another that would make it easier for bond measures to pass by lowering the voter threshold from the current supermajority needed to approve bond measures.

However, the most hot-button measure on the ballot is Proposition 36, which seeks to reverse some of the criminal justice reforms passed when voters approved Proposition 47 a decade ago. If Prop 36 passes, it could significantly increase prison time for some drug and theft offenses that are currently misdemeanors.

Click here for Patch’s in-depth reporting on all 10 propositions.

U.S. House of Representatives

There are 17 Congressional Districts in Los Angeles County, and all but one of them are currently represented by Democrats in the county where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1.

It's that one Republican District that was among the most closely watched congressional races in the naion because it could help determine who wins control of the U.S House. The 27th Congressional District serves the High Desert area, and incumbent Mike Garcia faced Democrat George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff looking to unseat a Republican in a district that split the ticket in 2020.

Garcia first took office in 2020 to replace Rep. Katie Hill, who resigned amid a sex scandal. His margin of victory was less than 350 votes. He fared better in the midterms in 2022 with 53 percent of the vote or a margin of nearly 13,000 votes. However, with former president Donald Trump, who remains deeply unpopular in California, at the topic of the ticket, Garcia was expected to have more of a fight on his hands.

Whitesides had blasted Garcia for supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade and for voting not to certify the results of the 2020 election, calling him a Maga extremist. Garcia's camp, conversely had characterist Whiteside as an out-of-step liberal megadonor.

Both national parties poured millions of dollars into the district with campaign adds to get out the vote.

U.S. Senate

A consequential contest to watch will be the race for the U.S. Senate seat long-held by the late Dianne Feinstein. In fact, voters will cast their ballot twice in this race, Nov. 5. They’ll choose a candidate to finish out Feinstein’s current term and again for the next term, which will begin in 2025.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey are both vying for the seat. Schiff, a progressive favorite in the Golden State, has served as a Democratic congressman here since 2000, representing the state’s 30th Congressional District in Los Angeles County.

Garvey, formerly an All-Star for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, advanced in March to the November ballot as a first-time political candidate. Republicans have failed to advance a candidate in two of the last three U.S. Senate races, making Garvey’s defeat of Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, a rare feat for the GOP in blue California.

According to a recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California, Schiff holds a 28 point-lead (63 percent to 35 percent) over Garvey. Schiff gained widespread name recognition for his role in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Read more about that race here.

City News Service