While the mayor’s race has understandably received a lot of nationwide buzz, another local election deserves just as much attention for what it says about the past, present and future of the metropolis.
South L.A. still conjures up images of Black L.A. in the popular imagination — understandable, since it’s the historical and political heart of the community. But its demographic reality changed a generation ago. Today, the region is majority Latino, and its District 9 — which stretches from LA Live in downtown to the outskirts of Watts — is easily the most Latino council district in the city, at 78% of its residents.
The top two vote getters right now in that race are Jose Ugarte and Estuardo Mazariegos, and most of the coverage focused on how District 9 will have its first non-Black council member in 63 years, which will also mean it’ll be the first time since 1963 that L.A. won’t have three Black council members.
For the record:
10:51 a.m. June 9, 2026A previous version of this newsletter misspelled Estuardo Mazariegos’ name.
Instead, District 9 will once again have a Latino representative.
South L.A.’s demographic shift
From 1949 to 1963, its council member was Edward Roybal, L.A.’s first Latino council member in modern times. He pioneered the rise of multiracial coalitions to bring equity to City Hall, a template followed by one of his campaign volunteers, future L.A. council member and Mayor Tom Bradley.
But what’s so fascinating about the District 9 battle isn’t just that two Latinos will run against each other but the type of Latinos Ugarte and Mazariegos represent.
For too long, “Latino” in L.A. has been synonymous with “Mexican American” — understandable, since the community makes up about 75% of Latino Angelenos and the community’s most influential political and cultural brokers have long been of Mexican heritage. But South L.A. shows the breadth of Latino diversity more than any other region of the city.
As I wrote in 2022 for a Times package on the 30th anniversary of the L.A. riots, you’re just as likely to find pupuserias and the blue-and-white color schemes of some Central America flags painted on businesses as you are taquerías and the Mexican tricolor. District 9 in particular has become a landing point for Indigenous people from Mexico, especially people from the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca. Recent migration has brought in Venezuelan and Colombian migrants to the area, as well.
Ugarte and Mazariegos reflect this reality.
Two immigrants vie for District 9 seat
The two are immigrants — Ugarte was born in Oaxaca while Mazariegos is from Guatemala — which makes it the first time two immigrants from Latin America will face off for a council seat in the general election. If Ugarte wins, he would become L.A.’s first Oaxacan council member — a significant achievement given that some of L.A.’s most powerful politicos ridiculed his community four years ago when the infamous City Hall audio leak upended politics in the city.
A Mazariegos victory would make him the first Central American immigrant to serve on the City Council and just its second member of Central American heritage, after former Councilmember Kevin de León. He would also be the second Latino in modern times to represent South L.A., following in the footsteps of his fellow Guatemalan American, current Assemblymember Sade Elhawary.
Expect the Oaxacan and Central American communities to rally hard for their respective trailblazers, who both grew up in South L.A. Achieving historical ethnic firsts isn’t all that makes the District 9 race so fascinating, though.
Ugarte was a longtime staffer for District 9 Councilmember Curren Price, who is leaving office because of term limits. That connection won him early support from the district’s Black establishment and labor unions, mainstream connections he will no doubt lean on through election day. Mazariegos, meanwhile, has the endorsement of the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which counts three current council members as members and a fellow traveler, Councilmember Nithya Raman, looking like she’s going to face off against Mayor Karen Bass in the general election.
That’s going to look like a walk through Griffith Park compared with the desmadre Ugarte versus Mazariegos will unlock. Gonna be fun!
Today’s top stories
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman speaks during an election night party at Boomtown Brewery on June 2 in Los Angeles.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Nithya Raman clinches second
More politics
California drinking water funding
- California is set to reduce funding for a program that helps communities deal with contaminated tap water.
- Clean water advocates are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature to restore funding, saying otherwise progress will stall in bringing solutions to hundreds of thousands of people with unsafe water.
What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must-read
Other must reads
For your downtime
Traffic crosses Bixby Bridge, one of Big Sur’s top photo spots.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Going out
Staying in
A question for you: What’s your favorite summer beach getaway?
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … your photo of the day
Geddy Lee plays as Rush performs Sunday at the Forum in Inglewood.
(Scott Strazzante / For The Times)
Today’s great photo is from Times contributor Scott Strazzante at a Rush reunion concert, which became a moving tribute to Neil Peart and Anika Nilles’ coronation at Kia Forum.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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