Your weekly “wait, that’s happening?” digest
If you’re like me, you may not have even realized there’s an election happening right now. So we made you a short guide, because most of us do not have time to read every endorsement, candidate forum recap, policy page, and extremely earnest neighborhood Facebook comment before school pickup.
A little context: CD11 is the Westside City Council district that includes neighborhoods like Venice, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Playa, Westchester, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, and parts of West LA. Mike Bonin held the seat before Traci Park won it in 2022, and this is one of 15 seats on the LA City Council, which usually means a four-year term.
This guide is not a deep dive. We’re only covering a few big topics that seem most relevant to daily life in CD11, and if you want more on where the candidates stand on other issues, comment below and we’ll do a part two.
What parents should know
This is a city race, not a school board race. LAUSD is run separately.
It is nonpartisan, so party labels do not appear on the ballot.
It still matters a lot for family life because City Council decisions shape housing, development, public space, and neighborhood services.
What this guide covers
We focused on the topics that seem most likely to affect everyday life for families in CD11:
Who they are.
Housing and homelessness.
Public safety.
Traffic and transit.
Schools, parks, and neighborhood life.
Whether families can afford to stay in the district long term.
What to do next
The official candidate list shows two candidates running for LA City Council District 11: Traci Park and Faizah Malik. If the grid below gives you enough to make your decision, great. If not, the next best step is to skim each campaign’s website directly and see which priorities sound closer to your own.
| Topic | Traci Park | Faizah Malik |
|---|---|---|
| Who they are | Incumbent councilmember running on her record in office. | Civil rights attorney running as the challenger. |
| Housing & homelessness | Emphasizes encampment response, enforcement in sensitive areas, and moving people indoors through services and housing. | Emphasizes building more housing, protecting tenants, and preventing homelessness before it starts. |
| Public safety | Makes neighborhood safety and visible order a central message of the campaign. | Talks more about long-term stability through housing, affordability, and community investment. |
| Traffic & transit | Campaign messaging is more centered on neighborhood management and quality-of-life concerns than on major transit expansion. | More closely aligned with safe-streets, transit, and housing-near-jobs messaging. |
| Schools & parks | Often frames schools, parks, sidewalks, and nearby public spaces through safety, access, and neighborhood upkeep. | Frames family quality of life more through affordability, stability, and whether people can remain in the district long term. |
| Can families afford to stay? | Less central in campaign messaging than public safety and neighborhood conditions. | A major campaign theme, especially for renters, working families, seniors, and younger residents. |
| Overall vibe | Incumbent, order-and-services, “I’ve been doing the job.” | Challenger, affordability-and-change, “the Westside needs a different direction.” |
just look it up real quick
How to actually vote
Election day: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Vote by mail: Every registered voter in California gets a mail ballot; you can mail it back, drop it in an official drop box, or bring it to any vote center.
Vote in person: LA County vote centers are open for several days before June 2 as well as on Election Day; you can vote at any vote center in the county. Find your closest voting location.
Find your locations: Use the LA County “Find My Election Information” tool to look up your nearest vote centers and ballot drop boxes.
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