Alex Gruenenfelder

Alex Gruenenfelder ran for election for Mayor of Los Angeles in California. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.

Gruenenfelder completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Alex Gruenenfelder was born in Los Angeles, California. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 2021. His professional experience includes being a political and campaign strategist.^[1]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Mayor of Los Angeles

Karen Bass defeated Rick J. Caruso in the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Karen Bass (Nonpartisan)	54.8	509,944
	Rick J. Caruso (Nonpartisan)	45.2	420,030

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 929,974
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Los Angeles

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Los Angeles on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karen Bass (Nonpartisan)	43.1	278,511
✔		Rick J. Caruso (Nonpartisan)	36.0	232,490
		Kevin de León (Nonpartisan)	7.8	50,372
		Gina Viola (Nonpartisan)	6.9	44,341
		Mike Feuer (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)	1.9	12,087
		Andrew Kim (Nonpartisan)	1.5	9,405
		Alex Gruenenfelder (Nonpartisan)	1.0	6,153
		Joe Buscaino (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)	0.7	4,485
		Craig E. Greiwe (Nonpartisan)	0.4	2,439
		Mel Wilson (Nonpartisan)	0.4	2,336
		Ramit Varma (Nonpartisan)	0.3	1,916
	Submit photo	John Jackson (Nonpartisan)	0.2	1,511

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 646,046
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Alex Gruenenfelder completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gruenenfelder's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Alex Gruenenfelder, and I’m the progressive choice for Mayor of Los Angeles. My background is as an activist, not a politician. I’m a social justice advocate who has worked in the streets and behind the scenes to make real change. I’m the youngest candidate in this race, which I see as an asset. I’m running to bring bold new leadership to City Hall, in order to make our city even better. We need to make sure that the promise of Los Angeles works for everybody, regardless of race, creed, gender, sexuality, ability, country of origin, or socioeconomic standing. We can change this city for the better, but we can only do it together. Join me at MayorAlex.com.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

End Homelessness via Housing First Policies
Spend Less on Police, and More on Social Services
Stop Corporate Welfare

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am a social justice advocate, and the fight for justice for all people is at the core of why I’m running for office. I’m very passionate about Housing First policies to end homelessness, redirecting more funds from police toward social services that make us all safer, and fighting to keep the cost of living in our city reasonable. Many of my policy passions are on full display in this campaign, and I encourage folks to learn more about them at MayorAlex.com.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

For someone to understand my political philosophy, read “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn. It’s a large book, 729 pages, but very much worth it. In sixth grade I had a history teacher, the amazing Mr. Martin, who had studied under Howard Zinn and had great things to say about him. I would finally read “A People’s History of the United States” in my first year at UC San Diego. It is a story of the histories that we do not see. History is largely written as “great man” history: the idea that a small group of wealthy white men created history. Howard Zinn writes about the working classes and the marginalized, and what their perceptions of history were during their lifetime. Rather than depicting the great battles of history, the book analyzes how war hurts people and how people fought to stop it. I am not running to be the mayor for the elite: I am running to be the mayor for the people. If this book was taught in schools, I imagine that politics would be very different once our students grew up to be leaders.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave behind the legacy of a city with its potential fully realized. A city that works for everybody. I envision a Los Angeles without homelessness. A Los Angeles where Black Angelenos don’t fear interactions with the LAPD. A Los Angeles where we focus on the needs of our people, rather than the profits of a few massive corporations. A greener city that does its share to eliminate climate change. A city with a strong public transit system that everyday Angelenos can use to get to their places of business and leisure. A city that we can be proud to pass on to future generations. We can change this city for the better, but we can only do it together.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I have a solid recollection of was the election of Barack Obama. My parents had been fundraisers for the Obama campaign. I remember that my father started crying, tears of joy over how far the United States had come by electing its first Black president. I was shocked a few days before the election when my mom told me that we had never had a Black president before, nor a female president, nor any president of color. That was a great night, but the work continues. Systemic racism continues in Los Angeles, and as protests in the summer of 2020 exemplified, we all must keep fighting until it is eliminated.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a freelance gig as a stilt walker. I begged my parents to sign a special entertainment permit so that I could start making money at fourteen. I then started performing at parties, parades, and special events, and have been doing so ever since. I’ve performed on stilts throughout Southern California: in San Diego at the esteemed La Jolla Playhouse, at our city’s classic Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, at the Western Days Parade in San Dimas, and at Midsummer Scream, Long Beach’s premier horror convention. But mostly I entertain here in Los Angeles.

I made something of a name for myself with stilt walking by working hard at something I loved. That’s a story the people of our city know a lot about. We are a city of passionate dreamers of all kinds: artists, scientists, chefs, engineers, entrepreneurs, etc. The people of L.A. give their all every day to create a bright future: not only for themselves, but for their families and their communities. I’m a real worker, not one of the corporate politicians that fills City Hall today. I’m going to fight for you. You can find out all about my story at MayorAlex.com.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is “Illusions” by Richard Bach. This sometimes humorous, overall insightful piece of magical realism follows a barnstorming pilot who soon finds himself a reluctant messiah. My father loaned his copy to me, just as he had loaned it to my mother on one of their first dates. And I’ve loaned that worn old copy to so many friends since. It’s a profoundly spiritual odyssey that makes you think about how to live a good life, and I cannot recommend it more to those who want to sit down and read a heartfelt light novel.

I grew up listening to my father quote his favorite line: “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they’re yours.” As I run in this election, running an entirely grassroots campaign against major special interests, that line is always in my head.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The last song that got stuck in my head was “If U Seek Amy” by Britney Spears. I am an unapologetic Britney fan, and I think voters should know that about me.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with autism. When it came time for kindergarten, my parents were told that I wouldn’t be welcome at my local magnet school because they didn’t have the resources for an autistic boy. I spent many of the early years of my life in therapy, learning about how to live as a “normal” kid, and I spent much of my early teenage years in denial about what this diagnosis meant about me. I didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with me.

What I realized, as I got older, is that nothing was, and nothing is. We are all different, we are all unique, and we all have a role to play in politics. I am inspired by leaders like Burbank City Councilmember Konstantine Anthony, one of the first autistic legislators in the United States and a backer of this campaign. I am inspired by young activists like Greta Thunberg, who show that being on the spectrum doesn’t stop you from making change. I am inspired by community organizations across the United States that are fighting for accessibility and acceptance. Everyone has unique and multifaceted struggles: as a leader, I am fighting for a seat at the table for all people.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

Being a leader is about listening and putting the needs of the people first. The people always come first. Leadership is about listening to the needs of the people, and I’ll do just that -- listen. As Barack Obama said in 2008, “I’m not in this race to fulfill some long-held ambitions or because I believe it’s somehow owed to me.” I’m running for mayor because I want to make this city better. Being a leader means giving folks left out of politics a voice in the conversation and a seat at the table of policy-making.

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

The city functions best when the City Council and the Mayor are able to function as a team in implementing strong reforms. In addition to working closely with the Council, I will also pay close attention to the input of the Neighborhood Councils if elected. While these are elected positions, staffed by devoted volunteers, they have often been shunned by our current administration. We need to put a stop to that. Neighborhood Councils were created as a correction for the low representation in Los Angeles’s City Council. Comprising only 15 people, each City Councilmember represents 267,729 constituents. By contrast, each of New York’s 51 Councilmembers only represent 161,378 constituents and Chicago's 50 Aldermen each represent 53,582. That’s why I support working closely both with our City Council, as well as all 99 of our Neighborhood Councils, to increase representation for all Angelenos.

What do you love most about your city?

I love so much about our city, but perhaps more than anything I love our city’s diversity. Los Angeles is a place where you can explore altars at a Dia de los Muertos celebration at Olvera Street, dance in an impromptu parade during Mardi Gras at Farmers Market, grab a beer at an Irish pub for St. Patrick’s Day, watch the lighting of the state’s largest menorah at Universal City, and attend a variety of cross-cultural Lunar New Year events. Diversity is our strength, and our power is in embracing it.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be long and challenging. More and more Angelenos are getting kicked out of their homes due to a lack of rent and mortgage relief, driving our already-spiraling homelessness crisis further out of control. Homelessness is one of our greatest challenges, and as mayor I will work to end homelessness in the city.

We also must prepare for the 2028 Olympics in a way that guarantees that everyday Angelenos are not adversely impacted by higher taxes, displacement, and increased policing. Our police budget is obscenely high, and we will face dramatic problems with it over the coming years. During the pandemic, children have fallen behind academically, with the worst burden placed upon working class children from marginalized backgrounds. We should be focusing our budget on issues like education, getting our kids back up to speed, not spending even more on policing. Mayor Garcetti’s proposed 2020-2021 budget included 53.8% of the city’s general fund going to police, according to People’s Budget LA. This is compared to 37% in San Diego, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, and just 7.7% in New York City, according to Forbes. All this money we’re spending isn’t reflected in lower crime rates: Los Angeles’s crime rate is higher than San Diego or New York.

The crises we are facing today are going to be exacerbated over the coming years, and it’s up to all of us to come together to fight back.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Gruenenfelder's campaign website stated the following:

“

HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING

I will work to end homelessness in a compassionate manner, without raising your taxes.

Study after study has shown that homelessness is the greatest issue on L.A. voters’ minds, and yet our unhoused population increases by the day. Under Mayor Eric Garcetti, homelessness has nearly doubled. According to the official city homeless count, the number of unhoused Angelenos increased by 14.2% from 2019 to 2020 alone. And experts agree that after the pandemic, we will be seeing even bigger increases.

Many candidates in Los Angeles have proposed incremental improvements to the homelessness crisis. What I propose is enacting a plan to end it: the MOVE Plan.

MATCH (M): The criminalization of homelessness has failed, and we must end it. Instead, let's create systems that address some of the root causes of homelessness, including the creation of new drug rehabilitation programs, mental healthcare services, and resources for unhoused youth. Match these programs up with the people who need them. We need to reform our zoning laws and protect tenants, making new housing accessible and all housing affordable. Not only will these solutions help those who are currently on our streets, but they will provide resources that stop more people from becoming homeless in the first place.

OPTIMIZE (O): In 2019, the city of Los Angeles owned approximately 2200 vacant lots. Open these lots to unhoused people for camping and parking. By transitioning our homeless population into these lots, street homelessness could be eliminated in a matter of weeks or months. Other lots will be sold to developers, on the condition that they devote a percentage of units within their new buildings to housing the unhoused. 100% of the profits from these sales will go directly to funding other homeless programs.

VACANCY TAX (V): The goal of the MOVE Plan is to match people with resources, as well as housing. There is an embarrassingly high number of vacant apartments, condos, and hotel rooms in the city. I will implement a vacancy tax on rental properties, investment properties, and third houses. This tax will accomplish two things: tax revenue will go toward homelessness efforts, and the existence of the vacancy tax will encourage owners to rent out their properties. A similar system would be added for hotels with too many vacant rooms. If a certain percentage of rooms are consistently unoccupied, hotels too will be charged a vacancy tax; this can be paid by providing rooms as temporary transitional housing for the unhoused.

EXPAND (E): The city will begin to buy old residences, abandoned malls and shopping centers, and hotels in order to convert them into high-quality, low-cost residences. My administration will also collaborate with the Governor of California to get abandoned homes owned by the state, such as those under CalTrans, converted into legal residences for the unhoused.

The money to get this done is already there. We need effective leadership that will balance the budget and adopt progressive reforms to stop this crisis. Through the comprehensive policies of our administration, our city can end homelessness without raising your taxes a penny.

Policy Positions

I will take a comprehensive approach to completely end homelessness without raising taxes and make sure that every person is able to live in a safe home.
The City of Los Angeles owns an excessive amount of vacant lots in Los Angeles, and they should be opened immediately to our unhoused neighbors.
I will work to end all subsidies and tax cuts to corporate hotels and luxury developments, and instead create easy and accessible paths to building sustainable affordable housing and high-rise residences that make better use of land area.

POLICE REFORM

I will end LAPD militarization and reinvest funds into our communities.

Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Eric Garner… These are just a few examples of the tragic killings of Black people in this country at the hands of the police. But this is not a crisis that just affects other parts of this nation; this is a problem right here in Los Angeles. Andres Guardado, an eighteen year old security guard shot by L.A. Sheriffs in June 2020 while running away. Dijon Kizzee, a man shot more than twenty times by L.A. Sheriffs in August 2020, again while running away. These are just two of the names of fellow Angelenos killed by those who are supposed to protect and serve.

Aren't we tired of watching cops murder people without consequences? Aren't we tired of waiting for our leaders to fix things while so many people are dying?

Our administration will fight to reallocate just some of the $1.7 billion dollars currently spent on the LAPD yearly, and use it for social workers, mental healthcare, and other social services. When someone is suicidal, the presence of an officer with a gun can make the situation worse. Many people are afraid of police officers: the badge scares them, the threat of jail scares them, a gun scares them. But a mental health professional — someone without a gun, someone trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation — could save a life.

My campaign recognizes that Black Lives Matter and will work to dismantle a system that has allowed members of our community to be intimidated, brutalized, and killed.

Policy Positions

I will work to redirect funds from police budgets and invest them into community programs to keep you and your family safe.
Rather than more police and military equipment, we need more social workers and mental healthcare.
Black Lives Matter: we need a mayoral administration that recognizes that this is an indisputable fact.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

I will work to ensure that public transit is free, safe, and accessible, for generations to come.

As someone who doesn’t own a car and frequently uses public transit, I know the struggles Angelenos face on Metro firsthand. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, but we have some of the weakest transit infrastructure. It’s so much a problem that there are thousands in our car culture who want to take public transportation, but just don’t see it as plausible. It’s essential that we work to get these folks on Metro, and to make sure Metro can actually get them where they’re going.

As I said at the Rally for Free Transit in January 2022, I strongly advocate for keeping our buses and subways free forever. It’s incentives like these that will encourage Angelenos to take public transit rather than their cars. Imagine having to travel a short distance and being able to easily hop on a free, frequent bus; under our current system, schedules are often random and the payment process is just difficult enough to discourage ridership. Only 6% of Metro’s budget comes from fares, and more than one-third of that goes right back into fare enforcement (Source: https://www.curbed.com/2022/01/los-angeles-metro-free-transit-buses.html). Metro was free for the vast majority of the COVID-19 pandemic and the results were positive: why not keep those gains for future generations?

For a greener and more accessible future, we also must make necessary investments in clean, green transit. I support a new Green New Deal for our city, one that will entail sweeping investments in public transit to dramatically cut our city’s emissions. Our car culture is failing everyday Angelenos, as neighborhoods become increasingly polluted and traffic gums up our highways. The solution to these issues is not simply more lanes or more freeways, but real investments in transit. These choices are better for everyday Angelenos, safer for our environment, and far more affordable in the long term. As an environmentalist candidate, I know we must make these investments and we must make them now.

A green future for Los Angeles for Los Angeles requires that we invest in public transit. A comprehensive transit plan means that more Angelenos need to feel safe, knowledgeable, and assisted when they take our buses and trains. And if public transit isn’t free, we can’t truly call it public. I’ll be the Mayor who finally gets our city to that better future, where the Metro gets you where you need to go and does so in an easy, accessible way.

Policy Positions

I will fight for public transit in Los Angeles to remain free, now and forever.
I will make necessary investments in our public transit system, to make it more accessible and encourage more Angelenos to become frequent riders.
As a proud rider of Metro, I don’t plan on stopping when I’m elected Mayor.

^[2]

”

—Alex Gruenenfelder's campaign website (2022)^[3]

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Candidate

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 5, 2021
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Alex Gruenenfelder's campaign website, “Policies,” accessed May 17, 2022

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 5, 2021

[quotedisclaimer-2] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[3] Alex Gruenenfelder's campaign website, “Policies,” accessed May 17, 2022

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Alex Gruenenfelder

Contents

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Mayor of Los Angeles

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Los Angeles

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign website

See also

External links

Footnotes

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