In Partnership with 74

Final election results show voter turnout in LA races was 21 percent

Sarah Favot | March 21, 2017



Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

Vector agreement symbols on red background. EPSThe final votes in the March 7 primary election have been tallied and the results show about 21 percent of the city’s eligible voters cast ballots, LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said Tuesday. Turnout countywide was 17 percent.

Only one of the three seats up for election on the LA Unified school board was decided in the primary. Incumbent Mónica García won outright her District 2 seat encompassing downtown LA and Boyle Heights, earning 56 percent of the votes. The seats for District 4 representing the west side of LA, Hollywood and a portion of the West San Fernando Valley and District 6 in the east San Fernando Valley will head to a runoff on May 16.

School board President Steve Zimmer will face Nick Melvoin in the District 4 runoff, and Kelly Gonez and Imelda Padilla will compete in the District 6 runoff.

The only percentage change since the last update was Gonez falling from 38 percent to 37 percent of the vote.

Here are the final vote counts:

District 2

García, the board’s longest-serving member, was re-elected to her fourth and final term receiving 20,1710 votes, or 56 percent.

Bravo Medical Magnet teacher Lisa Alva received 12,788 votes, or 34 percent.

Parent and businessman Carl J. Petersen received 3,696 votes, or 10 percent.

District 4

Zimmer, who is seeking is third and final term, received 45,088 votes, or 47 percent, falling short of the more than 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.

Melvoin, an attorney, advocate, and teacher, received 31,771 votes, or 33 percent.

Allison Holdorff Polhill received 13,510 votes, or 14 percent.

Greg Martayan received 6,189 votes, or 6 percent.

District 6

Gonez, a teacher at Crown Preparatory Academy, topped the ticket receiving 15,984 votes, or 37 percent.

Padilla, a community organizer, received 13,390 votes, or 31 percent.

Patty López received 5,159 votes, or 12 percent.

Araz Parshegian received 3,853 votes, or 9 percent.

Gwendolyn Posey received 2,483 votes, or 6 percent.

Jose Sandoval received 2,149 votes, or 5 percent.

Read LA School Report’s full series of coverage at LAUSD Race 2017.

Read Next