Hernández’s leadership was reaffirmed in this election. The CD1 community has clearly expressed its preferences and priorities. As she herself has noted, there is still much work ahead.
Eunisses Hernández confirmed her position as councilmember after being re-elected for another four-year term representing CD1. With this victory, she strengthens a political voice that entered municipal elections in the wake of public backlash tied to former councilmember Gil Cedillo, following controversy over racist remarks involving city politicians.
Hernández not only consolidated her political project but also gained additional time to advance her agenda focused on improving public services in the district and addressing broader issues aimed at improving the socioeconomic conditions of residents—many of whom are immigrants.
The primary election was not closely contested at the ballot box, as she won decisively in the general vote. However, during the campaign, she faced a bloc of four opponents whose strategies largely centered on direct attacks against her, repeated consistently over several months.
For much of the race, policy platforms appeared to take a back seat. Some candidates openly expressed a unified sentiment—“anyone but Eunisses”—while others implied it more subtly. Ultimately, that strategy did not succeed. What was expected to be a debate of ideas never fully materialized.
This dynamic is reflected in the final vote totals, which also show a clear disparity in campaign efficiency. Hernández was the most cost-effective candidate in terms of dollars spent per vote, with her opponents spending roughly twice as much per vote on average.
Here are some approximate figures (including matching funds), based on official data available as of June 14:
Eunisses Hernández: raised $543,077 and received 21,676 votes, resulting in a cost of approximately $25.05 per vote.
Lou Calanche: raised $344,704 and received 5,949 votes, resulting in a cost of approximately $57.94 per vote.
Raúl Claros: raised $183,222 and received 3,801 votes, resulting in a cost of approximately $48.20 per vote.
Nelson Grande: raised $150,136 and received 3,300 votes, resulting in a cost of approximately $45.50 per vote.
Sylvia Robledo: raised $78,132 and received 2,778 votes, resulting in a cost of approximately $28.12 per vote (no matching funds).
If we combine the efforts of the four challengers in terms of fundraising and votes, the approximate totals are:
The four candidates together raised $756,194 and received 15,828 votes, resulting in an estimated cost of $47.77 per vote—well above the $25.05 cost achieved by the re-elected councilmember.
A Repeated Victory
In the 2022 elections for Los Angeles City Council District 1, Eunisses Hernández won by approximately 2,408 votes over incumbent Gil Cedillo.
She ultimately secured roughly 30,000 to 32,000 total votes (according to final counts), a figure broadly comparable to the 2026 election cycle when accounting for a larger field of candidates.
The final result showed Hernández with about 54% of the vote and Cedillo with 46%—a margin significantly larger than the combined performance of her four challengers in the current race.
In the end, Hernández’s leadership was reaffirmed in this election. The CD1 community has clearly expressed its preferences and priorities. As she herself has noted, there is still much work ahead.
