Los Angeles's 12th City Council district

Last updated

Los Angeles's 12th
City Council district
Flag of Los Angeles, California.svg
Los Angeles City Council District 12.svg
Councilmember
  John Lee
I – Porter Ranch
Registration44%  Democratic
24%  Republican
32%  No party preference
Demographics47.7%  White
4.3%  Black
28.1%  Hispanic
16.4%  Asian
0.5% Other
Population (2020)262,032
Registered voters (2017)161,523
Website cd12.lacity.gov

Los Angeles's 12th City Council district is one of the fifteen districts in the Los Angeles City Council. It is currently represented by Independent John Lee since 2019 after he was elected to finish Mitchell Englander's term. Lee is the only Independent on the nonpartisan City Council, previously being a Republican much like his predecessors. [1]

Contents

The district was created in 1925 after a new city charter was passed, which replaced the former "at large" voting system for a nine-member council with a district system with a 15-member council. At the time of creation, it was situated in Downtown Los Angeles before being moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1964. Within recent years up until 2020, the seat was held by Republicans and was considered a Republican stronghold within a Democratic city. [2] [3] It is the second largest district behind the 11th district.

Geography

The district covers the northwestern San Fernando Valley communities of Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Northridge, Porter Ranch, West Hills, North Hills, and Reseda. [4]

The district is completely within California's 32nd congressional district, California's 27th State Senate district, and overlaps California's 38th and 45th State Assembly districts.

Historical boundaries

From 1925 to 1964 the district occupied the same general area in northwest Downtown Los Angeles, Bunker Hill, and Westlake, with a district office at 1209 Huntley Drive. [5] Between 1928 and 1954, the boundaries expanded the district. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] In 1954, it was now Downtown, between Figueroa and Catalina streets. [11] In 1955, it bordered Venice Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and Figueroa Street. [12]

In 1964, the council had discussed moving the 12th district to the northwest San Fernando Valley which had grown in population over the years, and incumbent John P. Cassidy agreed to do so, saying he would relocate to the area. [13] At the time, the area included Granada Hills, Northridge, Chatsworth, Panorama City, and the northern half of Canoga Park and had a population of about 190,000. [14]

List of members representing the district

CouncilmemberPartyDatesElectoral history
District established July 1, 1925.
A. J. Barnes, 1925.jpg
A. J. Barnes
(Westlake)		 Progressive July 1, 1925 –
June 30, 1927		Elected in 1925.
Lost re-election.
Douglas Eads Foster, 1928.jpg
Douglas E. Foster
(Westlake)		 Republican July 1, 1927 –
June 30, 1929		Elected in 1927.
Lost re-election.
Thomas-W-Williams-Los-Angeles-1931.tiff
Thomas W. Williams
(Silver Lake)		 Socialist July 1, 1929 –
April 13, 1931		Elected in 1929.
Died.
VacantApril 13, 1931 –
June 3, 1931
Thomas F. Ford, 1920s.jpg
Thomas F. Ford
(Silver Lake)		 Democratic June 3, 1931 –
March 1, 1933		Elected and appointed to finish Williams's term.
Resigned when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
VacantMarch 1, 1933 –
March 17, 1933
James-T-Carroll-of-Los-Angeles.tiff
James T. Carroll
(Westlake)		 Democratic March 17, 1933 –
June 30, 1933		Appointed, then elected to finish Ford's term.
Not a candidate in the next election.
John W. Baumgartner, 1935.jpg
John W. Baumgartner
(Westlake)		 Democratic July 1, 1933 –
June 30, 1945		Elected in 1933.
Re-elected in 1937.
Re-elected in 1941.
Re-elected in 1943.
Retired.
Ed J. Davenport, 1950.jpg
Ed J. Davenport
(Westlake)		 Democratic July 1, 1945 –
April 16, 1948		Elected in 1945.
Re-elected in 1947.
Re-elected in 1949.
Re-elected in 1951.
Died.
Republican April 16, 1948 –
June 24, 1953
VacantJune 24, 1953 –
September 1, 1953
Hariett Davenport, 1953.jpg
Harriett Davenport
(Westlake)		 Independent September 1, 1953 –
June 30, 1955		Appointed to finish her husband's term.
Retired.
Ransom Callicott, 1953.jpg
Ransom M. Callicott
(Westlake)		 Republican July 1, 1955 –
November 14, 1962		Elected in 1955.
Re-elected in 1959.
Died.
VacantNovember 14, 1962 –
December 7, 1962
John P. Cassidy, 1964.jpg
John P. Cassidy
(Westlake)		 Republican December 7, 1962 –
June 30, 1967		Appointed to finish Callicott's term.
Elected in 1963.
Re-elected in 1965.
Lost re-election.
Robert M. Wilkinson, 1975.jpg
Robert M. Wilkinson
(Porter Ranch)		 Republican July 1, 1967 –
June 30, 1979		Elected in 1967.
Re-elected in 1969.
Re-elected in 1971.
Re-elected in 1975.
Retired.
Hal Bernson, 1986.jpg
Hal Bernson
(Northridge)		 Republican July 1, 1979 –
June 30, 2003		Elected in 1979.
Re-elected in 1983.
Re-elected in 1987.
Re-elected in 1991.
Re-elected in 1985.
Re-elected in 1999.
Retired.
Greig Smith, 2008.jpg
Greig Smith
(Granada Hills)		 Republican July 1, 2003 –
June 30, 2011		Elected in 2003.
Re-elected in 2007.
Retired.
Mitchell Englander, 2014.jpg
Mitchell Englander
(Granada Hills)		 Republican July 1, 2011 –
December 31, 2018		 Elected in 2011.
Elected in 2015.
Resigned.
VacantDecember 31, 2018 –
January 15, 2019
Greig Smith, 2018.jpg
Greig Smith
(Granada Hills)		 Republican January 15, 2019 –
August 23, 2019		Appointed to serve until next election.
Retired.
John Lee, 2019.jpg
John Lee
(Porter Ranch)		 Republican August 30, 2019 –
January 12, 2020		 Elected to finish Englander's term.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2024.
Independent January 12, 2020 –
present

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References

  1. ↑ Bozzi, Sloane (March 3, 2020). "John Lee wants to finish what he started". The Sundial.
  2. ↑ Grigoryants, Olga (July 26, 2019). "San Fernando Valley's City Council District 12 candidates, vying for key office amid a wave of change, could not be more different". Los Angeles Daily News .
  3. ↑ Reyes, Emily Alpert; McDaniel, Piper (August 14, 2019). "Republican John Lee claims victory in Valley council race". Los Angeles Times .{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Hernández, Caitlin (November 18, 2022). "LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who's Who (And What They Do)". LAist .
  5. ↑ "To the Citizens of Los Angeles," Los Angeles Times, February 14, 1926, page B-5
  6. ↑ "Council Areas' Lines Changed," Los Angeles Times, December 29, 1928, page A-1
  7. ↑ "District Lines Get Approval," Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1932, page 2
  8. ↑ "City Reapportionment Measure Gets Approval," Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1933 With map of all districts.
  9. ↑ "Do You Know Who Your City Councilman Is?" Los Angeles Times, March 24, 1935, page 22 Includes a map.
  10. ↑ "Proposed New Alignment for City Voting Precincts," Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1940, page A-3 Includes a map.
  11. ↑ "6 Councilmen to Run; Mrs Davenport to Quit," Los Angeles Examiner, December 14, 1954, section 3, page 2, in Los Angeles Public Library reference file
  12. ↑ "Unusual Setup for Council's Contests," Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1955, page B-3
  13. ↑ Erwin Baker, "Councilman Cassidy Will Move to the Valley," Los Angeles Times, July 11, 1964, page 17
  14. ↑ Jack McCurdy, "New Council Districting Voted 14-0," Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1964, page A-1
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