Los Angeles City Council, District 9

Jose Ugarte works as deputy chief of staff for the City of Los Angeles. He serves under outgoing Councilmember Curren Price. He founded a youth program, the Ugarte Civic Youth Fellowship. He says it has mentored more than 100 students in the district. He says he has helped bring major projects and jobs to the area, including the convention center and two big arenas.

He says accountability comes from open communication and the courage to make hard decisions. He agreed to a settlement with the city's Ethics Commission. The case involved outside income from his consulting firm that he did not disclose while working as a City Hall aide, which he described as a clerical error. His former boss, Councilmember Price, faces a corruption trial after leaving office. Ugarte says he left that office and is running his own independent campaign.

He promises to bring a rail line to South Central and cut pollution near the freeways that cross the district. He promises more affordable and supportive housing built to labor standards. He also promises a balanced city budget that funds services without raising taxes.

Estuardo Mazariegos came to Los Angeles as a child. His family fled political violence in Guatemala. He co-directs a tenant advocacy group, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. He also sits on a neighborhood council. He says he helped organize the campaigns behind two city tenant protection laws and a tax on high value property sales.

He says he has no political ambition beyond making the city work for his neighborhood. His campaign refuses money from lobbyists, corporations and others with a financial stake in city decisions. He has highlighted that pledge as a former council office faces trial on corruption charges. He says the district has been left out even as it generates major tax revenue for the city.

He promises cleaner, safer, well lit streets and more green space. He promises to expand affordable and social housing and strengthen tenant protections. He also promises new revenue for the district from big events and car sales, plus union jobs and support for small businesses.