Your district races, comparison-style.
These six races overlap the West LA / Westside corridor — Venice, Mar Vista, Brentwood, West LA, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, parts of Santa Monica, and the South Bay. If you live in this region, every one of these is on your ballot.
Why this isn't a quiz: District races usually have one or two issues that genuinely differentiate candidates, but the field is small enough that a quiz adds friction without much accuracy gain. Comparison format with each candidate's background, key endorsements, and the actual choice you're making is more efficient.
LA City
LA City Council District 11
What this seat does: Represents Venice, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades, parts of West LA on the 15-member LA City Council. Votes on the city budget, zoning, homelessness response (Inside Safe), and post-wildfire recovery.
The race: Incumbent Traci Park faces civil rights attorney Faizah Malik. (Pacific Palisades entrepreneur Jeremy Wineberg filed but didn't qualify.) Park won the seat in 2022 on a public-safety platform. Malik runs as a progressive challenger focused on tenant defense and homelessness services.
Traci Park D Incumbent
Background
LA City Council D11 since 2022. Attorney. Won her 2022 race against progressive challenger Erin Darling on a public-safety + neighborhood-character platform.
Position
Center-left Democrat. Has supported Inside Safe and tougher 41.18 (anti-camping) enforcement. Vocal on Palisades wildfire recovery.
Endorsements
LA Police Protective League; LA County Federation of Labor; major Westside establishment Dems.
Faizah Malik D
Background
Civil rights attorney. Progressive challenger.
Position
Tenant defense focused; more skeptical of encampment enforcement; expanded mental health and social services for homelessness.
Endorsements
Progressive Democratic clubs; tenants' rights organizations.
Bottom line: If you've been generally satisfied with Park's response to Palisades recovery and supportive of Inside Safe + enforcement, vote Park. If you think the district needs a stronger tenant-defense voice and less enforcement-first homelessness response, vote Malik. Sources: LA Public Press · Westside Current
LA Unified
LAUSD Board, District 4
What this seat does: Represents Bel Air, Brentwood, Venice, parts of West LA and SW San Fernando Valley on the 7-member LAUSD Board. Sets budget, curriculum direction, school siting, and superintendent appointment for the second-largest school district in the U.S.
The race: Incumbent Nick Melvoin (seeking his third and final term, term-limited after) faces challengers Ankur Patel (teacher, outreach director) and Benjamin-Shalom "BO" Rodriguez (educator, artist).
Nick Melvoin Incumbent
Background
LAUSD Board since 2017. Former federal civil rights attorney. Term-limited after 2026 (this is his final term if elected).
Position
Center-left reformer. Has supported charter authorization process changes and expanded school choice options. Vocal on declining LAUSD enrollment.
Ankur Patel
Background
Teacher and outreach director.
Position
Progressive challenger; teacher voice on the board.
Benjamin-Shalom "BO" Rodriguez
Background
Educator and artist.
Position
Alternative candidate; limited press coverage on detailed platform.
Bottom line: This is Melvoin's last term either way. If you trust his trajectory and want continuity, vote Melvoin. If you want a teacher's perspective on the board for the final stretch of declining-enrollment decisions, look at Patel. Source: LAist
LA County
LA County Supervisor, District 3
What this seat does: One of 5 supervisors running LA County government — $50B+ annual budget, sheriff's department oversight, public health, homelessness, fire department. District 3 covers Westside, San Fernando Valley, and Palisades.
The race: Incumbent Lindsey Horvath (first-term, elected 2022) faces three challengers: Tonia Arey (Calabasas realtor), Tomás Sidenfaden (software developer), Carmenlina Minasyan (limited info).
Lindsey Horvath D Incumbent
Background
LA County Supervisor District 3 since 2022. Former West Hollywood City Council member and Mayor.
Position
Progressive Democrat; co-led the response to Measure A homelessness funding redirection. Active voice on the Palisades wildfire response and Inside Safe county-side coordination.
Endorsements
CA Democratic Party; LA County Federation of Labor; major progressive organizations.
Tonia Arey
Background
Calabasas realtor. First-time county candidate.
Platform
Public safety, public health, environmental safety. Cites Calabasas landfill being used for Palisades fire ash/debris as a "breaking point" — campaign center on county officials' wildfire-aftermath decisions.
Tomás Sidenfaden
Background
Software developer and startup founder. LA resident for ~30 years.
Platform
Calls homelessness "the defining humanitarian and public health crisis facing Los Angeles County." Wants to rapidly expand emergency shelters on unused government land — a faster, more housing-supply-focused approach than current county strategy.
Carmenlina Minasyan
Background
Limited public information. Filing links suggest a focus on reforming the Los Angeles City Charter and tackling alleged corruption in city/county bureaucracies.
Bottom line: If you support Horvath's progressive direction on homelessness and wildfire response, she's the clear choice. If you think the county's wildfire-aftermath decisions (including the Calabasas landfill issue) were bad, Arey is the protest vote. If you want faster shelter buildup specifically, look at Sidenfaden. Source: LAist voter guide
CA State
State Senate District 24 (OPEN SEAT)
What this seat does: One of 40 CA State Senators. Votes on housing, environment, tax, and education legislation. District 24 covers Venice, West LA, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Bel Air, Century City, Sunset Strip, Hollywood, Miracle Mile, plus Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Topanga, Malibu, and most of the South Bay.
The race: 13 candidates competing for the open seat (Ben Allen termed out). The most competitive Westside-area open seat in 2026. Frontrunners include Dr. Sion Roy (Dem Party endorsed) and Brian Goldsmith (best-funded). West Hollywood Councilmember John Erickson, community organizer Ellen Evans, and PV Peninsula School Board member Eric Alegria are also in the field.
Dr. Sion Roy D CA Dem endorsed
Background
Physician.
Position
Received the California Democratic Party endorsement — the official party preference for this race.
Brian Goldsmith D
Background
Democratic media consultant.
Position
Best-funded candidate in the race; has outraised the others. Has a roster of prominent endorsers.
John Erickson D
Background
West Hollywood City Councilmember.
Position
Progressive Democrat with a record on LGBTQ+ rights and housing.
Ellen Evans D
Background
Community organizer.
Position
Grassroots progressive candidate.
Eric Alegria D
Background
Palos Verdes Peninsula School Board member.
Position
South Bay-focused candidate with education governance experience.
Bottom line: With 13 candidates and a top-two-advance primary, expect a fragmented field. The CA Democratic Party endorsement (Roy) and the fundraising leader (Goldsmith) both have credible paths to the November runoff. If you have a strong local-government candidate you trust (Erickson for WeHo voters, Alegria for South Bay voters), they can break through if their base turns out. Sources: Santa Monica Daily Press · LAist
CA State
State Assembly District 51
What this seat does: One of 80 CA Assemblymembers. Two-year terms; lower chamber of the CA Legislature. District 51 covers Hollywood, West Hollywood, parts of Beverly Hills.
The race: Incumbent Rick Chavez Zbur (D) faces challengers Colin Hernandez (D, UCLA YDSA-endorsed), Michael Geraghty (R), Jake Head (R), and Dick Lucas (No Party Preference).
Rick Chavez Zbur D Incumbent
Background
CA Assemblymember D51 since 2022. Former Equality California executive director. Seeking 3rd term.
Position
Center-left Democrat. Was reportedly exploring an AG run earlier in the cycle but did not file. Active on LGBTQ+ rights and housing legislation.
Endorsements
CA Democratic Party establishment; major labor organizations.
Colin Hernandez D
Background
Digital communications strategist.
Position
Progressive challenger. Endorsed by UCLA's chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America.
Michael Geraghty R
Background
Republican candidate.
Position
Did not respond to press requests for detailed platform statements.
Jake Head R
Background
Republican candidate.
Position
Did not respond to press requests for detailed platform statements.
Dick Lucas NPP
Background
No Party Preference candidate.
Position
Did not respond to press requests for detailed platform statements.
Bottom line: In a D-leaning district, Zbur is the heavy favorite. The meaningful choice for Democratic primary voters is Zbur (establishment incumbent) vs Hernandez (DSA-aligned progressive). Source: Daily Bruin
U.S. House
U.S. House, California 36th District
What this seat does: Represents West LA, parts of UCLA campus area, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Westside neighborhoods in the U.S. House of Representatives. D+21 district per Cook Partisan Voter Index — strongly Democratic.
The race: Incumbent Ted Lieu (D) faces 6 challengers. Lieu is in House Democratic leadership and is heavily favored. The top two finishers advance to November regardless of party.
Ted Lieu D Incumbent
Background
U.S. Representative since 2015 (formerly CA-33). House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair. Former CA State Senator and Assemblymember. Air Force veteran. Law degree from Georgetown.
Position
Center-left Democrat; vocal Trump critic; active on tech policy, AI regulation, climate, military oversight. Sits on House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees.
Claire Anderson, Houston Brignano, Rustin Knudtson, Ivan Perkins, Marianne Shamma, Melissa Toomim
Background
6 challengers across various parties with limited individual public coverage.
Position
In a D+21 district, expect the November runoff to feature Lieu vs whoever finishes second — likely a Republican due to the partisan split even though no Republican has emerged as a clear leader.
Bottom line: This is Lieu's seat to lose. He'll almost certainly be in the November runoff and re-elected. The primary mainly determines which challenger advances with him. Sources: Daily Bruin · Ballotpedia