Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Lindsey Horvath
Current job title: County Supervisor
Age: 43
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Former West Hollywood Mayor and Councilmember
City where you reside: Los Angeles
Campaign website or social media: lindseyhorvath.com
Rate the job the current Board of Supervisors is doing. (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
My leadership has been defined by action — especially when it comes to tackling homelessness, advancing climate resilience and driving transformative change in local government.
After taking this seat, I led the County’s response to homelessness by authoring the emergency declaration on my first day in office. Under this leadership, LA County saw the first decrease in homelessness in nearly a decade. As we continue to champion structural reform, I recently passed a motion to centralize LA County’s entire homeless services system and create the County’s first-ever catch-all homelessness department, the Department of Homelessness Services and Housing.
Our team has prioritized environmental action and wildfire recovery for communities hit hardest by the climate crisis and the devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires. Launching the Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action & Fire-Safe Recovery and leading the development of LA County’s first-ever Water Plan, we have put words into action on these critical issues.
In 2024, I brought forth Measure G — a successful County governance reform initiative that will expand representation of the Board of Supervisors, create an independent ethics commission and establish an elected County Executive. The passage of Measure G marked the most significant reform of LA County government in over a century.
The Board of Supervisors has taken drastic action under my tenure, and I continue to believe that this body has the opportunity to continue to improve the lives of our communities across LA County.
Due to impacts from federal government cuts to Medi-Cal, the Board of Supervisors put a measure on the June 2 ballot, a half-cent sales tax to raise about $1 billion to stop-gap financial losses and keep hospitals and clinics functioning. How do you stand on this ballot measure? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Businesses and our communities are struggling. Federal cuts and volatility have put LA County in a tight spot — gas prices are rising, and affordability is top of mind for everyone. We provide more tax revenue to the federal government than any other state, and yet we are left asking the federal government to give us what we are owed; this follows the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.
In the backdrop of recovery, this administration has also struck fear in the hearts of our immigrant communities. Regardless of the views one may hold on this topic, these operations have had an economic impact on our businesses — upwards of a $20 billion hit in the nine months since they began.
At the County, we are responsible for the social safety net for our residents, and when those services fall through, we are in a position where those rising costs affect every facet of government, and cuts have to be made elsewhere.
To give voters the opportunity to weigh in, the Board of Supervisors is asking them to choose how LA County responds to these drastic cuts. They will make the final decision in June.
The County is in a fight with LAHSA regarding homeless services and has formed its own Department of Homeless Services & Housing. What are your thoughts on that plan and the break from LAHSA? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has repeatedly failed to provide meaningful oversight or transparency for taxpayer dollars. That is why Los Angeles County is transitioning to direct accountability through our new Homeless Services and Housing Department.
This transition is not the cause of instability — it is our response to it. The County is ending its contracting relationship with LAHSA because it has not delivered the financial transparency and programmatic accountability that providers, taxpayers and the people who are homeless deserve.
As we enter this transition, we are ensuring providers are paid and financial best practices are in place while demanding clarity from LAHSA on what happens after July 1. Public funding requires public accountability.
After the Palisades and Eaton fires, the County Fire and Sheriff have moved to develop a new CAD communications system to better notify residents in case of fire or other disaster. Have the Board of Supervisors and County departments done enough to prevent another such disaster? What else would you like to see implemented if you are elected? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
The Palisades and Eaton fires made clear that climate-driven disasters are here — and we have to be ready.
Since I was elected, my focus has been on building resilience through community investment and strong partnerships. We’ve created networks in fire-impacted areas, hosted preparedness fairs and held regular meetings with emergency personnel to keep information flowing.
But residents can’t carry this alone — government must be ready. That’s why modernizing our CAD communication system is so important. We also saw that while water supply was sufficient, pressure was not — so Public Works is upgrading infrastructure. And simple actions, like leaving sprinklers on during evacuations, can make firefighting harder.
I’m proud of our progress and the speed of our recovery — but we’re not done. We must keep investing in communication, infrastructure and community partnerships to ensure a response that is truly people-centered and ready for the next emergency.
More specifically, what would you do to get LA County residents more prepared for a fire or other major disaster, such as a major earthquake? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Preparedness starts with meeting people where they are and making it real — not theoretical.
That’s why our office hosts annual emergency preparedness fairs across the district. These aren’t just informational — they’re hands-on opportunities for residents to learn how to build go-bags, create evacuation plans and understand what to do in the first critical moments of a fire or an earthquake. When people feel confident in what to do, it can save lives.
At the same time, preparedness has to be built into our infrastructure. We’re actively working to modernize County buildings and critical systems to make them more earthquake-resilient — so that when a disaster hits, our public facilities can withstand it and continue serving the community.
Because true preparedness is a shared responsibility: Residents need the tools and knowledge, and government needs to ensure the systems around them are strong, reliable and ready.
The county’s voters approved Measure G, bringing the number of supervisors up to nine. Other changes include requirements for the county CEO to be elected and for department heads to present budgets periodically to the Board of Supervisors as an act of transparency in budgeting. Give your thoughts on Measure G, its changes and future changes to county governance. (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Measure G represents a long-overdue step toward modernizing Los Angeles County government, with a strong emphasis on ethics, transparency and public accountability. At its core, it introduces meaningful ethics reforms that help restore public trust — ensuring clearer standards, stronger oversight and a governance structure that is more answerable to residents.
A key improvement is the requirement for regular public budget hearings, where department heads must present and justify their spending directly to the Board of Supervisors. This creates a more open budgeting process, allowing residents to better understand how decisions are made and how public funds are allocated. Transparency in budgeting is essential to ethical governance, and Measure G makes it a priority rather than an afterthought.
The expansion of the Board from five to nine members also supports these reforms by broadening representation and reducing concentrated power, as well as the creation of a County Executive for more direct voter accountability.
While these changes are significant, they should be seen as a foundation. Continued progress will depend on how effectively these ethics rules are enforced and how actively the public engages in the new, more transparent processes.
People who comment on a board item or a general comment are limited to one minute. Some say that is way too short for them to fully express their opinion. The County says they often have hundreds who request to speak on the same item, dragging out meetings until evening. Do you agree with the one-minute rule? Why or why not? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
One minute can feel restrictive. That’s why it’s important we pair time limits with other ways to engage — written comments, digital submissions and community meetings — so people can share more detailed input.
I believe in meaningful public participation and making sure government can function effectively and inclusively. When hundreds of people want to speak on the same item, we have to balance depth with access. Especially when we have hardworking people taking their work lunch, day off or calling in, just to make public comments.
A one-minute rule isn’t about limiting voices — it’s about making sure more voices can be heard. Without it, meetings can stretch late into the evening, which actually creates barriers for working families, caregivers, and others who can’t stay for hours.
The one-minute rule exists as part of a broader approach. The goal isn’t to silence anyone — it’s to make participation more equitable, more accessible and more representative of the full community.
All the Board of Supervisors are also placed on the LA Metro board, a powerful board in itself. Do you believe all nine members should serve on the board? And, should the LA Metro board, at the request of Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn, add actual transit riders to the Metro board, in addition or instead of nine supervisors? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
The structure of the LA Metro Board raises broader questions about how to balance coordination, accountability and meaningful representation. There’s value in ensuring strong alignment between county leadership and regional transit decisions, particularly given the scale and impact of the system. At the same time, governance models should continue evolving to reflect the communities they serve.
That includes thinking more expansively about who has a voice at the table. Transit riders bring important, day-to-day perspectives, but so do frontline transit workers and operators, whose experience is critical to understanding system performance, safety and reliability. Their representation can help ground decision-making in operational realities.
It’s also important to consider geographic balance. Smaller cities within the county often have different transit needs and challenges, and greater representation can help ensure those perspectives are not overlooked in a system of this size.
Ultimately, the conversation isn’t just about board composition, but about building a structure that is inclusive, responsive and reflective of the region’s diversity — while still maintaining clear lines of accountability and effective governance.
Recently, the Board of Supervisors has been using public health and emergency powers, meaning it can pass laws (i.e., for rent stabilization, price-gouging, eviction restrictions, etc.) countywide, affecting not just unincorporated areas of L.A. County, but all 88 cities as well. Do you believe this is justified or too much power? Does this help with these issues? Please explain your thinking. (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Los Angeles County has faced unprecedented emergencies this year, from the January 2025 wildfires to real threats to our social safety net. In moments like these, emergency powers are not about overreach. They are about stepping up when people are at risk.
We have a responsibility to act decisively to protect residents, whether that means preventing price gouging, stabilizing renters and small business owners, or keeping families housed, including distributing dollars directly to landlords for immediate relief. These tools can make a real difference when timing is critical and the stakes are high.
These powers are used thoughtfully, in a targeted and time-limited way, with clear communication and partnership with our cities and communities.
Responding to a surge in jail deaths over the past year, the Board of Supervisors has called on the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies to implement a series of wide-ranging reforms. Supervisors demanded more thorough security screenings and safety checks at the jails, consistent monitoring of surveillance cameras and better access to drug treatment and drug reversal medications. What do you think of this approach to the problem? What else, in your opinion, needs to be done? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Jail deaths are devastating — they represent a failure of our system to protect the most vulnerable people in our care. Each loss underscores the urgent need for reform, accountability, and better coordination across agencies.
The steps the Board has called for — improved security screenings, consistent monitoring of cameras and expanded access to drug treatment and reversal medications — are necessary and overdue. These measures can help prevent immediate harm and save lives, but they must be implemented consistently and with clear oversight.
Just as important is strengthening collaboration between the Board, the Sheriff and the District Attorney. Improving conditions and public safety requires aligned leadership, shared accountability and a coordinated strategy. By working together, these offices can ensure policies are enforced, resources are used effectively and outcomes are continuously evaluated and improved.
At the same time, Los Angeles County must continue investing in prevention—mental health care, substance use treatment and reentry support — to reduce the number of people entering the jail system in the first place.
Protecting lives in custody and improving public safety go hand in hand. With stronger collaboration and sustained reform, we can build a system that is safer, more humane and more accountable.