Six of the candidates vying for the post in the June 2026 primary election shared their views on governance at an event held by the Lincoln Heights Chamber of Commerce.
Six of the eight people running for the Los Angeles City Council District 1 seat in next year’s election attended the second candidate forum, held at the Sacred Heart High School gym on November 13. Candidate Elaine Alaniz was absent due to an unforeseen conflict, and incumbent Eunisses Hernandez told the Chamber she was attending another event.
Hernandez’s absence from the forum—and from the district as a whole, the candidates repeated throughout the 90-minute event—was one of the reasons they said they decided to run and bring much-needed resources to the district.
“There’s been a lack of leadership for three years; we deserve better,” said Lou Calanche, founder of the youth development nonprofit LegacyLA, whose priorities for the district include removing homeless encampments and cleaning up streets and parks.
“We need a field office with a qualified representative. We’re all feeling a little ignored,” said Nelson Grande, cofounder of Avenida Productions. He added that he’s concerned about the “mistreatment of our community by ICE.”
Former Red Cross executive Raul Claros said “Council District 1 is in crisis” and referred to Councilmember Hernandez as “useless,” which elicited loud applause from the nearly 200 people present in the gymnasium. He accused her of being “anti–business improvement.”
“I’m here to be present,” said perennial District 1 candidate Jesus Jesse Rosas, who promised to offer “accessible leadership” by organizing monthly town hall meetings in every area of the district to learn about their specific needs.
District 1 covers MacArthur Park, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Cypress Park, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Chinatown, and Lincoln Heights.
HOMELESSNESS
The proliferation of homeless encampments in Lincoln Heights was one of the top issues mentioned by all candidates.
Rosa Roquena, a self-described community activist who spoke mostly in Spanish during the forum, described walking in the district as entering a “war zone” and said she would like to see a change in the law to prevent people from sleeping on the streets. Another problem she cited is “drug dealers disguised as homeless,” who create safety issues for the community.
Sylvia Robledo, a field deputy for former District 1 City Councilmember Gil Cedillo and chief of staff to Councilmember Jan Perry, wants to eliminate LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority), the lead agency responsible for coordinating housing and social services for the homeless in Los Angeles. She considers LAHSA ineffective and believes the City of Los Angeles should create its own agency with a focus on mental health and transitional housing—an area she said has disappeared from the conversation.
Raul Claros wants to activate the Red Cross and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to house people. He said he would also like the city to create a “permanent rental assistance program.”
Calanche accused nearby cities of sending their homeless populations to Los Angeles “because we tolerate it,” and she also supports enforcing Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18, which prohibits sitting, lying down, sleeping, or storing belongings in designated public areas.
CRIME AND SAFETY
All candidates expressed support for police, calling for more foot patrols, graffiti removal, expansion of gang intervention programs, and the hiring of more officers.
A common complaint was the long response time to calls.
“You call the police and it takes 40 minutes for them to answer the phone,” Robledo said.
Calanche said that if elected, she would use her discretionary funds—monies each council district has for its own purposes—to clean up District 1 in her first year, because a clean community “changes how we feel about our community,” bringing pride and other positive changes that, in turn, reduce crime.
PARKING AND BUSINESSES
Council District 1 contains some of the most densely populated areas in Los Angeles. Redevelopment is an ever-present issue around the district, putting more pressure on the limited parking available.
All candidates support keeping existing parking structures and adding more spaces, though some offered more concrete approaches.
For instance, Claros proposed building parking on rooftops and underground in new apartment buildings.
Calanche would like to limit parking hours and use empty lots during off-business hours for residents.
Grande advocates banning or limiting parking for RVs or larger vehicles “that take more spaces” and building multi-level parking structures.
To support businesses, candidates also want to streamline processes, cut red tape, and encourage more business development.
“We need an efficient permitting process,” said Robledo, who wants to make it easier for restaurants to offer outdoor dining.
Grande envisions creating a “concierge service” to help small businesses with whatever they need and promoting an “interdistrict incentive” program where businesses shop from one another to provide mutual support.
The primary election will be held on June 2, 2026. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will move on to the general election in November 2026.
