Los Angeles Unified School District, California, elections (2019)

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2020 → ← 2017
Los Angeles Unified School District elections
Runoff election date
May 14, 2019
Special election date
March 5, 2019
Enrollment ('16-'17)
633,621 students

Former LAUSD board member Jackie Goldberg defeated former vice president of the Board of Public Works Commissioners Heather Repenning in a runoff election for the District 5 seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in California on May 14, 2019. Goldberg's election returned the board to a majority of teachers-union-backed members, who last held a majority ahead of the 2017 elections.

School board elections in 2017 flipped the board from a 4-3 majority of members supported by United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) to a 4-3 majority of members supported by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA). Ref Rodriguez—whose resignation from the District 5 seat led to the special election—was a member of the latter group. His resignation left a 3-3 split.

Both Goldberg and Repenning said they supported holding charter schools to the same standards as public schools. But they differed in the degree of emphasis they placed on charter school policy and other issues in their campaigns. LAUSD had 224 independently operated charter schools in 2017, more than any other school district in the U.S.

Goldberg was endorsed by UTLA ahead of the general election and made charter school accountability a key plank of her campaign, alongside increasing per-pupil funding and resolving budgetary conflicts between the teachers union and the district.

Repenning described herself as a coalition builder and emphasized her support for expanding afterschool programming, early education, and mental health and other community services at schools in her campaign.

CCSA did not endorse in the race. The group announced in December it would not endorse in the March 5 election, citing the "diversity, strength, and depth of the field."

LAUSD was the largest school district in California and the second-largest in the nation by enrollment in 2018. The district served 633,621 students in the 2016-2017 school year. The district's total budget for the 2018-2019 school year was $13.7 billion.

The term filled by this election expired in December 2020. Elections were held for LAUSD districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 in 2020.

Click here for coverage of the March 5 general election.

Los Angeles voter? Dates you need to know.
Candidate Filing Deadline	December 5, 2018
Registration Deadline (runoff)	April 29, 2019
Vote by Mail Application	April 15 - May 4, 2019
Vote by Mail Ballots Due	May 14, 2019, 8 p.m.
General Election	March 5, 2019
Runoff Election	May 14, 2019
Voting information
Polling place hours	7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2019 battlegrounds included:

City treasurer and clerk elections in Chicago, Illinois (2019) Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (February 26, 2019 general election) North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District special election, 2019

Candidates and election results

General runoff election

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education District 5

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jackie Goldberg (Nonpartisan)	71.3	20,552
		Heather Repenning (Nonpartisan)	28.7	8,253

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,805
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election

Special general election for Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education District 5

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jackie Goldberg (Nonpartisan)	48.2	15,935
✔		Heather Repenning (Nonpartisan)	13.1	4,341
		Graciela Ortiz (Nonpartisan)	13.0	4,310
	Submit photo	Cynthia Gonzalez (Nonpartisan)	9.8	3,230
		Allison Greenwood Bajracharya (Nonpartisan)	6.0	1,986
	Submit photo	Ana Cubas (Nonpartisan)	3.5	1,145
		David Valdez (Nonpartisan)	2.0	678
	Submit photo	Rocío Rivas (Nonpartisan)	1.6	545
		Salvador Sanchez (Nonpartisan)	1.6	522
		Nestor Enrique Valencia (Nonpartisan)	1.2	382

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,074
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Bennett Kayser (Nonpartisan)
• Fidencio Gallardo (Nonpartisan)
• Eduardo Cisneros (Nonpartisan)
• Erika Alvarez (Nonpartisan)
• Scott Cody (Nonpartisan)
• Justine Gonzalez (Nonpartisan)
• James O'Gabhann III (Nonpartisan)
• Laura Garza (Nonpartisan)

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Jackie Goldberg

Party: Nonpartisan

Incumbent: No

Political office: Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education (1983-1991), Los Angeles City Council District 13 (1993-2001), California State Assembly (2001-2007)

Biography: Goldberg received her bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley and her M.A. from the University of Chicago. At the time of the election, she worked as the chair of the City Targeted Local Hire Working Group, which provides entry-level city jobs to populations identified as underserved or underemployed. Goldberg previously worked as a faculty graduate advisor at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Key messages

• Goldberg emphasized her experience on the board of education and in the state Assembly, saying she would use her experience to work for new state taxes to raise per-pupil funding and to increase transparency requirements for charter schools.

• Goldberg said her previous board experience meant she could "hit the ground running" if elected.

• Goldberg listed her top priority as providing leadership and stability for the board, which she said lacked leadership with a void caused by the conviction of the previous District 5 incumbent.

• Goldberg called for hiring 2,000 new teachers to decrease the teacher-student ratio in the district, saying the district had not met its own goals for classroom sizes in 25 years.

Heather Repenning

Party: Nonpartisan

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Repenning recevied a B.A. in literature from Swarthmore College and an M.A. in comparative literature from the University of California Irvine. She worked for Mayor Eric Garcetti for more than a decade, most recently serving as the vice president of the Board of Public Works Commissioners. She also worked as director of external affairs for the mayor's office, district director for Los Angeles' Council District 13, and a field deputy.

Key messages

• Repenning emphasized her experience as a parent of an LAUSD student and in the mayor's office, saying she helped pass the citywide $15 minimum wage.

• Repenning described herself as a coalition builder and said she did not seek support from either charter school or teachers union groups.

• Repenning said that she would expand access to early childhood education using "a plan for universal pre-kindergarten, starting with early education classrooms at all LAUSD elementary schools."

• Repenning wanted the district to adopt the community schools model, which she said would "offer health and mental health services, workforce development, and after school programs on school campuses."

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section shows satellite spending figures as reported by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission website. Expenditures are arranged by the supported/opposed candidates' last names in alphabetical order.

Pre-runoff spending

As of May 9, 2019, $2.8 million in satellite spending had been reported for the LAUSD District 5 special election. The following are figures for groups that spent the most in support of or opposition to a candidate who made the runoff, divided into pre-runoff election and pre-general election spending.

Supporting Goldberg

• Students, Parents, and Educators in Support of Jackie Goldberg for School Board 2019, Sponsored by Teachers Unions, Including United Teachers Los Angeles: $593,069

Supporting Repenning

• Familias y Democratas por Heather Repenning para la Junta Escolar 2019: $162,404
• Parents and Families for High Performing Schools, Committee to Elect Heather Repenning to School Board 2019, Sponsored by SEIU Local 99: $113,744

Pre-general spending

The following figures were reported ahead of the March 5 general election.

Supporting/Opposing Goldberg

Supporting

• Students, Parents, and Educators in Support of Jackie Goldberg for School Board 2019, Sponsored by Teachers Unions, Including United Teachers Los Angeles: $663,734

Opposing

• Service Employees International Union Local 99 Independent Expenditure PAC: $139,150

Supporting Repenning

• Familias y Democratas por Heather Repenning para la Junta Escolar 2019: $51,569

• Parents and Families for High Performing Schools, Committee to Elect Heather Repenning to School Board 2019, Sponsored by SEIU Local 99: $761,462

• Protect Local Jobs PAC Supporting Heather Repenning & Opposing Graciela Ortiz for School Board 2019 Sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 99 Independent Expenditure PAC: $10,725

• Service Employees International Union Local 99: $5,231

Endorsements

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

See the following for endorsement lists on candidates' campaign websites:

• Jackie Goldberg
• Heather Repenning

The following endorsements were issued following the March 5 general election.

Runoff election endorsements
Endorsement	Goldberg	Repenning
Elected officials
Huntington Park City Council Member/Former 2019 LAUSD special election candidate Graciela Ortiz		✔
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D)	✔
Newspapers/editorials
Los Angeles Times editorial board (backed Cynthia Gonzalez in the general election)		✔
Individuals
Former 2019 LAUSD special election candidate Cynthia Gonzalez	✔
Former 2019 LAUSD special election candidate Eduardo Cisneros		✔
Former 2019 LAUSD special election candidate Justine Gonzalez		✔
Organizations
CHIRLA Action Fund	✔
Avance Democratic Club		✔
Los Angeles County Young Democrats		✔
Southeast Los Angeles Democrats		✔
Stonewall Democratic Club		✔

The following endorsements were issued before the March 5 general election.

United Teachers Los Angeles endorsed Jackie Goldberg.

In December 2018, the California Charter Schools Association announced it would not make an endorsement in the March 5 election. A representative of the group's campaign arm, CCSA Advocates, stated, "Community voices in this District have been under-represented in past elections as demonstrated by low voter turnout. We are encouraged that there are a number of highly qualified, inspiring candidates in this race. Given the diversity, strength, and depth of the field, we have decided not to endorse a candidate in the special election primary."

General election endorsements
Endorsement	Goldberg	Repenning
Elected officials
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond	✔
Former State Superintendent Delaine Eastin	✔
California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D)	✔
California State Senator Bob Hertzberg (D)	✔
California State Senator Holly Mitchell (D)	✔
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)	✔
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)	✔
California State Assemblymember Patrick O'Donnell	✔
Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl	✔
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis	✔
Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member George McKenna	✔
Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Scott Schmerelson	✔
5 former Los Angeles Unified School District Board members	✔
Former Culver City Unified School District Board President Barbara Honig	✔
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer	✔
LA County Assessor Jeff Prang	✔
City of Bell Mayor Fidencio Joel Gallardo	✔
5 city councilmembers (various cities)	✔
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D)		✔
U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.)		✔
4 Los Angeles city councilmembers		✔
3 L.A. Community College District (LACCD) board members		✔
State Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D)		✔
Organizations/Unions
United Teachers Los Angeles	✔
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1277	✔
American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees Local 3090	✔
American Federation of Teachers Local 1521	✔
American Federation of Teachers Local 1521A	✔
Associated Administrators of Los Angeles	✔
California Nurses Association (CNA)	✔
California School Employees Association L.A. 500	✔
IATSE, Los Angeles-based locals	✔
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18	✔
SMART Local 105	✔
Teamsters Local 572	✔
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770	✔
UNITE HERE Local 11	✔
East Area Progressive Democrats	✔
Americans for Democratic Action, Southern California	✔
Martin Luther King, Jr. Democratic Club	✔
Centro Cristiano Bet El, South Gate	✔
Network for Public Education Action	✔
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees	✔
Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region	✔
Democratic Socialists of America, Los Angeles	✔
Service Employees International Union Local 99		✔
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112		✔
Laborers Local 300		✔
Teamsters Joint Council 42		✔
International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 13		✔
International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 94		✔
Ironworkers Local 433		✔
Ironworkers Local 416		✔
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 12		✔
UA Local 78 Plumbers		✔
UA Local 250 Steamfitters-Refrigeration		✔
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40		✔
Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36		✔
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 572		✔
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 399		✔
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 396		✔
Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters		✔
Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters		✔
Individuals
Former Vice President Dolores Huerta, United Farm Workers	✔

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Jackie Goldberg

"Experience Matters" - Goldberg campaign ad, released February 27, 2019

Click here to see Goldberg's Facebook ads.

Heather Repenning

"New Chapter (Spanish)" - Repenning campaign ad, released February 10, 2019

"Qualified (Spanish)" - Repenning campaign ad, released February 6, 2019

"New Chapter" - Repenning campaign ad, released January 31, 2019

"Qualified" - Repenning campaign ad, released January 24, 2019

Issues

Charter school policy

As of 2017, LAUSD had 224 independently operated charter schools, more than any other school district in the nation. Around 20 percent of the district's students were enrolled in charter schools in 2018. The LAUSD Board of Education's responsibilities include deciding whether to authorize or deny the opening of new charter schools and the renewal of existing ones.

The CCSA argues that independently run charter school students outperform traditional public schools students in state assessments and college readiness and that charter schools should be easier to open and renew. The UTLA believes that charter schools should be subject to greater school district oversight because of their use of public funds and that the schools have negatively impacted the fiscal health of the district.

Board members backed by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) claimed a 4-3 majority following the May 2017 board election. Before the election, board members backed by United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) had a 4-3 majority. Ref Rodriguez's resignation from the board in July 2018 left it with a 3-3 split.

In November 2017, the LAUSD Board of Education and district staff negotiated with charter school leaders over language the district expects charters schools to put into their charters. The district may refuse to authorize the opening or renewal of a charter school if it does not adopt the language. One of the changes made was that the board of education would vote yearly on a specific list of district policies charter schools must follow; previously, decisions about which policies charters must follow were made by district staff. UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl criticized the change, saying it equated to reducing oversight of charter schools. CEO of the STEM Prep charter school network Emilio Pack said it would increase clarity.

In April 2017, when UTLA-backed members held a majority of seats on the board, the board approved a resolution to fund lobbying efforts supporting three bills related to charter school regulation. One of the bills became law. That bill, AB 1360, required charter schools to follow guidelines surrounding admission, suspension, and expulsion.

Click here to learn more about charter school policy and debate in California.

Candidate positions

• Jackie Goldberg

“

I have always said that charters began with a laudable mission: to be a laboratory for innovation. However, over the years, charters have been subverted by those who would like to run education like a private business. Education is not a market-driven enterprise, but a human right. To me, the choice that parents make to send students to charter schools is not the issue. The main problem is that the system is rigged so that district schools lose money and resources when a student attends a charter school. Public schools welcome everyone – they don’t turn away students with special needs, working parents or behavioral issues, but right now, charter schools don’t have to adhere to the same rules and regulations that govern public schools. That’s not fair—but, it can be fixed with revisions to charter school legislation that I and many others are seeking. I believe we must deeply invest in our public schools so that there is truly a great school in every neighborhood.

”

• Heather Repenning

“

To me, I see charter schools as, they are part of our system. One in five families, students are part of the charter community, and the way I look at it is that some of them are not performing. I was very disappointed to see nine charter schools on the list of poor-performing schools that the state put up. If you’re going to get public money, that’s a huge responsibility, you need to be doing much better than us or else I don’t see the point of renewing, so that’s a concern. We know there are some that are doing a really good job. And some of them have been around for many years, so I think, is there a way to acknowledge the work and learn from them. I mean the whole point was to create these laboratories that we learn from. Then, I see transparency — they are spending public money, I believe that we need transparency over how those funds are being spent."

”

• • Repenning's campaign website states as a priority "Ensuring charter schools operate with the same levels of transparency and accountability as public schools."

Teacher strike: January 14-22, 2019

On January 14, 2019, 32,000 LAUSD teachers went on strike, marking the first teacher strike in the district in 30 years. The strike followed unsuccessful negotiations between UTLA and the district concerning UTLA's demands for higher wages, smaller class sizes, and more support staff to be included in teacher contracts.

Superintendent Austin Beutner and the board of education had argued that the district could not fund the UTLA's proposals, citing that its reserve funds (money set aside each year for times of economic uncertainty) were, as of the end of 2018, projected to be depleted in a few years and the district would run a deficit by the 2021-2022 school year. These projections were based partly on increasing contributions to teacher pensions and health benefits and less money coming in due to decreasing student enrollment.

One of the LAUSD Board of Education's responsibilities is to set the district's budget.

UTLA argued that the district had the money to fund its demands. The union questioned projections that the district would be running a deficit by 2022, saying that the district's reserve total at the end of the 2017-2018 school year was the largest in history and that previous projections of an impending deficit had not come to fruition.

The UTLA voted in August 2018 to strike if negotiations with LAUSD did not lead to an agreement. LAUSD and UTLA had been negotiating the UTLA's demands since April 2017.

LAUSD's final proposal to UTLA before the strike included a 6 percent teacher raise over two years (3 percent for the previous year and 3 percent ongoing); reductions in class sizes, with numbers depending on the type of school; and more nurses and librarians at schools. UTLA maintained its call for a 6.5 percent raise retroactive to one year and larger class size reductions. The union also criticized the district's class size and support staff offers for being limited to one year.

On January 22, the district and UTLA struck a deal that ended the strike, which lasted six school days. The deal included the district's previously-proposed 6 percent raise; a reduction in class sizes over four years; the removal of a contract provision that enabled the district to increase class sizes during difficult economic times; and additional librarians, school nurses, and counselors.

Candidate positions

• Jackie Goldberg:

“

No one wants to go on strike – a strike is the last resort when all other options have failed. I am proud of our 35,000 educators who made the sacrifice to withhold their labor for the good of their students. Educators in the Los Angeles Unified School District took a selfless and difficult step when they went on strike for six days. The outpouring of support from parents, students and the public was inspiring and encouraging, and demonstrated how much Angelenos value public education. Through the strike, not only did educators improve teaching and learning conditions, but they raised critical issues that very few people were talking about before: smaller classes, more nurses and counselors, increased funding for our schools, and accountability for all publicly-funded schools.

”

• Heather Repenning:

“

I'm not going to cross the picket line. I think that teachers are generally incredibly undervalued in our society. And if they are willing to go out on strike, and I believe they have an important message for us. I will support them in that. I would like to see whether some of the issues that they're talking about, not just their own salaries, but also making sure that we have proper support staff at our school sites. I believe that this is a very important conversation. I would like to see if there is a way to have it that doesn't necessarily result in the loss of instructional days for our students. I think that the march that they held recently was very powerful, and are there other opportunities to continue to engage the larger community that don't necessarily end up with students not getting instruction. But it's a really important moment. The conversation about funding, the conversation about missing basic services that our kids need at the school sites is a really important one, both for teachers and for parents.

”

Campaign themes

The following were found on candidates' campaign websites.

Jackie Goldberg

“	“I don’t know where they are spending the money but they’re not spending it on student achievement. I know how to deal with the LAUSD bureaucracy, and will help right this rudderless ship. Our students and teachers are accomplishing many great things despite the lack of leadership downtown. I’ll help fix that, and I have the experience to hit the ground running.” – Jackie Goldberg 1) Provide leadership, integrity and direction for LAUSD The school district lacks leadership. The conviction of the previous 5th District School Board Member on corruption charges has left a vacuum, and the Administration is not providing direction. We need Jackie’s stable leadership on the Board. She’s a teacher with a life credential. She’s an activist. She’s a parent of a District graduate, and now she’s a grandparent of current District students. And she’s a steady hand who can get the School District back to the basics. 2) Reducing class sizes now Today, classes of 38-40 students are not uncommon in most secondary schools. (This excludes kindergarten through third-grade classes, which receive state funding specifically for class-size reduction.) Parents and grandparents of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District know that smaller classroom sizes would mean more attention to the social and academic needs of the children they love. But in elementary, middle and high schools across the district, class sizes have not met state or the district’s own goals for more than 25 years. It is common sense that smaller classes make for better learning environments and higher grades and test scores. It’s also well documented. A 2016 study conducted by William J. Mathis at the University of Colorado’s National Education Policy Center showed that smaller classes correlated with higher graduation rates, student engagement and self-esteem. Mathis also found that the positive effects of smaller classes were twice as large for poor and minority students. If the district truly wants its students to learn more, it should get rid of Section 1.5 and immediately begin hiring 2,000 new teachers to meet the class-size goals that are already laid out in the current teacher contract. This would cost $200 million more each year. That may sound like a lot, but the district has approximately $1.8 billion in surplus balances. Please read more about reducing class sizes here. 3) Get a handle on the budget – and dedicate resources directly to the classroom for student achievement and community schools instead of bureaucratic tests and silly pet projects Jackie knows her way around school budgets – as a former Board Member and also as Chair of the Assembly Education Committee. She understands how to balance the importance of having a reserve with the immediate needs of students and schools. She will fight to fully fund our schools through structural revenue solutions – because California is currently 41st in per-student spending and we can’t make the long term improvements without solutions. 4) Bring stakeholders closer together A key goal of Jackie’s is to bring closer together the parents, teachers, business people, community members and public and non-profit service providers in this board district. As both a long-time teacher and Reading Specialist, Jackie’s knowledge and experience will be complemented by the knowledge and experience the stakeholders bring. All of us, listening to each other and each playing our role, will be critical in our efforts to raise the achievement levels of all students, including second language learners and students with special needs. 5) Improve learning conditions for students In addition to reducing class sizes – which is the top priority – Jackie will work to improve learning conditions for students by hiring more counselors, social workers, nurses and psychologists. We must also increase the number of Classified employees, teacher assistants, and all those who help keep our schools places where students want to be and where teachers can be the most effective. 6) Protect LAUSD schools from attacks from the federal government We can count on Jackie to be a strong, effective voice for public schools who will ably defend public education from federal attacks by Betsy DeVos and all others. Jackie’s experience and passion for helping students will be a steadying force on a Board that continues to face turmoil – and will allow her to focus on these priorities. Her knowledge of the budget as well as her relationship with ALL stakeholders will allow her to hit the ground running.	”
—Jackie Goldberg

Heather Repenning

“	Heather's Priorities for LAUSD: Reducing student-to-teacher ratios and ensure proper staffing at school sites Raising teacher pay and their benefits Ensuring charter schools operate with the same levels of transparency and accountability as public schools Increasing funding for art, sports, and after school programs Addressing poverty in our student population by bringing more social workers, health and mental health professionals, and other support services to our schools Constructing and modernize classrooms, science labs, and school facilities that support college readiness and career preparation in math, science, engineering, technology, arts, and skilled trades Expanding Early Childhood Education Programs When it comes to education, the earlier the better. That is why I’ll work to expand access to high-quality preschool resources and ensure every child has a fair shot at success, by putting together a plan for universal pre-kindergarten, starting with early education classrooms at all LAUSD elementary schools. Many of our LAUSD families are living at or near the poverty line, and investing in preschool classrooms is a very impactful way to ensure that all of our kids are ready for kindergarten. Transform Neighborhood Schools into the Core of Each Community I will work to implement the community schools model across the district by offering health and mental health services, workforce development, and after school programs on school campuses. I believe all of our schools deserve the flexibility to make decisions choosing the programs that work for the students, staff, and parents at each school site. Broadening After School and Extracurricular Programs For too many students, the time out of the classroom can be the riskiest. As a working mom whose daughter spends almost as much time in after school care as she does during school time, I know firsthand how important the quality of after care is to my life, and to so many other families. I will broaden after school programs that have consistently shown to help at-risk youth stay in school and out of trouble. I will also fight for more funding for extracurriculars like sports and arts programs that provide so many students the outlets they need to succeed. Expand Access to College I will work to create pathways for middle-class and low-income students to complete the requirements to make it to college, make information and resources about college admission and financial aid more readily available, and work to connect more of our students with financial aid opportunities. I support raising graduation standards to ensure that students graduating from LAUSD are ready to go to college, and increasing access to counselors and programs to help more students access higher education. Supporting the Arts & Physical Education While it's critical that students have access to a quality STEM education, perhaps more urgent is that fact that physical education, arts, and music don't exist everywhere in the LAUSD. I'll partner with groups like Arts for LA to find funding to ensure that every LAUSD student has a well-rounded education. Prioritizing STEM Education The next generation of jobs and industries will require much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. That’s why I’ll work to increase funding for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs in LA schools. Providing quality STEM education will take more than just promising more classes. I will work to create interdisciplinary programs that not just teach but engage students to learn the skills necessary to achieve success in America’s new economy.	”
—Heather Repenning

Repenning also filled out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Read her responses here.

Candidate forums

• May 8, 2019: Goldberg and Repenning participated in a forum hosted by the Alliance for a Better Community and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. They responded to questions from a panel of two parents and two students. The candidates discussed their backgrounds and experience, what their priorities would be on the board, the parcel tax measure on the June 4 ballot (which they both supported passing), whether 16-year-olds and people living in the country without legal permission should be able to vote in school board elections, and more. Click here for coverage of the forum from LA School Report.

Candidate survey

Candidate survey

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Click here to view or fill out the survey.

2017

See also: Los Angeles Unified School District elections (2017)

General election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 4 General Election, 5-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Nick Melvoin	57.23%	38,673
Steve Zimmer Incumbent	42.77%	28,897
Total Votes		67,570
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Official Election Results May 16, 2017: Certified Final Bulletin," accessed May 30, 2017

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6 General Election, 5-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kelly Fitzpatrick-Gonez	51.46%	16,961
Imelda Padilla	48.54%	15,996
Total Votes		32,957
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Official Election Results May 16, 2017: Certified Final Bulletin," accessed May 30, 2017

Primary election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mónica García Incumbent	55.68%	20,710
Lisa Alva	34.38%	12,788
Carl Petersen	9.94%	3,696
Total Votes		37,194
Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Los Angeles County Election Results: Consolidated Municipal and Special Elections March 7, 2017," accessed March 30, 2017

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 4 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Zimmer Incumbent	46.70%	45,088
Nick Melvoin	32.90%	31,771
Allison Holdorff Polhill	13.99%	13,510
Gregory Martayan	6.41%	6,189
Total Votes		96,558
Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Los Angeles County Election Results: Consolidated Municipal and Special Elections March 7, 2017," accessed March 30, 2017

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kelly Fitzpatrick-Gonez	37.16%	15,984
Imelda Padilla	31.13%	13,390
Patty Lopez	11.99%	5,159
Araz Parseghian	8.96%	3,853
Gwendolyn Posey	5.77%	2,483
Jose Sandoval	5.00%	2,149
Total Votes		43,018
Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Los Angeles County Election Results: Consolidated Municipal and Special Elections March 7, 2017," accessed March 30, 2017

2015

See also: Los Angeles Unified School District elections (2015)

General election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 3 General Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Scott Mark Schmerelson	54.8%	20,287
	Nonpartisan	Tamar Galatzan Incumbent	45.2%	16,755
Total Votes				37,042
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Certified Final Bulletin," accessed May 28, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 5 General Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Ref Rodriguez	53.3%	14,201
	Nonpartisan	Bennett Kayser Incumbent	46.7%	12,421
Total Votes				26,622
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Certified Final Bulletin," accessed May 28, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 7 General Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Richard A. Vladovic Incumbent	56.3%	10,276
	Nonpartisan	Lydia Gutierrez	43.7%	7,982
Total Votes				18,258
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Certified Final Bulletin," accessed May 28, 2015

Primary election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 1 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	George J. McKenna III Incumbent	100%	28,456
Total Votes				28,456
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election: Official Election Results," accessed March 23, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 3 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Tamar Galatzan Incumbent	40.2%	15,326
	Nonpartisan	Scott Mark Schmerelson	20.4%	7,767
	Nonpartisan	Ankur Patel	12.8%	4,870
	Nonpartisan	Elizabeth Badger Bartels	10.8%	4,125
	Nonpartisan	Carl J. Petersen	10.1%	3,839
	Nonpartisan	Filiberto Gonzalez	5.8%	2,213
Total Votes				38,140
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election: Official Election Results," accessed March 23, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 5 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Ref Rodriguez	38.6%	10,355
	Nonpartisan	Bennett Kayser Incumbent	35.5%	9,510
	Nonpartisan	Andrew Thomas	25.9%	6,946
Total Votes				26,811
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election: Official Election Results," accessed March 23, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 7 Primary Election, 5-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Richard A. Vladovic Incumbent	42.6%	5,577
	Nonpartisan	Lydia Gutierrez	37.6%	4,920
	Nonpartisan	Euna Anderson	19.8%	2,589
Total Votes				13,086
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election: Official Election Results," accessed March 23, 2015

2014

See also: Los Angeles Unified School District elections (2014)

General election

Los Angeles Unified School District,
District 1 Special General Election, 1-year term, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	George J. McKenna III	52.8%	17,025
	Nonpartisan	Alex Johnson	47.2%	15,211
Total Votes				32,236
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Certified Results: LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (LAUSD), BOARD DISTRICT 1 SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION," accessed February 2, 2015

Primary election

Los Angeles Unified School District,
District 1 Special Primary Election, 1-year term, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	George J. McKenna III	44.6%	19,803
	Nonpartisan	Alex Johnson	24.5%	10,884
	Nonpartisan	Sherlett Hendy Newbill	9.6%	4,250
	Nonpartisan	Genethia Hudley-Hayes	6.9%	3,072
	Nonpartisan	Rachel Johnson	5.2%	2,318
	Nonpartisan	Omarosa Manigault	5.2%	2,330
	Nonpartisan	Hattie McFrazier	4%	1,785
Total Votes				44,442
Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk

2013

See also: Los Angeles Unified School District elections (2013)

General election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Monica Ratliff	51.8%	24,567
	Nonpartisan	Antonio Sanchez	48.2%	22,896
Total Votes				47,463
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "General Municipal and Special Elections, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Primary election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Mónica García Incumbent	55.8%	19,300
	Nonpartisan	Robert D. Skeels	15.2%	5,244
	Nonpartisan	Annamarie Montañez	11.8%	4,093
	Nonpartisan	Isabel Vazquez	10.1%	3,480
	Nonpartisan	Abelardo Diaz	7.1%	2,448
Total Votes				34,565
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 4 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Steve Zimmer Incumbent	51.7%	40,716
	Nonpartisan	Kate Anderson	48.3%	38,063
Total Votes				78,779
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Antonio Sanchez	43.6%	17,093
	Nonpartisan	Monica Ratliff	33.8%	13,244
	Nonpartisan	Maria Cano	13.5%	5,276
	Nonpartisan	Iris Zuñiga	9.1%	3,579
Total Votes				39,192
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

2011

General election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	BENNETT KAYSER	51.4%	10,741
	Nonpartisan	LUIS SANCHEZ	48.6%	10,139
Total Votes				20,880
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "General Municipal Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Primary election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 1 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	MARGUERITE POINDEXTER LAMOTTE	74.3%	29,671
	Nonpartisan	ERIC LEE	25.7%	10,288
Total Votes				39,959
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 3 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	TAMAR GALATZAN Incumbent	63%	31,891
	Nonpartisan	LOUIS PUGLIESE	37%	18,715
Total Votes				50,606
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 5 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	LUIS SÁNCHEZ	45.1%	11,136
	Nonpartisan	BENNETT KAYSER	39.2%	9,673
	Nonpartisan	JOHN FERNANDEZ	15.7%	3,883
Total Votes				24,692
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 7 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	RICHARD A. VLADOVIC Incumbent	63.1%	10,822
	Nonpartisan	ROYE LOVE	22.6%	3,868
	Nonpartisan	JESÚS M. ESCANDÓN	14.3%	2,458
Total Votes				17,148
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk's Office, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Election, Official Election Results," accessed January 14, 2015

2009

Note: No general elections had to be held in 2009 as each winner earned at least 50 percent of the vote in the primary election.

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2009
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	MÓNICA GARCÍA	100%	22,123
Total Votes				22,123
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 3, 2009," accessed February 11, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 4 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2009
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	STEVE ZIMMER	56.7%	33,742
	Nonpartisan	MIKE STRYER	43.3%	25,811
Total Votes				59,553
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 3, 2009," accessed February 11, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2009
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	NURY MARTINEZ	51%	15,179
	Nonpartisan	LOUIS PUGLIESE	49%	14,576
Total Votes				29,755
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 3, 2009," accessed February 11, 2015

2007

General election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	TAMAR GALATZAN	58.3%	23,406
	Nonpartisan	JON M. LAURITZEN	41.7%	16,742
Total Votes				40,148
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "General Municipal Election Official Election Results, May 15, 2007," accessed February 11, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	RICHARD A. VLADOVIC	54.2%	9,366
	Nonpartisan	NEAL B. KLEINER	45.8%	7,919
Total Votes				17,285
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "General Municipal Election Official Election Results, May 15, 2007," accessed February 11, 2015

Primary election

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 1 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	MARGUERITE POINDEXTER LAMOTTE	66.6%	18,167
	Nonpartisan	JOHNATHAN WILLIAMS	33.4%	9,125
Total Votes				27,292
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 6, 2007," accessed February 11, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 3 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	TAMAR GALATZAN	44.3%	18,258
	Nonpartisan	JON M. LAURITZEN	39.5%	16,276
	Nonpartisan	LOUIS PUGLIESE	16.2%	6,671
Total Votes				41,205
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 6, 2007," accessed February 11, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 5 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	YOLIE FLORES AGUILAR	59.7%	9,674
	Nonpartisan	BENNETT S. KAYSER	40.3%	6,541
Total Votes				16,215
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 6, 2007," accessed February 11, 2015

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 7 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	RICHARD A. VLADOVIC	47%	5,799
	Nonpartisan	NEAL B. KLEINER	30.9%	3,818
	Nonpartisan	JESUS M. ESCANDON	22%	2,720
Total Votes				12,337
Source: Los Angeles City Clerk, "Primary Nominating & Consolidated Elections Official Election Results, March 6, 2007," accessed February 11, 2015

About the district

See also: Los Angeles Unified School District, California

The Los Angeles Unified School District is located in Los Angeles County, California.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is located in Los Angeles County in Southern California. The county seat is Los Angeles. Los Angeles County was home to an estimated 10,163,507 residents in 2017, according to the United States Census Bureau. The district was the largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 646,683 students.

Demographics

Higher education achievement

Los Angeles County underperformed compared to California as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2012 and 2016. The United States Census Bureau found that 30.8 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 32 percent of state residents.

Median household income

The median household income for Los Angeles County between 2012 and 2016 was $57,952, compared to $63,783 for the entire state.

Poverty rate

From 2012 to 2016, the poverty rate in Los Angeles County was 16.3 percent. During the same time period, it was 13.3 percent statewide.

Racial demographics

Racial Demographics, 2017
Race	Los Angeles County (%)	California (%)
White	70.9	72.4
Black or African American	9.0	6.5
American Indian and Alaska Native	1.4	1.6
Asian	15.3	15.2
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	0.4	0.5
Two or more races	3.0	3.9
Hispanic or Latino	48.6	39.1

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

State profile

See also: California and California elections, 2019

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

Presidential voting pattern

• California voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from California were Democrats.
• California had 46 Democratic and seven Republican U.S. Representatives.

State executives

• Democrats held 11 and Republicans held one of California's 22 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
• California's governor was Democrat Gavin Newsom.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled the California State Senate with a 28-10 majority, while two seats were vacant.
• Democrats controlled the California State Assembly with a 61-19 majority.

California Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty years with Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Assembly	D	D	D	S	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

California quick stats

• Became a state in 1850
• 31st state admitted to the United States
• As of 2018, California was the most populous state in the country.
• Members of the California State Senate: 40
• Members of the California State Assembly: 80
• U.S. senators: 2
• U.S. representatives: 53

More California coverage on Ballotpedia:

• California elections, 2019
• Presidential voting trends in California
• United States congressional delegations from California
• Public policy in California
• Influencers in California
• Almanac of American Politics state profile
• More...

Demographic data for California
	California	U.S.
Total population:	38,993,940	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	155,779	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	61.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	5.9%	12.6%
Asian:	13.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.7%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.4%	0.2%
Two or more:	4.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	38.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	81.8%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	31.4%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$61,818	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	18.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in California. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

See also

Los Angeles Unified School District	California	School Boards
Los Angeles Unified School District elections (2017) Los Angeles Unified School District elections (2015) List of school districts in California	California school board elections, 2019 Public education in California Local ballot measures, California	School board elections, 2019 School board elections, 2018 School board election data analysis, 2019 School board election data analysis, 2018

External links

• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Los Angeles City Clerk's Office Election Division