Five candidates, including incumbent Eunisses Hernández, outline priorities as public safety, homelessness, and neighborhood access drive the campaign
This week, the first fundraising numbers were released for the candidates running in the Los Angeles City Council District 1 election. While these figures are not a poll, they do provide insight into the level of support each candidate has among district residents and the endorsements they have secured for their campaigns.
After deducting expenditures from contributions (cash on hand), Lou Calanche leads the race with $97,426 as of December 31, 2025. She is followed by Councilmember Eunisses Hernández with $90,173, Sylvia Robledo with $45,444, Nelson Grande with $24,137, and Raúl Claros with $14,106.
These were the five candidates who submitted their fundraising reports by the deadline.
With four months remaining until the election, these five candidates have already become very active in their campaigns.
MacArthur Park has become the central issue of the race due to its deteriorating condition. Trash, drug use, homelessness, and limited safe areas for family recreation have all been highlighted as concerns used to evaluate Councilmember Eunisses Hernández’s performance.
Other district issues have also entered the campaign debate, including public safety, street lighting, trash collection, and—above all—the need for open communication between the District 1 office and its residents. These themes have been repeated by all the candidates.
As the incumbent councilmember, Eunisses Hernández has become the main target of criticism from her opponents. In several interviews with Parriva, she has clearly defended her work during her first term at MacArthur Park and has emphasized that fully revitalizing the park will take time.
“It will take time. Significant investments are being made and progress is being achieved. We can’t say the problem is solved because there is still much work to do,” she said. She also added, “All my work as a councilmember is an open book. It’s part of my agenda. Those who claim I don’t meet with the community just need to look at the meetings I hold with them—it’s all there.”
Below is a brief summary of what the candidates and Eunisses Hernández have shared with Parriva.
Sylvia Robledo: ‘It’ll Be Me — The Grassroots Candidate Standing Against the Establishment and Political Power.’
“I’ve been a long-time resident, I’ve worked for previous councilmembers as a deputy, so I know how to identify problems and how to find solutions to resolve them. One thing I can say is, right now the district is a mess. We have a councilmember who is more concerned with political policy than with the residents,” says Robledo.
“Affordable housing is mentioned a lot as a partial solution to homelessness. However, they don’t talk about other key issues—health, mental health. Problems aren’t solved in isolation but through a comprehensive approach. That’s why this problem has grown in District 1,” she says.
Full interview: Sylvia Robledo: ‘It’ll Be Me — The Grassroots Candidate Standing Against the Establishment and Political Power.’
Nelson Grande: “The Community is Hurting, it Needs Attention, We are Under Attack, and We Don’t Have a Voice.”
“I want to make it clear that this campaign is not against Eunisses Hernández (current councilmember for the district), but against the gaps that exist in the city, which are creating distance between the community and elected officials. When people try to reach the councilmember or her team, they can’t find them. Some D1 representation offices have been closed, and that makes it even harder for people’s requests to be heard,” he said.
“My goal is to design plans alongside small businesses, which are the ones most in need of help. Right now, these businesses are just trying to survive hour by hour. They can’t rely on a councilmember who doesn’t communicate with them — they need us to be there and provide as much help as we can,” he adds.
Full interview: Nelson Grande: “The Community is Hurting, it Needs Attention, We are Under Attack, and We Don’t Have a Voice.”
Raul Claros: “No group controls me. If something’s good for the community, I’ll work with them.”
“What people ask for is very simple: a safer and cleaner community, and to be heard. That’s something the current councilmember, Eunisses Hernández, has failed to deliver. Neighborhood organizations have called me—from places like Pico-Union, Koreatown, even Westlake and Highland Park, which you could say are among her strongest areas. But all I hear is complaint after complaint: ‘She’s not around,’ ‘She doesn’t respond.”
Claros says one of his main concerns is helping small businesses, as they are the engines of the district’s economy. That money stays in the community, and small businesses have suffered the most under the Trump-era policies.
“Latinos in the district don’t have big malls, movie theaters, or major entertainment venues. We need to support local restaurants and bars so people stay in the neighborhood and have local options,” he says.
Full interview: Raúl Claros: The Teacher, Dreamer, and Fighter Running for City Council
Lou Calanche: “The present is broken, and there’s no vision for the future. “
“I want things to change—we can’t keep having the same problems year after year. And it’s simple—the community is only asking for the basics. That’s what a councilmember’s job should be: to get back to basics. Communities want us to work with them, to make neighborhoods safer and cleaner. Why is that so hard? Right now, due to a lack of leadership, we have a councilmember who has distanced herself from the community and from that basic work,” says the experienced activist.
“This campaign isn’t about a candidate trying to become a councilmember—it’s about all of us, about our work, knowing how to do it well, and getting results,” she says.
“If anyone doubts that I’ll follow through on my campaign promises once I’m in City Council, this is the proof. I have no problem working in communities, with people, seeing their potential. I worked as a field deputy for then-Councilmember Richard Alatorre when I was very young. I was in Boyle Heights, walking through neighborhoods, listening to people’s needs and finding ways to solve their problems,” she adds.
Full interview: Dreaming Big for District 1: Lou Calanche Turns Vision Into Action
Eunisses Hernandez: “It’s my fight. I’ve fought alongside the community. I recharge when I’m with the community, when I see them come together to be part of the solutions.”
“I am not afraid, and I won’t be. I am the daughter of Mexican migrants who grew up fighting—fighting to live. I have that spirit. No matter how many attacks I receive, no matter how much they try to single me out for my work, I am ready for that. It’s my fight,” says the Los Angeles City Councilmember for District 1.
“I’m paid to legislate and work with the community, not to campaign. My agenda is online. Anyone can see it—check the number of community meetings I hold, the public events I attend, the initiatives I launch that benefit my district and the city of Los Angeles. Everything is there, covering different angles—from public safety and city lighting to fighting crime and standing up against the ‘kidnappings’ carried out by ICE in our community,” she adds.
“I’ve walked through the park, I’ve spoken with families, and I know firsthand the problems the park is facing. I’ve secured a significant amount of funding to work on different projects to address what’s happening there. That’s not mentioned enough, and I’m very clear about it: “MacArthur Park is my top priority, and it is what I am currently working on and will continue to address. I also recognize that it cannot be fixed overnight.” she says.
Full interview: Eunisses Hernández Pushes Back: “I Was Elected to Legislate and Serve the Community—Not Campaign”
