Tomás Sidenfaden
Tomás Sidenfaden is running for election to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to represent District 3 in California. Sidenfaden is on the ballot in the primary on June 2, 2026.[source]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2026)
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3
Incumbent Lindsey Horvath (Nonpartisan), Tonia Arey (Nonpartisan), Carmenlina Minasova (Nonpartisan), and Tomás Sidenfaden (Nonpartisan) are running in the primary for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 3 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Lindsey Horvath (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Tonia Arey (Nonpartisan) | |
| Carmenlina Minasova (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tomás Sidenfaden (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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Campaign website
Sidenfaden's campaign website stated the following:
POLICIES
🏕️
HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis that requires urgent, compassionate, and effective action. Tens of thousands of people live on LA's streets, suffering from addiction, mental illness, and lack of shelter. True compassion means intervention, not indifference—getting people the help they need, not leaving them to die on sidewalks.
Addiction and mental illness go untreated on our streets
Fentanyl and meth are sold openly near encampments. Public intoxication and drug use are ignored. Addiction keeps people on the streets, makes recovery nearly impossible, and leaves them vulnerable to overdose, assault, and death. There is no intervention.
Mandate care for homeless suffering from addiction and mental illness
Compassion means intervention, not indifference. Establish a legal framework to mandate treatment for homeless individuals suffering from severe addiction or mental illness who cannot care for themselves. Pair this with adequate treatment facilities and support services.
Coordinate with federal and state agencies on drug enforcement
Work with DEA, state agencies, and county sheriff to shut down open-air drug markets near encampments. Cut off the supply fueling addiction.
Enforce public intoxication and nudity laws
Existing laws against public intoxication, public nudity, and indecent exposure should be enforced. Order in public spaces protects everyone, including the homeless themselves.
LA lacks shelter capacity
LA doesn't have enough shelter beds to offer everyone on the streets a place to go. Permanent housing is too slow and expensive to build. Until there's somewhere for people to go, encampments will persist.
Declare a public health emergency on homelessness
Declare unsheltered homelessness a public health and humanitarian emergency at the county level. This unlocks emergency procurement and deployment authorities, and forms the basis for formally petitioning the Governor and President to activate state and federal emergency resources — including Cal OES coordination and FEMA support for large-scale temporary stabilization facilities.
Inventory county land for emergency stabilization facilities
Within 14 days of the emergency declaration, produce a comprehensive inventory of all county-owned or county-controlled real property that can be repurposed for emergency temporary congregate stabilization facilities — including parcel size, zoning, utility access, and estimated bed capacity. Fast-track these sites for modular and FEMA-style emergency shelters.
Petition the Governor and President for emergency action
Formally petition the Governor to issue a State Proclamation of Emergency and activate Cal OES for large-scale stabilization, and petition the President to direct HUD and FEMA to provide emergency assistance. Demand formal written responses within 30 days and make all communications public.
Many homeless refuse services when offered
Even when shelter, housing, or treatment is available, many homeless individuals refuse it. LA's permissive policies allow people to remain on the streets indefinitely, no matter the harm to themselves or others.
Ban public camping countywide
Ban camping and rough sleeping on all county-owned property and in unincorporated areas. Condition discretionary county homelessness funding on cities adopting equivalent local camping bans paired with adequate shelter offers. When a shelter bed is available, public camping cannot be optional.
LA has become a destination for the homeless
LA's permissive approach to homelessness incentivizes migration from other regions, exacerbating the crisis. Some homeless residents came here from elsewhere and have family or support networks back home.
Offer to pay travel costs for those who want to return home
Fund bus or plane tickets for homeless individuals who have family or support networks in other cities and want to reunite with them.
🛡️
PUBLIC SAFETY
Safe streets and communities are the foundation for everything else. Without public safety, no other policy can succeed. When crime goes unpunished and public spaces feel dangerous, businesses leave, families move away, and the social fabric unravels. LA must recommit to enforcing laws and restoring order.
Crime goes unpunished
Organized retail theft, vandalism, catalytic converter theft, package theft, and property crime continue with little enforcement. Repeat offenders face no consequences and encampments are associated with increased crime.
Prosecute shoplifting so stores can unlock their shelves
Rampant shoplifting has forced retailers to lock up basic merchandise, degrading the shopping experience for everyone. Aggressively prosecute shoplifting at all levels so stores can return to open shelves and stay in business in underserved neighborhoods.
Target repeat quality-of-life and property crime offenders
Direct the Sheriff's Department to run targeted enforcement operations against repeat quality-of-life and property crime offenders, particularly for organized retail theft, catalytic converter theft, bicycle theft, and package theft. Enhance coordination with city police departments across the county to share intelligence and disrupt criminal networks that operate across jurisdictions.
Increase security cameras in high-crime areas
Increase the volume of security cameras installed at businesses and locations where crime is higher and track down, arrest, and prosecute offenders.
Investigate and prosecute catalytic converter theft
Make catalytic converter theft investigation a priority. Arrest and prosecute as felonies.
Enforce noise ordinances
Crack down on excessive noise from modified vehicle exhausts, illegal fireworks, and gas-powered leaf blowers. These quality-of-life violations make neighborhoods unpleasant and signal that disorder is tolerated.
Transit feels unsafe
Anti-social behavior on trains and buses discourages ridership. People avoid public transit because it feels dangerous and unpleasant.
Pass ordinance making transit infractions misdemeanors
Pass an ordinance to improve public safety on transit by making the following infractions misdemeanors with hefty fines on trains and buses: eating, drinking from a container without a lid, using a speakerphone, playing music from a phone, playing an instrument, soliciting, riding without wearing shoes or a shirt, smoking, use or possession of illegal narcotics, and public intoxication.
Station officers at every train station
Of course the transit ordinance needs to be enforced in order for it to matter. Divert some police resources to ensure uniformed officers are present at every train station and regularly rotate riding on some buses.
Enforce fare evasion
LA Metro loses tens of millions annually to fare evasion, but more importantly, unenforced fares signal that rules don't apply on transit. Consistent enforcement—through fare gates, inspectors, and meaningful fines—restores order and makes paying riders feel respected.
🏠
HOUSING
The housing crisis is a supply crisis. LA has made it illegal, expensive, and time-consuming to build homes where people want to live. The solution isn't more subsidies or rent control—it's cutting red tape, fixing permitting, and letting builders build. More housing means lower prices for everyone.
Permitting is slow, expensive, and unpredictable
Permitting across LA County is slow, expensive, and unpredictable — in unincorporated areas and in cities alike. The county should lead by fixing its own permitting process and use its funding leverage to push cities toward the same standard.
Tie county housing funds to city performance
Tie discretionary county housing fund allocations to measurable outcomes: permitting timelines, RHNA progress, and housing units delivered. Cities that fail to meet targets receive reduced allocations. Cities that exceed them receive their full share.
Create one-stop permitting
Expand the county's existing one-stop permitting and affordable housing coordinator programs into a single consolidated department with one case manager for all housing projects — not just affordable ones.
Approve code-compliant housing by right
If a housing project meets objective zoning and building standards, it should be approved by right — no discretionary review, no hearings, no appeals.
Make fees transparent, capped, and locked in
Publish a complete fee schedule for all county permitting. Cap combined impact fees as a percentage of total project cost. Lock fee levels at the time of approval — no retroactive hikes. Developers should know the full cost before they start.
Streamline environmental review for housing
Do environmental review once per neighborhood plan, not per project. Define standard building types that are presumed to have minimal environmental impact if they meet objective standards — no project-specific review needed. Advocate for state legislation to expand CEQA exemptions for infill housing.
Speed up review for standard buildings
For smaller wood-frame buildings (up to 4-5 stories), let licensed architects and engineers certify that plans meet code instead of requiring full government review. Fast-track projects using state-approved or pre-approved designs — most of the design is already vetted, just verify site-specific details.
Eliminate parking minimums near transit
Parking requirements add tens of thousands of dollars per unit. Eliminate parking minimums within ½ mile of major transit in unincorporated areas.
It's illegal to build housing where people want to live
Across LA County, restrictive zoning makes it illegal to build apartments where people want to live. The county should lead by opening up its own unincorporated areas and use every available tool to get housing built on county land.
Allow more housing in unincorporated areas
Allow small apartment buildings by right near transit and job centers in unincorporated areas. Permit micro-units and studio apartments as small as 150 sq ft. Make lot splits easier and extend density bonus incentives beyond major transit stops.
Make it economically viable to build
In unincorporated areas, keep affordable housing mandates low enough that projects actually get built. Advocate for state legislation that makes it easier to replace aging buildings with more housing and that guarantees new construction won't face retroactive rent control.
Let residents choose whether to pay for parking
Allow parking to be leased separately from apartments. People who don't own cars shouldn't subsidize parking for those who do. Allow shared parking structures to serve multiple buildings.
Build housing on county land
Inventory county-owned land suitable for housing development. Partner with developers to build housing on surplus county parcels, using state density bonus and SB 35 streamlined approval to bypass local barriers.
🚇
TRANSIT
LA is defined by traffic, but it doesn't have to be. We need a transit system that gives people real alternatives to driving—trains that go where people need to go, built quickly and affordably. Other cities build subways in a fraction of the time and cost. LA can too, if we fix the broken processes that delay every project.
Transit is too expensive and slow to build
LA Metro projects cost 5-10x more per mile than comparable systems in Europe and Asia, and take decades to complete. Utility relocations, environmental review, consultant dependency, and restrictive contracting rules all add years and billions to every project.
Move utilities before construction starts
Utility relocations (gas, electric, water, telecom) cause massive delays on every rail project. For approved future routes, begin moving utilities years in advance so construction can proceed uninterrupted.
Build in-house transit expertise instead of hiring consultants
LA Metro outsources most planning and engineering to expensive consultants who have no incentive to finish quickly. Recruit experienced transit professionals at competitive salaries to work directly for Metro. Cities that build transit fast (Madrid, Seoul) have permanent in-house teams.
Exempt transit and infill housing from CEQA entirely
CEQA was meant to protect the environment but is routinely weaponized to block transit and housing that would reduce car trips and sprawl. Advocate for state legislation to fully exempt public transit projects and multifamily infill housing from CEQA review.
Use design-build contracts instead of design-bid-build
Traditional contracting separates design and construction, creating delays and cost overruns when problems arise. Design-build contracts give one team responsibility for both, incentivizing faster delivery and fewer change orders.
Run procurement in parallel with design
LA Metro waits until designs are 100% complete before starting procurement, adding years to timelines. Begin contractor selection and long-lead-time orders (tunnel boring machines, rail cars) while design is still being finalized.
Allow 24/7 construction on major projects
LA restricts construction hours to protect neighbors, but this doubles or triples project timelines. For major transit infrastructure, allow round-the-clock work with noise mitigation measures.
Driving is subsidized while alternatives are underfunded
Driving is heavily subsidized through free parking and wide roads, crowding out investment in transit alternatives and making congestion worse.
Embrace autonomous vehicles
When this technology becomes affordable and ubiquitous enough, many people can opt out of car ownership entirely, saving themselves thousands of dollars a year. The county should partner with autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Cruise, to explore how we can make it profitable for them to expand their fleets here, particularly in areas with poor transit access and low car ownership rates.
The train network is incomplete and poorly connected
LA has one of the most poorly connected train systems of any major city. Major job centers, sports venues, and neighborhoods remain unreachable by rail.
Deliver Sepulveda heavy rail by 2027, not 2035
LA Metro adopted heavy rail for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor but set a 2035 delivery date. This is unacceptable. Compress the timeline to 2027 by fast-tracking environmental review, pre-moving utilities, and running procurement in parallel with design.
Major destinations are unreachable without a car
Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and other major venues are only accessible by car, causing massive traffic jams before and after events.
Build Dodger Stadium gondola from downtown
Build the Dodger Stadium gondola from downtown because it would be cool and taxpayers don't even need to pay for it. Let Dodger owner Frank McCourt foot the construction bill, and recoup the expense by charging riders a fare, and offering advertising and naming rights. Traffic in and out of Dodger stadium is a mess of cars that cause massive traffic jams and emissions. A gondola would decrease traffic and generate tax revenue for downtown businesses near the station.
Connect Dodger Stadium via rail
Dodger Stadium should be connected via north/south and east/west lines. Recover half the parking around the area for mixed use development, making it a pre and post-game destination that generates culture and tax revenue rather than traffic jams.
Connect SoFi Stadium via rail
SoFi Stadium / Kia Forum is another major destination constantly clogged with cars that should have north/south and east/west subway lines.
Getting around without a car is unsafe and impractical
Walking, biking, and micromobility should be viable options, but LA makes them dangerous and frustrating. Sidewalks are cracked and inaccessible. Bike lanes are disconnected and unprotected. Bikes and scooters get stolen constantly. Until non-car travel is safe and practical, people will keep driving.
Build protected, interconnected bike lanes
Build more bike lanes with the long term goal of creating complete, protected, interconnected routes. This process can be staged. For example, it's particularly easy to do this immediately on wide residential boulevards where street modification requirements are minimal.
Convert unprotected lanes to protected lanes
Convert existing unprotected bike lanes to protected bike lanes to encourage greater usage. Studies show significant increases in ridership for protected bike lanes over simple stripes and sharrows.
Add bike racks throughout the county
Add bike racks for resident, county, and third party providers. If we want to enable more people to ride bikes, scooters, and other non-motorized vehicles, people should have a place to safely lock their bikes rather than chaining them to signposts, streetlights, and trees. Furthermore, you shouldn't have to own a bike to be able to use one. We should have a fleet of unpowered and electric bicycles. The county doesn't have to own and operate all of them, we can invite companies like Veo, Lime, Uber and others to help power our existing network.
Investigate and punish bike theft severely
Make it a priority to investigate and punish bike theft. People won't ride bikes if they're going to get stolen, particularly if they know the police won't do anything about it. The penalties need to be severe enough to be a deterrent, and enforced by courts. A $3,000 fine and a one year suspension of a driver's license (if available), which could be commuted into 300 hours of community service.
Repair sidewalks and improve ADA accessibility
LA has a massive backlog of broken and uneven sidewalks that make walking difficult and dangerous, especially for seniors and people with disabilities. Accelerate repairs, enforce ADA compliance, and stop treating pedestrian infrastructure as an afterthought.
💼
ECONOMY & JOBS
Starting and running a business is unnecessarily hard
Starting and running a business in LA County is unnecessarily hard. Regulations overlap, inspections are unpredictable, and small entrepreneurs face barriers that larger businesses can absorb.
Streamline county regulatory processes
Consolidate county health, environmental, and land use inspections into predictable, scheduled visits. Eliminate county regulations that duplicate state requirements.
Expand the MEHKO home kitchen program
The Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations program lets people sell food from home. Expand it, promote it, and reduce barriers to entry for aspiring food entrepreneurs.
LA is losing its flagship industries
Hollywood was born here, but film production has fallen 40% as productions flee to Georgia, New York, and overseas. Aerospace giants like SpaceX have moved headquarters to Texas. Defense tech companies are building major facilities in Ohio instead of LA. The industries that defined Los Angeles are slipping away.
Create a film-friendly permitting office
Productions need location permits, road closures, and parking fast. Create a one-stop film permitting office with 48-hour turnaround for standard requests. Make filming in LA easier than filming anywhere else.
Streamline permits for advanced manufacturing
Defense and hardware tech companies need to build and test fast. LA should create expedited permitting for industrial facilities so companies can break ground in months, not years.
Compete for aerospace and defense headquarters
SpaceX moved to Texas. LA wasn't even considered for Space Force HQ. Cut the red tape, assign dedicated liaisons, and send a clear message that LA wants this industry back.
Designate innovation zones with streamlined regulations
Create designated areas where advanced manufacturing, testing, and R&D can happen with expedited environmental review and flexible zoning. Let companies build prototypes and test products without years of permitting delays.
🌳
ENVIRONMENT
LA faces serious environmental challenges that demand practical solutions, not empty gestures. The January 2025 fires showed how unprepared we are. We import most of our water from sources that may not last. Trash litters our streets and washes into the ocean. These problems are solvable—but only if we focus on what actually works.
Wildfires threaten hillside communities
The Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025 showed how vulnerable LA is. Inadequate brush clearance, narrow roads, and insufficient water pressure cost lives and homes.
Proactively clear vegetation on public lands
Clear brush on public lands within 200ft of structures and open spaces. Reassess high fire danger zones annually and commit to re-clearing per County Fire's recommendations.
Use goats for brush clearance
Fund or permit goat grazing programs for fire prevention. Goats are effective, eco-friendly, and can access steep terrain that machinery cannot. Several California cities already use them successfully.
Fund home hardening rebates in fire zones
Provide rebates for fire-resistant roofing, ember-resistant vents, and defensible space improvements in high-risk areas.
Enforce mandatory brush clearance with real penalties
Current fines ($31-$668) are too low. Increase penalties and enforcement for non-compliance in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Require fire-safe design for hillside construction
New construction in fire zones must meet strict fire-safe standards: wider roads for emergency access, fire-resistant materials, adequate water pressure.
Fire response is stretched thin
Fire response is stretched thin. County Fire needs faster, more flexible response capacity for routine calls.
Augment County Fire with smaller, faster response vehicles
Not every call requires a full-length fire truck. A fleet of smaller vehicles can extend County Fire's response capacity and reduce response times affordably.
LA depends on water that may not be there
LA imports most of its water from the Colorado River and Northern California. Climate change and competing demands make this unsustainable. We need local water sources.
Accelerate water recycling capacity
Accelerate water recycling capacity across the county. Support expansion of existing recycling plants and push for new facilities that can provide recycled drinking water at scale.
Invest in water storage infrastructure
Build more groundwater recharge basins and storage facilities to capture rain during wet years for use during droughts.
Explore desalination for LA
Neighboring Orange County is building the Doheny Ocean Desalination facility. LA should study this as a model and identify sites for similar plants along our coastline. LA cannot rely on imported water indefinitely.
Pollution and litter degrade quality of life
Trash litters streets and flows through storm drains into the ocean. Air pollution from vehicles affects health. Many neighborhoods lack parks and green space within walking distance.
Enforce anti-littering laws with real consequences
Increase fines for littering and illegal dumping. Use cameras in problem areas to catch and prosecute repeat offenders.
Install trash capture devices at storm drains
Most ocean pollution enters via storm drains. Install capture devices at major outfalls to prevent trash from reaching the ocean.
Adopt the LA River Master Plan
The LA River Master Plan proposes 750+ acres of parks and trails along 32 miles of river. Adopting it would revitalize underdeveloped neighborhoods, increase parkland, and create new green space for communities that lack it.
Create pocket parks in park-poor neighborhoods
Many LA neighborhoods lack any green space within walking distance. Convert vacant lots and underused county land into small neighborhood parks.
Expand EV charging and electrify the county fleet
Accelerate EV charging infrastructure across the county by streamlining permits for charger installation. Electrify the county's own vehicle fleet — sheriff's vehicles, county fire support vehicles, and administrative cars — to lead by example.
💰
BUDGET & TAXES
LA spends billions of dollars every year, yet basic services deteriorate and problems get worse. Pension obligations consume an ever-larger share of the budget. Grants flow to programs with no accountability. Fees pile up unpredictably. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money goes—and to see results for what they pay.
Billions flow to programs with no accountability
LA County has awarded over $1.2 billion in grants to external agencies through ARP alone. Many programs lack clear metrics. Bond measures hide true costs. Voters don't know what they're paying for.
Full cost disclosure on bond measures
Require ballot measures to show total cost including interest, not just principal. Voters deserve to know the true price.
Stop funding NGOs entirely
If a service is essential, the government should provide it directly. If it's not essential enough for the government to do, taxpayers shouldn't fund a third party to do it. End grants to external agencies and redirect funds to core city services and infrastructure.
Sunset programs that fail performance metrics
Every county-funded program should have clear metrics and automatic sunset provisions. If it's not working after 3 years, it ends.
Oppose bonds for operating expenses
Bonds should fund capital projects with 30+ year lifespans, not operating expenses or programs that should be funded annually.
Pensions are crowding out county services
LA County's pension gap exceeds $18 billion. Poor investment returns and generous benefits mean pension costs crowd out services residents actually need.
Publish clear pension liability reports
LA County's pension gap exceeds $18 billion. Publish monthly dashboards showing unfunded liability, annual contribution requirements, and progress toward funding.
Implement pension reform for new hires
New county employees should receive defined contribution plans rather than defined benefit pensions. Honor existing commitments while stopping the bleeding.
Fees and regulations make LA County uncompetitive
County fees and regulatory complexity add to the cost of doing business. The cumulative burden drives investment away.
Publish real-time spending dashboards
Every dollar the county spends should be visible online within 48 hours. Publish real-time spending dashboards that any resident can access.
Publish all contracts and vendor payments online
Make every county contract and payment to vendors searchable online. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Quarterly department performance scorecards
Each department publishes quarterly scorecards showing budget vs. actual spending, service delivery metrics, and staffing levels.
Comprehensive fee audit and reduction
Audit every county fee for necessity and reasonableness. Reduce or eliminate fees that don't cover legitimate regulatory costs.
Implement a regulatory budget
Cap the total regulatory burden on businesses. For every new regulation, remove an existing one of equal cost.
— Tomás Sidenfaden's campaign website (April 8, 2026)
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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