The Los Angeles City Council will hold a special primary election in April to fill the seat recently vacated by former City Councilwoman Nury Martinez – a process that could cost taxpayers upwards of $7.6 million if a runoff election is needed in June.
The April 4, 2023 election, which the council approved in an 11-0 vote on Tuesday, Oct. 25, would fill the empty District 6 seat that represents Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and other neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley.
Martinez stepped down as council president on Oct. 10, then resigned two days later amid unrelenting calls for her and two other Latino councilmembers to resign. The three were caught in a leaked secret recording discussing how to manipulate the city’s redistricting process to benefit their own districts and to strengthen Latino political power – by diluting Black voter representation.
In the backroom meeting, they used racist and demeaning language about Blacks, Oaxacans, Jews, Armenians and gays — mostly uttered by Martinez.
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Martinez and a labor leader who also took part in the conversation have since resigned, but council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León have resisted calls to step down.
On Tuesday, newly named Council President Krekorian suggested that De León – whose term is not up for two more years – resign immediately so the council can call a special election for his seat.
Cedillo lost his bid for reelection to the City Council earlier this year and his term will end in December. However, Krekorian said that should Cedillo instead resign, allowing the candidate who beat him in the primary, Eunisses Hernandez, to assume office early.