Younger, independent voters haven’t turned in ballots

Good morning and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Dakota Smith steering the ship, with an assist from David Zahniser.

The March 5 election is a little over a week away, but voters — particularly independents and young voters — haven’t shown much enthusiasm so far.

Research firm Political Data Inc. reports that just 4% of voters, or nearly 210,000 people in Los Angeles County, had returned ballots through Thursday. That’s out of 5.6 million ballots.

Some groups are more interested in the election than others, according to PDI’s figures.

Republicans make up only 18% of voters in L.A. County but are 24% of the returned ballots so far. By comparison, independents make up 29% of voters but are 19% of the returns.

By Thursday, voters ages 18 to 24 were 9% of ballots returned, while seniors were 53%, according to PDI. Each group makes up about one-fourth of the electorate.

PDI Vice President Paul Mitchell said low turnout in the primary can elevate the older, whiter and “establishment” candidates. On the state level, they also can help Republican candidates get into the runoff, he said.

But there’s another potential outcome.

Low turnout can make the outcome of some races hard to predict. Field campaigns that have an “outsized impact” — knocking on doors and reaching a lot of voters —could feasibly do well in a low turnout race, he said.

March 5 is the first presidential primary in California where all state voters were mailed a ballot.

The numbers also are soft in some of the city council contests.

In the east San Fernando Valley, the race to replace Councilmember Paul Krekorian is seeing 4% turnout so far. In the Hollywood Hills district represented by Councilmember Nithya Raman, that number stands at 4%. And on the Eastside, where Councilmember Kevin de León is running for a second four-year term, a measly 3% of ballots have been turned in so far.

Don’t lose hope yet! We still have a week and a half to go, so things could turn around.

Hollywood Chamber PAC seeks halt to anti-Raman attack ads

Thrive LA, the new advocacy group backed in part by business leaders, is facing a backlash over its advertising in the Council District 4 election.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC, which contributed to Thrive LA’s PAC, has been urging the group to stop airing its ads against Raman, who is running for reelection in District 4.

“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC does not agree with recent attack ads,” the Hollywood group said in a Feb 2. statement posted on its website, noting that it “played no role in the ads’ development or content.”

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC said it gave money to the Thrive LA PAC to support its “positive mission of supporting ‘pragmatic leaders.’” The Hollywood Chamber PAC also said it “supports positive dialogue that provides voters” with the most information.

“We are disappointed with the decision to air these ads, regret that our funds were used to help support these messages, and encourage the Thrive LA PAC to stop airing them,” the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC said.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC has endorsed Ethan Weaver, Raman’s opponent in the race.

Thrive LA also is backing Weaver. One of Thrive LA’s ads features Christy Vega, owner of the Sherman Oaks restaurant Casa Vega, criticizing Raman over her position on 41.18, an anti-encampment law. Thrive LA also is running digital ads stating that Raman has “turned a blind eye to homelessness.”

Thrive LA declined to comment on the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce PAC’s statement. Raman’s campaign also declined comment.

State of play

—ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA: The powerful L.A. teachers union suspended its campaign on behalf of school board candidate Kahllid Al-Alim amid rising criticism over his social media posts and likes that amplified antisemitism, glamorized guns and celebrated pornographic images.

— BIDEN & BASS: Mayor Karen Bass got quality time with President Biden this week, visiting him on the tarmac, riding with him in a limo, joining him at events and eating with him at CJ’s Cafe on La Brea Avenue. Biden was in town for election fundraising and other activities.

— DODGER TRAM ADVANCES: In an 11-to-0 vote, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved the environmental analysis for a proposed gondola to Dodger Stadium. The Times reported that the approval came with a long list of conditions, including free rides for Chinatown residents and measures to require the construction of affordable housing if the stadium parking lots are developed.

— DEBATING A CRISIS: Candidate Serena Oberstein and incumbent John Lee disagree in the City Council District 12 race over the best approaches to homelessness, which rose 43% in his northwest Valley district from 2020 to 2022, according to a city-county homelessness agency.

— MILLION-DOLLAR BABY: An assortment of public employee unions, business groups, landlords and billboard companies now have spent more than $1 million in independent expenditures aimed at reelecting Lee to another four-year term, according to the city’s Ethics Commission.

—NOT FAR BEHIND: Public safety unions, business groups, landlords and others now have spent more than $900,000 on independent expenditures aimed at electing Deputy City Atty. Ethan Weaver, who is running against Councilmember Nithya Raman, according to figures posted by the city’s Ethics Commission. I.E.’s for Raman, by contrast, are less than a third of that amount. Unions representing hotel workers, supermarket workers, civilian city employees and others, along with other donors, have put a combined $283,000 into efforts to elect Raman so far.

— BODY OF EVIDENCE: The Times and Consumer Watchdog asked a judge this week to unseal 33 search warrants in the government’s criminal probe of former City Atty. Mike Feuer‘s office and the DWP. Feuer, who is running for the 30th Congressional District seat, has long denied any wrongdoing.

—RETURN TO SENDER: In an unusual move, the city’s Ethics Commission rejected a proposed $11,250 fine for former CBS boss Leslie Moonves, arguing the amount is too low. Moonves is accused of interfering with a police investigation into sexual assault allegations against him.

— CRIME AND COPPER: A recent vote by the City Council to curb copper wire theft turned into a protracted debate over the city’s approaches to public safety. At one point, Councilmember Hugo Soto–Martínez argued against new anticrime measures, noting that such thefts might be committed by people living in poverty. Councilmember Imelda Padilla disagreed, saying such thefts are the product of “sophisticated” organized crime.

— ADIOS, AVAK: After working in L.A. city government for 46 years, Avak Keotahian, the highly knowledgeable and frequently gruff assistant chief legislative analyst, is bidding adieu to City Hall. Council members tried without success on Friday to throw a sendoff for Keotahian, who decided to leave quietly instead.

Keotahian, 75, started with the city when Mayor Tom Bradley was in office — “What a gentleman,” Keotahian said — and eventually developed a reputation for offering salty feedback to council members and their staff. Standing on the council floor after Friday’s meeting, Keotahian said he will miss being in the public arena.

Quick hits

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s program to move unhoused residents indoors went this week to two locations: streets around Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street, in the Hollywood district represented by Councilmember Hugo Soto–Martínez; and the area near Nordhoff and Terra Bella streets, in the Panorama City neighborhood represented by Councilmember Imelda Padilla.

• On the docket for next week: The Central Area Planning Commission meets Tuesday to consider a proposal for a 27-story residential tower at 949 S. Hope St. The project is expected to have 236 apartment units, 179 vehicle parking spaces and 10,010 square feet of ground-floor commercial restaurant space.