On the powerful, five-member Board of Supervisors for Los Angeles County, incumbents are usually hard to beat in an election because they have the campaign money, name recognition and powerful allies.
But that is not true with the race for the First District seat on the June 2 primary. That’s because this is an open seat, now that Supervisor Hilda Solis is termed out, after serving nearly 12 years on the board.
In this primary election, voters in the First District will cast their ballots for a new member of the board. This district includes Skid Row and and Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, spreading to the east into the central San Gabriel Valley cities of Alhambra, Monterey Park, Montebello, El Monte, Baldwin Park, La Puente, West Covina, Azusa, Walnut and Pomona, including unincorporated communities of Avocado Heights, Hacienda Heights, Valinda and Rowland Heights.
It’s a diverse district, largely Latino and Asian. Solis, born to immigrant parents from Nicaragua and Mexico, grew up in La Puente. While on the board, she focused her efforts on helping ethnic groups, worker rights and immigrant rights, recently adding protections for immigrant businesses affected by the federal anti-immigration raids.
She’s been heading up the transformation of the 31-acre campus of the old General Hospital into a “Healthy Village” centered on affordable and workforce housing, plus beds for mental health care.
The five candidates running are attempting to fill the spot of Solis, who is running for Congress. Solis, before serving on the board, was a member of both the state Senate and Assembly and Congress. Later she served as U.S. Secretary of Labor for President Barack Obama.
Those vying to fill her shoes are: Elaine Alaniz, 44, a disaster recovery specialist, who was on the city of Los Angeles Westlake North Neighborhood Council; Noel Almario, 40, a birth doula and resident of Eagle Rock; David E. Argudo, 55, a councilmember for the city of La Puente; Maria Elena Durazo, a state senator and former labor leader; Annabella Figueroa Mazariegos, an L.A. County employee.
“I think every supervisor leaves a legacy and she’s certainly one of them,” said retired supervisor and former L.A. City Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky. He noted that Solis also helped put Measure G on the ballot, which will expand the board to nine members, create an elected county executive position, and add an Ethics Commission.
The candidates expressed their views in questionnaires from this newspaper.
Alaniz rated the board’s performance as “below expectations,” given the board’s budget around $50 billion, and was not sure about the county expanding to nine board members as required by Measure G. She doesn’t believe all nine should automatically serve on the LA Metro board but supports adding an actual transit rider to the Metro board.
“We continue to see rising costs in areas like homelessness and public safety without the level of progress residents expect and deserve,” she said.
Despite massive cuts from the federal HR1 bill to county healthcare services, Alaniz does not support Measure ER on the June 2 ballot, which would temporarily raise the sales tax a half-cent to bring in a billion dollars a year, saying the higher taxes would hurt small businesses and damage the county economy.
“Through my work across multiple states and counties in disaster recovery, I have seen firsthand how repeated tax increases can strain communities, drive businesses out and limit long-term economic stability. When businesses leave, jobs follow and families are left with fewer opportunities,” she said.
Regarding the county’s new Department of Homeless Services and Housing, Alaniz said it must tie contracts to outcomes with leaders supplying answers to the public in real time on the number of people moving into housing. “Every dollar should be traceable,” she said.
On closing Men’s Central Jail, she wants to see more screening, monitoring and access for to treatment. She said the board missed an opportunity to improve the situation. “Los Angeles County had already planned a facility to better separate individuals with serious mental health needs from those in custody for criminal offenses. That project was halted in 2019 after significant taxpayer investment, without fully replacing the intended capacity,” she said.
Almario said the board has made incremental progress in fighting poverty, homelessness and providing adequate healthcare to those in need but is moving too slowly.
She recognized that federal cuts to Medi-Cal will put the most vulnerable county residents’ lives at risk and supports Measure ER. “It provides an immediate, local solution to stabilize our healthcare system and prevent devastating service cuts,” she said. Her campaign website said: “Investing in affordable care and access for all ensures our communities stay healthy and safe.”
Amario agrees with the county’s new approach to reducing homelessness but warns that the transition must not disrupt services and leave people behind. “This is an opportunity to reset our approach, but we must do it with urgency, transparency and a clear commitment to results,” she said.
The board needs to implement a more comprehensive system to reduce the rising rate of deaths in county jails that includes mental health services, substance abuse treatment and alternatives to incarceration. “Many people in our jails are there because of unmet health needs — not because they pose a threat to public safety,” she said.
Amario favors adding multilingual alerts for those facing an impending disaster, such as a spreading fire or a toxic gas leak.
Expanding the board to nine members and requiring an elected county CEO — all components of Measure G — are good for helping the public get more involved with county government, she said. “Expanding the board can create more localized representation, which is critical in a county as large and diverse as ours,” she said.
Argudo said the board has been in a reactive mode and wants to see more bold actions. “We need a board that actively champions healthier communities, environmental justice and the creation of more productive green spaces.”
As a member of the La Puente City Council, he emphasizes better cooperation with the county’s 88 cities, saying “one-size-fits-all mandates” are troublesome.
For example, when the board uses its emergency powers that cuts across the entire county, sometimes it is an overreach with unintended consequences, he said. “Local cities understand their communities best. They should have a seat at the table before sweeping mandates are imposed. Collaboration — not top-down control — leads to smarter, more balanced solutions that protect both residents and businesses,” he said.
He is opposed to Measure ER, saying he’s not sure the money will go toward helping clinics and hospitals. Also, he doesn’t agree that the half-cent sales tax is the right solution to the cuts in federal Medi-Cal funding. “We need better management, not higher taxes. I urge voters to demand accountability and vote no on this measure,” he said.
On reducing homelessness, he is concerned the county’s new HSH department may just add another layer of bureaucracy.
“My approach is simple: push resources down to local governments and proven community partners, cut duplication and demand transparency at every level. Whether through LAHSA or a new department, success should be judged by one standard — fewer people on the streets and more people in stable housing,” Argudo said.
On reducing jail deaths, he said it’s fine to demand more safety checks with more in-jail monitoring. But the underlying problem is a shortage of deputies. “For years, our jails have operated with dangerously low deputy staffing, forcing personnel to do 100% of the work with roughly 75% of the workforce. That is not just unsustainable — it is unsafe for both inmates and staff,” he said.
His response to the Palisades and Eaton fires is to expand brush clearance efforts and home hardening. He advocated for “neighborhood-level preparedness programs so residents are trained and ready before disaster strikes.”
He does not oppose all members of the Board of Supervisors serving on the LA Metro board. “But governance should not come at the expense of a real-world perspective. I support adding a dedicated transit rider representative to the Metro board,” he said.
State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo said she has spent her career fighting for workers and their civil rights. In 2004 she was executive vice president of UNITE-HERE international union. And from 2006 to 2014 she was secretary-treasurer of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.
“I have a deep respect for the county’s workers and their vital roles. I believe county workers and county residents share the same interest: delivering high-quality, effective, and efficient government services to the people,” she said.
If elected, her three top priorities are: Addressing housing affordability and homelessness; expanding access to healthcare and mental health services and attracting good-paying jobs to the county and retaining jobs already here, while supporting small businesses.
On delivery of homeless services, she stresses accountability and “zero tolerance for abuse or cover-ups.” She wants to use the California Attorney General’s Office to provide oversight of tax dollars on homeless shelters and housing. She said state oversight would come from an independent body “with investigative power (to) protect and empower whistleblowers, and ensure all allegations are investigated swiftly and impartially.”
She’d also like to bring on more qualified county employees where needed by expanding apprenticeships and workforce training. She also believes the county should “streamline permitting for responsible businesses, support small business growth, and ensure that our economic development investments prioritize equity and sustainability.”
Durazo also wants the county fire department and emergency response teams to work more closely with state and federal agencies. And that county’s Public Works and emergency responders, as well as private water companies need an integrated plan to improve resilience for future fires.
“In the future, we must invest in better early warning systems, pre-position resources, and ensure that recovery is equitable — especially for uninsured and low-income residents,” she said.
She said she has a track record of listening to all views and seeking common ground in decision-making. “I’m an open book. I have a long and consistent history of bringing people together,” she said.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors, the county’s five-member governing body, oversees a budget of around $50 billion and 117,000 budgeted employees across 38 departments, including public health, homeless services, public safety, social services, animal care and public works.
Unless one candidate garners more than 50% of votes in the June 2 primary to outright win the seat, the top two vote-getters will move on to the November general election ballot.
Annabella Figueroa Mazariegos could not be reached for this report; she did not return an SCNG news questionnaire nor submit a photo and a campaign website could not be located.