The deadline for filing to run in the March 5 primary election is Wednesday, particularly for offices where an eligible incumbent opted not to seek re-election. This includes three congressional seats in Los Angeles County.
Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat from Burbank, is pursuing the U.S. Senate seat previously held by the late Dianne Feinstein. Meanwhile, Representatives Tony Cardenas of Pacoima and Grace Napolitano of Norwalk have announced their retirements.
A total of 16 candidates, comprising 12 Democrats, two Republicans, one Peace & Freedom Party candidate, and one with no party preference, have completed the filing process. They are vying to succeed Schiff in representing the predominantly Democratic 30th District, spanning from West Hollywood to Pasadena and Echo Park to the Angeles National Forest.
Among the Democratic candidates are former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, state Sen. Anthony Portantino, Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education member Nick Melvoin, West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne, former State Department official Dr. Jirair Ratevosian, and actor Ben Savage. Schiff has not endorsed any candidate.
Cardenas, from Pacoima, has endorsed Assemblywoman Luz Rivas of North Hollywood to succeed him in representing the 29th Congressional District in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. Other candidates in this race include community organizer Angélica María Dueñas, Republicans Benito “Benny” Bernal and María Margarita Carranza.
Napolitano has endorsed Sen. Bob Archuleta of Pico Rivera in the race to succeed her in the predominantly Democratic 31st Congressional District in the San Gabriel Valley. Former Rep. Gil Cisneros and several other Democrats, including Sen. Susan Rubio, Mary Ann Lutz, Greg Hafif, and Kurt Jose, have also filed.
Three Republicans, clinical psychologist Pedro Antonio Casas, lawyer/entrepreneur/educator Daniel Jose Bocic Martinez, and government affairs administrator Elvira Moreno, along with two candidates without a party preference, teacher Erskine Levi and commissioner Marie Manvel, have also filed.
The filing period concluded on Friday for most county, state, and federal offices in Los Angeles County for the March 5 primary election. State law allows a five-day extension to the filing period when an eligible incumbent does not seek re-election.
The March 5 ballot will feature primaries for president, all of California’s 52 congressional seats, 20 of the 40 state Senate seats, all 80 seats in the Assembly, three seats on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and Los Angeles County district attorney. The list of qualified candidates will be announced on December 29 by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
