Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo appeared headed to victory in the race for the seat on the county Board of Supervisors being vacated by termed-out Supervisor Hilda Solis.
Five candidates were vying in the June 2 election to replace Solis, but Durazo was the most notable candidate on the list of people looking to represent the First District, which includes areas such as Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, downtown and the San Gabriel Valley. A longtime union and labor leader, Durazo previously served as secretary-treasurer of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She also served on the city of Los Angeles Airport Commission.
With votes still being counted, Durazo had 100,599 votes, or 56.1%. If she maintains more than 50% of the vote when all ballots are counted, she will win the seat outright without the need for a November runoff. It’s unclear how many ballots from the district still remain to be counted.
“This campaign was powered by working people and small business owners who believe L.A. County can do better,” Durazo said in a statement election night. “In the state Senate I fought for fair wages and health care. As your county supervisor, I will renew that work with urgency, compassion and a promise to make this government serve its people.”
Elaine Alaniz, a disaster recovery specialist who also serves on the Westlake North Neighborhood Council, was a distant second with 27,925 votes, or 15.6%.
David Argudo, a La Puente City Council member and lifelong county resident who served in the Marine Corps, was running third with 20,041 votes.
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath was easily winning the other supervisor race on the June 2 ballot.
Horvath had 159,450 votes, or 62.5%, well above the threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
In other county races, Sheriff Robert Luna appears to be heading to a November runoff election, with former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, whom Luna unseated four years ago.
The latest returns showed Luna with 512,114 votes, or 44%, and Villanueva with 284,028 votes, or 24.4%.
County Assessor Jeffrey Prang won a second term, defeating four challengers on the ballot.
A proposed temporary countywide half-cent sales tax to fund county health care services appeared to be heading for defeat, with voters narrowly rejecting the measure that was billed as an effort to offset reductions in state and federal funding.
Measure ER, which was introduced by Solis and Supervisor Holly Mitchell in January, was called the Essential Services Restoration Act and asked voters to enact the half-cent general sales tax increase for five years, through Oct. 1, 2031.
County officials said the measure would generate about $1 billion annually.
With ballots still being counted, Measure ER had support from 560,180 voters, or 46.9%, while 634,410 voters, or 53.1, opposed the proposal.
The county sales tax currently stands at 9.75%. The proposed hike would increase it to 10.25%.
Mitchell said health care services in the county are facing dire losses if no action is taken to restore funding.
Mitchell, who represents the Second District encompassing South Los Angeles, worked with a coalition of health care organizations and workers, called Restore Healthcare for Angelenos, on the proposal.
In their motion, Mitchell and Solis said the tax measure would address the immediate need to provide financial support to the county’s health care system amid reductions in state and federal funding.
“Unfortunately, after exhausting every existing alternative, this temporary emergency measure is the only option that can be implemented quickly enough to prevent hospital closures and the loss of health care access for at least hundreds of thousands of residents,” the motion reads.
