Seven candidates are up for Los Angeles City Attorney this primary election on June 7th. 

Before you vote, the ACLU of Southern California wants to make sure you have the information you need to elect a champion for social justice

Candidate Survey: To view the survey in full size, click to download it as a PDF.

 

To help the people of Los Angeles elect a city attorney that is an advocate for issues such as criminal justice reforms, alternatives to incarceration, the treatment of unhoused residents, law enforcement accountability, and immigrant rights, we surveyed the primary candidates on a range of social justice measures and asked them to provide statements to explain to voters how they would champion ACLU issues.

Download our survey and see the candidates' responses below.

 

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Methodology

We wanted LA County constituents to have enough information to elect a champion for social justice. So we asked candidates about their position on ten different policy questions faced by the City Attorney’s officewe. The questions cover a range of issues — from treatment of unhoused residents to supporting criminal justice reforms. We also gave candidates the chance to provide a statement on why Los Angeles voters can count on them to be a champion on the most pressing civil liberties, civil rights, racial and economic justice issues facing the City. Candidates had two weeks days to respond to the survey. We've reported how candidates answered question and posted their responses in full.

 

Did you grade or endorse candidates?

No. ACLU SoCal is a non-profit organization that does not endorse individual candidates in an election. We presented the candidates’ answers on their positions on these important issues, but we did not evaluate the responses or grade the candidates. The candidate survey is not an endorsement by the ACLU SoCal of any candidate, but simply provides information about the candidates' positions on important policy questions to help give voters information they need to elect a champion for social justice.

 

Is there information about candidates that your survey leaves out?

Yes. Our survey only reports the candidates’ yes-or-no answers on seven specific policy questions, and allowed them to provide additional explanation voters can review. We did not evaluate the answers to see how well-reasoned or persuasive they were, nor did we look at candidates' backgrounds or track records to see which might be most likely to advance a social justice agenda or most effective in doing so. But that's why we asked for candidates' statements -- so they can highlight any additional reasons why voters can trust them to be a champion on ACLU issues in the statements they provided.

The candidate guide was compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, a 501(c)(4) organization.

 

Candidate responses

To see each candidate's responses to our survey questions, please click on the candidate's name to download a PDF.

- Sherri Onica Valle Cole

- Marina Torres

- Faisal Gill