Los Angeles voting guide for the 2026 midterm election

If you live in L.A., the number of candidates and measures on your ballot on Nov. 3 can be overwhelming. That's why CALÓ News has put together a voter guide with information on measures, including some of our coverage on candidates, to help you decide your vote for the midterm elections.

L.A. Mayor

Next month, Los Angeles residents will vote for the person they believe is best suited to lead and govern the second-largest city in the United States as mayor. 

Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the past shared with CALÓ News that if she wins a second term, she will continue to prioritize affordable housing. Just this year, the number of people experiencing homelessness in L.A. increased by 3.3%, according to the 2026 Homeless Count.  

“I can't deal with the gas prices. I can't deal with the food prices. That [rests with] the White House and the instability that the president has created,” she said. “But what I can do is housing and so we have built more housing, more affordable housing in my four years than was built [in] the 10 years previous.”

Her opponent, candidate Nithya Raman, is currently a councilmember for the City of Los Angeles’s 4th district (CD-4), representing roughly 260,000 people from Central L.A., the eastern Santa Monica Mountains and portions of the southern San Fernando Valley. As mayor, she would represent about four million residents in L.A., with the majority (47%) being Latinos. 

Raman told CALÓ News that as mayor she also wants to address housing and homelessness as it is one of the top issues for Latino families.

“For many Latino families here in L.A., they are actually facing a higher rent burden, evictions at higher rates and economic and housing insecurity at higher rates than other residents. These are things that are at the core of my [mayoral] platform,” she said. “I want to make this city work for them and I will do everything in my power to do so.”

City Attorney

John McKinney and Marissa Roy are the two democratic candidates running for Los Angeles City Attorney. They both defeated incumbent Hydee Feldstein Soto and Aida Ashouri in the primaries on June 2, 2026.

In her response to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, she said she wanted to address wage theft. She is also campaigning for LA renters, and taking the Trump administration to court to stop their agenda. McKinney is campaigning on improving public safety, increasing the office’s collaboration with neighborhoods and renters protections.

Controller

After the cancellation of the general election, incumbent Kenneth Mejia secured re-election as Los Angeles City Controller by winning a majority vote in the primary against challenger Zach Sokoloff.

City Council District 3

Voters in the Los Angeles’ Council District 3, which spans from Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Canoga Park, Winnetka and Reseda, will choose who will replace Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who is coming to the end of his term.

The two candidates are Timothy Gaspar and Barri Worth Girvan. They both support expanding the Los Angeles Police Department, addressing homelessness and building high-rise housing near transit centers, according to LA Public Press. 

City Council District 9

During a recent forum, City Council District 9 candidates Jose Uguarte and Estuardo Mazariegos addressed key issues including homelessness, public safety and street cleanups. A victory for either candidate would mark the election of the district’s first Latino councilmember since 1963.

To address homelessness, Uguarte shared that he would tackle it with a three-step approach, such as prioritizing individuals’ mental health by providing them with the resources that they need, detox and job training, before offering housing. He also wants to ban RVs, campers and trailers on residential streets.

Mazariegos, on the other hand, said the first step toward solving homelessness is top-level accountability, specifically by conducting audits to ensure all homeless services and funding are used properly. Additionally, he advocates for increasing wages and reducing rent costs to improve housing affordability.

Measure FD

If passed by a majority vote, Measure FD will authorize a 0.5% sales tax to fund the Los Angeles Fire Department. Revenue will fund hiring firefighters, paramedics, and staff. The funds will also be used for maintaining vehicles and equipment; building and upgrading stations and brush clearance. 

Imposing the one-half percent sales tax will require annual audits and a citizen oversight committee, generating approximately $345 million annually until voters end it.

Those in support of the measure are the following: Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, Los Angeles Councilmember Imelda Padilla, Los Angeles Councilmember Traci Park, California Community Foundation, Central City Association of Los Angeles, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City and more.

Proposition TE

If passed by a majority vote, Proposition TE authorizes a one-time exemption from the City's special documentary transfer tax (Proposition ULA) for residential properties that were damaged or destroyed in the Palisades Fire and are sold within five years of the date of the fire (Jan. 7, 2025 and Jan. 6, 2030).

This exemption will not impact the City’s General Fund, but will reduce revenue to the House LA Fund, which finances affordable housing production and homelessness prevention programs.

The following information is provided by LAist: 

Charter Amendment EE

Charter Amendment LA

Charter Amendment PL

Charter Amendment PRK

Charter Amendment PRT

Charter Amendment SC