# Tight Race in Los Angeles City Council District 9 Election Candidates Jose Ugarte and Estuardo Mazariegos remain separated by only 156 votes. - **Source:** [Los Angeles Times – California](https://www.latimes.com/california) - **Published:** 2026-11-11 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/36be366d-3292-463c-8fb5-bf6a14ca3953 ## Narrow Margin in District 9 One week after the November 3 election, the race for Los Angeles City Council District 9 remains undecided. Candidates Jose Ugarte and Estuardo Mazariegos are separated by a mere 156 votes. The latest tally shows Ugarte with 19,200 votes compared to Mazariegos’ 19,044, leaving the final outcome pending further ballot processing. ## Ballot Counting Delays Tuesday marked the final day for mail-in ballots to be counted by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. Due to the Veterans Day holiday on Wednesday, the next official vote update is scheduled for Friday. Officials have not provided an estimate regarding the remaining number of uncounted ballots currently in the system. ## Political Context and Succession The seat is currently held by Curren Price, who must vacate the position due to term limits. Price is also facing legal challenges involving embezzlement and conflict of interest charges, which he denies. He has endorsed Ugarte, while Mazariegos has secured the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America’s local chapter. ## Allegations of Improper Conduct Mazariegos’ campaign has leveled accusations against Ugarte’s team, alleging improper ballot collection practices. They shared images of a volunteer delivering a stack of ballots to a drop box. The registrar-recorder’s office forwarded these claims to the district attorney’s office, noting that California law permits voters to authorize others to return ballots. ## Campaign Platform Differences Ugarte’s platform focuses on protecting residents from federal immigration enforcement and the current administration’s policies. Conversely, Mazariegos, a longtime community organizer, advocates for affordable housing and reallocating municipal funds away from policing toward basic services. Both candidates represent distinct ideological approaches to governing the South Los Angeles neighborhoods within the district. ## District 3 Election Outcome In a separate contest, Barri Worth Girvan declared victory in the 3rd District council race after securing 51% of the vote. She defeated rival Tim Gaspar, a former insurance company owner supported by business groups. Worth Girvan will replace Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, bringing nearly two decades of public service experience to the role. ## Legal Review of Complaints The district attorney’s office is currently reviewing the allegations submitted by Mazariegos regarding ballot handling. Ugarte has publicly dismissed these claims, labeling them as categorically false and defamatory. The registrar-recorder’s office stated that the specific photo circulated online did not raise immediate alarms, as the activity depicted is legal under state law. ## Significance of Local Governance These council races are critical for the future of Los Angeles governance, as they involve replacing long-term incumbents facing term limits. The outcome in District 9 will determine the political direction of South L.A. neighborhoods, including the Convention Center and USC. The final tally will conclude a closely watched local election cycle. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-11-11/just-156-votes-separate-two-candidates-in-l-a-s-9th-district-council-race — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._