For the Westside Current I treat the LA mayor's race like a horse race, complete with special 'horse names' for the candidates, and odds to win the whole thing. Who's favored, and could a long shot hit the tape first? www.westsidecurrent.com/columns/sizi...

As LA #Election2026 approaches I've returned to a favorite gimmick--comparing the mayoral contest to a horse race. For Westside Current I look at odds, 'horse names' and more for top candidates. Karen Bass, aka Wounded Warrior, is the favorite--for now. www.westsidecurrent.com/columns/sizi...

Why are candidates who are running against each other in the Council District 1 race working to help get more people on the ballot? It's all about challenging incumbent Eunisses Hernandez. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/council...

When Council District 1 candidate Sylvia Robledo was short on signatures, another candidate, Raul Claros, helped ensure she qualified for the ballot. It was a strategic move in the district repped by Eunisses Hernandez. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/council...

A surprising winner from the Traci Park-Faiza Malik-Jeremy Wineberg CD 11 forum was moderator Josh Haskell. When the crowd got loud or one candidate went after another, the ABC7 reporter kept things fair and moving. Not an easy job. My Westside Current piece. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/lo...

There were a lot of juicy exchanges when Traci Park, Faizak Malik and Jeremy Wineberg met at a Council District 11 forum. The big winner? The 500+ people who showed up on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Some takes in my Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/lo...

The latest @theeastsiderla.bsky.social Election Notebook details a $54,000 IE supporting Eunisses Hernandez (shortly after one opposing her) in the Council District 1 race, an endorsement for Congressman Jimmy Gomez, and more. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

Election Day in Los Angeles is now 105 days away. My latest @theeastsiderla.bsky.social round-up of local election and campaign activity. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

Come election time it's votes, not money, that matter. But raising $$ does help. For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I looked at local council, congressional and state senate races to see who has the most cash. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

A lot of talk about Karen Bass being challenged by Nithya Raman. And a lot of takeaways. My #1: This is great for LA. Races where incumbents face no or only token opposition do nothing for constituents. Now we get choice. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/th...

Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez is one of the many LA politicians kicking back against the Trump administration. “We have to obviously put up a defense,” he said. How Gonzalez got where he is, and what's next, in my @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

Political candidates spend a lot of time raising money. For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I looked at how much those running for Council District 13, and Eastside Congressional and State Senate races, pulled in. Some big numbers, and some small hauls. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

District 54 State Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez had a busy first year. With a thick legislative agenda, 2026 could be even more active for the Eastside pol, majority whip, and former @lademocrats.bsky.social chair. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

Hundreds of students walked out of Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High this morning to protest #ICE. Students walking out across @laschools.bsky.social campuses. Many will head to City Hall for a noon rally. Video and more in @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

Candidates in the District 1 City Council race are trying to raise $$ as the June 2 election approaches. How much have they pulled in, and how much do they have to spend? Details and charts in my @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/distric...

When it comes to illegal dumping, no place in Los Angeles suffers more than 4th Street and New Hampshire in Koreatown—every month there are dozens of MyLA311 calls for tossed refrigerators, couches, dressers, etc. My @thelalocal.bsky.social story with Hanna Kang. thelalocal.org/neighborhood...

With all the big races on the June 2 ballot it’s easy to overlook the @laschools.bsky.social District 2 School Board contest. But who fills the seat is vital. For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I look at the race between incumbent Rocio Rivas and Raquel Zamora. www.theeastsiderla.com/education/it...

For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I broke down fundraising in the District 1 City Council race. To date incumbent Eunisses Hernandez has raised (and spent) the most. Lou Calanche has the most cash on hand. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/distric...

Thanks @marielgarza.bsky.social for having me on the @goldenstateorg.bsky.social podcast to discuss my piece on campaign $$ and why spending loads of it doesn't guarantee victory in Los Angeles and California. Often those who spend the most lose. An 18-minute listen www.youtube.com/@GoldenState...

Political candidates are always trying to raise boatloads of money. But in a surprising number of Los Angeles elections, and also in some California contests, the biggest spenders finish in second place... or worse. Check my @goldenstateorg.bsky.social piece. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...

Think being a billionaire buys you an election in California? Meg Whitman and Rick Caruso would like a word.

In the 2022 city of Los Angeles elections, 5 candidates who outspent their opponents won, and 6... lost. Yep @rickcaruso.bsky.social was far from the only one. This happens more than you think in LA and California. My new @goldenstateorg.bsky.social piece. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...

This week Los Angeles political candidates will reveal their latest fundraising numbers—but don't assume those with the most cash will roll. LA and California have many examples of lower-spending winners. My new piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...

For some Angelenos municipal code 41.18 is controversial. For Traci Park it's a tool. "Under no circumstances, in no universe, is it okay for kids to have to step over open-air drug camps on their way to school," she says. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/fo...

California's 34th Congressional District has 755,000 residents. Jimmy Gomez has represented the area since 2017. Can he win another election this June, against 6 challengers? I look at the race for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/crowded...

In 2017, Jimmy Gomez emerged from a field of more than 20 to win a Congressional seat. This year, six people are challenging him for the CA-District 34 post. I break down the race for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/crowded...

Traci Park recalled #Palisades residents trying to see their homes after the fire, but lines meant some could not enter. "Did we actually compound the trauma by making them sit there and wait and then not get them in?" she asked. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/fo...

Thanks @ktla.com News for having me on to discuss my @crosstownla.bsky.social story about 2025 crime statistics in LA, where #murders hit a historic low, and robberies and car thefts are falling, but at the same time shootings by LAPD officers are spiking. ktla.com/video/shocki...

Murders in the city of Los Angeles fell substantially in 2025, and there were also big reductions in other crime categories. However, the 47 times that police fired their weapons was a 62% yearly increase. Data and charts in my @crosstownla.bsky.social story. xtown.la/2026/01/14/m...

According to City Ethics Commission, Spencer Pratt is now one of 22 (!) people who have filed papers to raise money for the mayoral election. Not everyone will make the ballot to challenge Karen Bass. #election2026

With elections, budget tangles and more, 2026 is going to be a busy, sometimes messy political year in L.A. That includes on the Eastside. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social piece on 5 area pols to watch. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

A year after the Palisades went up in flames, the pace of rebuilding begins to slow. xtown.la/2026/01/05/p...

The Eastside political scene in 2026 will be busy and often combative. People to watch include @asmmarkgonzalez.bsky.social, state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, and District 13 council rep @hugoforcd13.bsky.social. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

It’s hard to fathom a more politically challenging time than last year, but even if the world eases up, a bevy of Eastside politicians will be busy throughout 2026. Five to watch in my @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

In my latest election round-up for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social: a second candidate for a School Board seat; local pols hit the Karen Bass campaign kick-off rally; and District 1 council candidates do a year-end cash push. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

District 1 City Council rep Eunisses Hernandez has skipped 3 candidate forums in advance of the 2026 election. Story in @theeastsiderla.bsky.social asks if the incumbent and her 8 foes will ever debate in front of voters. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

There's a big problem with LAPD crime data—reports that should be available to the public are not, and there's no telling when they will be. My piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. @crosstownla.bsky.social www.golden-state.org/why-wont-the...

There's a big problem with supposedly public LAPD data—full information has not been available for more than 18 months. This means Angelenos can't crunch neighborhood-level crime data. My new piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. @crosstownla.bsky.social www.golden-state.org/why-wont-the...

In Monday's Campaign Notebook for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I detailed how @laschools.bsky.social District 2 Board Member Rocio Rivas is running unopposed. No longer. Boyle Heights native and teacher Raquel Zamora filed papers to run. Zamora finished 3rd in the 2020 Council District 14 primary.

Seven candidates for the District 1 Council seat attended a Highland Park forum, but Eunisses Hernandez was not on stage. So Lou Calanche brought out a cutout of the incumbent, calling her a "cardboard councilmember." My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social coverage. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

A few months ago, District 13 Council rep Hugo Soto-Martinez appeared to have a free ride to a second term. That has changed, as 4 people are now trying to topple him. A quick look at the race for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

For those keeping track, election day in Los Angeles (and, yes, the rest of California) is 6 months from today--on June 2. Angelenos will vote for mayor, city attorney, controller & 8 council seats. My recent Westside Current look at 5 compelling races. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/op...

The unexpected asterisk of watching a kid play high school football—during the season, you see a lot of different parts of Los Angeles. My piece for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/education/ea...

A season of watching the Eagle Rock high school football team took me across the breadth of Los Angeles, from Woodland Hills to South Gate and beyond. I broke it down for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/education/ea...

Six months from now, mail-in ballots will be in homes across California, ahead of the June 2 election. L.A. residents in particular have a clutch of intriguing contests. For Westside Current I look at 5 of them. #Election2026 www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/op...

As the 2026 elections approach, something unexpected is happening—the city of L.A. has a hefty batch of competitive races, from the mayoral contest to a 2-person Council District 11 battle. And there's much more. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/op...

Ample criticism of Eunisses Hernandez at CD1 forum. "We have not had leadership for three years,” said Lou Calanche. Raul Claros said his CD1 Coalition has "pretty much been the de facto council office." Hernandez didn't attend. @theeastsiderla.bsky.social www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

Six candidates attended a recent District 1 City Council forum. When the moderator announced “We have not heard from Councilperson Eunisses Hernandez,” the crowd booed. Hernandez team said she had “previously scheduled commitments.” @theeastsiderla.bsky.social www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

The six Council District 1 candidates who attended a forum last week had differing ideas on how they would operate if elected. But all agreed on one point: incumbent Eunisses Hernandez has not delivered and needs to go. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

The @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social triumph has people asking what repercussions the Democratic Socialist's win will have on other cities, including Los Angeles? A better question: How did past L.A. elections shape the NYC contest? My UCLA Blueprint story. blueprint.ucla.edu/sketch/from-...