LA Forward Endorsements for the November 3, 2026 Election
Nithya Raman for LA City Mayor
LA Forward is built by hundreds of members whose voices guide our organizational priorities. When deciding who we support for the next mayor of LA, our members are clear: Nithya Raman won the support of 90% of LA Forward members who cast ballots in a vote with record-breaking turnout.
Being LA’s Mayor is an incredibly difficult job in the best of times. And needless to say, these are not the best of times. As former Deputy Mayor and Deputy Controller Rick Cole has noted, “beneath the broken sidewalks is a broken system that desperately needs fixing.”
Of the two candidates in this race, Councilmember Raman is best suited to ensure LA City government truly delivers for all Angelenos.
Mayor Bass is smart, hard-working, and rooted in a long history of justice organizing and progressive legislating. That’s why we were proud to endorse her in 2022. But with notable exceptions such as standing up to ICE, she hasn’t risen to the challenge of being Mayor, especially when it comes to managing our massive city government and communicating effectively with the public. Bass has frequently taken the political path of least resistance, taking for granted the progressive voter base that got her elected in the first place and appeasing powerful interests like the police union and Airbnb, which are the same forces that have funded conservative candidates across the city.
Despite Raman’s much shorter tenure in local politics, she has a clearer understanding of the ineffective areas of our city government, and a vision for how to fix them.
Raman’s track record in office over the last six years has largely aligned with LA Forward’s priorities. She helped move LA toward a citywide unarmed crisis response system, spearheaded new protections for renters (even before new progressive colleagues joined her on council in 2022), co-authored the sanctuary city ordinance to protect immigrants, championed good governance reforms to reduce corruption and increase the effectiveness of government, secured a unanimous council vote for building electrification climate policy, and backed expanded transportation and mobility options.
Raman used her position as chair of the Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee to try to get the Venice Dell affordable housing project out of the red tape purgatory to which Mayor Bass, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, and Councilmember Traci Park had consigned it.
Raman was one of only a few votes against deals created by Mayor Bass that drained the city’s coffers through overspending on police salaries and a Convention Center overhaul, leading to cutbacks of other vital city services.
Raman fought for real charter reform, including council expansion, greater oversight powers for the City Controller, and increased police accountability, while Mayor Bass unnecessarily delayed the Charter Commission’s start by eight months and then thwarted attempts at broader reform.
Raman used her role on the AQMD board to fight climate change and air pollution before Mayor Bass removed her for being too hard-charging.
Aside from all the issues where we’ve appreciated Raman’s leadership more than Bass’s, we are most hopeful about things that are not policy-specific.
We need a Mayor who pays attention to management, hires top leaders who understand how to get things done at City Hall, and communicates in a way that meets the challenges of the always-on media landscape.
We need a Mayor who is laser-focused on ensuring LA City government works well on a daily basis, holds Department leaders accountable for outcomes, and keeps policy implementation and Angelenos’ experience of government top of mind for everyone in leadership, as well as the rank-and-file.
This is not an easy task for anyone; however, we see Raman asking the right questions and setting the right priorities.
We’re also impressed by Raman’s ambitious and detailed policy agenda. We’re reassured by the commitments she’s made to us personally for collaborative governance and coalition-building, including on issues where we don’t agree.
For all these reasons and more, LA Forward is proud to join partners such as ACCE and City Controller Kenneth Mejia in endorsing Nithya Raman for Mayor.
Interested in volunteering for Nithya alongside other LA Forward members? Fill out this form to get involved.
Marissa Roy for LA City Attorney
Los Angeles needs a City Attorney who protects the public, not one who uses the office to advance personal political interests.
Under the current City Attorney, the city has faced record-breaking liability payouts, attempts to criminalize free speech, and alarming efforts to give police greater power to target journalists.
Marissa Roy offers a profoundly different vision: intelligent, ethical, justice-oriented leadership grounded in competence and care for the people of Los Angeles.
A brilliant attorney and lifelong public servant, Marissa has built her career fighting to protect consumers, the environment, tenants and civil rights – including successfully suing the Trump administration.
As an accomplished litigator with experience working in the same office she is running for, she understands how to use the City Attorney’s office to protect Angelenos, not endanger them. Marissa Roy will be the peoples’ lawyer.
Barri Worth Girvan for LA City Council District 3
Barri Worth Girvan is the best choice for the West Valley, and LA Forward is proud to support her for LA City Council District 3.
She backs a variety of policies to tackle the housing crisis directly and supports a compassionate approach to homelessness that effectively gets people off the streets and into housing, instead of relying on criminalization.
She’s eager to promote the expansion of unarmed crisis response services across the Valley, so we’re not sending armed people to deal with issues that deserve trained mental health responders.
She’ll champion climate solutions that combat global warming which is driving up temperatures in the Valley year after year. And, she will back long-term, comprehensive infrastructure planning to help fix the broken sidewalks, streetlights, and potholes across our city.
Barri has had a long career in public service and a great reputation among people who know her. Her supporters include environmental organizations and progressive unions. In contrast, her opponent is backed by the police union, landlord lobby, real estate interests, and the most conservative members of the City Council.
She is not a movement progressive like many of our endorsed candidates, but we trust that she will work with us closely and partner to help make Los Angeles a fair, flourishing place for everyone, unlike her opponent who would consolidate a growing conservative presence on council.
For all these reasons and more, LA Forward endorses Barri Worth Girvan and encourages West Valley residents to vote for her!
Estuardo Mazariegos for LA City Council District 9
Estuardo is exactly the kind of leader we need at City Hall: someone who doesn't just understand how power works, but has spent decades building it from the ground up. As Co-Director of ACCE's LA region, he has been an invaluable ally in the fight for housing justice, leading the charge on the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, the Resident Protection Ordinance, and helping pass Measure ULA. His deep roots in advocacy and organizing are matched by policy expertise — Estuardo holds a Master's in Public Policy from Cal State LA.
Angelenos deserve a leader in office who truly comes from the community and genuinely cares about people. Estuardo is an immigrant from Guatemala who was carried across the Rio Grande as a child by his mother. He learned to be a community organizer as a young child in South LA, and has never stopped being one. As a Councilmember, Estuardo will fight for immigrants, tenants, affordable housing, a greener city, and a government that works for the people. That's why our members voted overwhelmingly to endorse him.
Amy J Wong for Alhambra City Council District 1
LA Forward is proud to endorse Amy Wong for Alhambra City Council District 1.
Wong has long advocated for environmental justice and active transportation in the San Gabriel Valley. She has extensive experience conducting community engagement, listening to community needs before acting on solutions to solve them. She currently works at the South Coast Air Quality Management District where she advises on policies to clean our air and improve public health. She also has experience as a Coalition Coordinator for Nature for All. She previously worked as Program Director at ActiveSGV, which coordinates multimodal transportation initiatives in Alhambra and surrounding cities, and worked as a Program Associate at Day One, helping to create a network of complete streets.
She led the anti-data center movements in Alhambra and Monterey Park through her organization, San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action (SGVPA). Her efforts to ban data centers in Monterey Park resulted in the much-publicized Measure NDC ballot measure that passed with over 85% support. In Alhambra, she succeeded in securing an anti-data center ballot measure for the November election.
Additionally, Wong is the co-founder of the Matilija Library, a community library, bookstore and gathering space that aims to “uplift the stories, cultures, and experiences of communities of color” across the SGV. She has also “advocated for more inclusive public engagement after seeing too many residents left out because city information and outreach failed to reach immigrant communities.”
Wong is a renter and understands firsthand the importance of ensuring everyone who lives in Alhambra is able to stay in the city they call home. Wong supports affordable housing, renter protections, and displacement prevention, while still keeping Alhambra's established neighborhoods intact as a Historic Preservation Commissioner. A vote for Wong protects renters by applying the growth Alhambra needs, prioritizing housing construction that increases supply and brings down prices for new homeowners, and provides convenient, mixed-use neighborhoods where employment options, necessities, and amenities abound.
Wong will bring the same collaborative, results-driven leadership that has defined her career to Alhambra’s City Council. Her successes turning community priorities into action show she is ready to put her experience to work for Alhambra. She will tackle housing challenges thoughtfully, support small businesses, improve parks and mobility, strengthen environmental sustainability, protect immigrant families, and ensure every community member has a meaningful voice in shaping Alhambra's future.
Nikki Perez for Burbank City Council
There are three at-large council spots up for election this November in Burbank. LA Forward is proud to endorse incumbent Councilmember Perez for re-election, along with Mike Van Gorder and Nolan Southerland.
Born and raised in Burbank, Nikki is the daughter of parents who immigrated from El Salvador and Guatemala. She attended Burbank public schools and began her career in public service with her first job as a City of Burbank CREST worker. She then spent her career in public service as a social worker and homeless services project manager. Before being elected to Council, she served as Chair of the Burbank Library Board of Trustees.
Her election made history. Nikki became Burbank’s first Indigenous and openly LGBTQIA+ councilmember. She went on to serve as the youngest Mayor in the city’s history and the first Burbank Mayor to become a mother while in office.
Nikkis is committed to opening City Hall to the people who have too often been overlooked, unheard, or told to wait their turn.
During her first term, Nikki brought that commitment into every decision she made. She fought for renters struggling to remain in their homes, helped secure millions of dollars for homelessness services, expanded support for local nonprofits, protected immigrant families, invested in Burbank’s firefighters and emergency response teams, and worked to preserve the entertainment jobs that support thousands of local households.
She has pushed Burbank to become a city where working people, young families, immigrants, renters, and vulnerable residents have a real voice in the decisions that shape their lives.
Nikki’s approach to public service comes from her career as a social worker. She earned degrees in Psychology and Music Performance from UC Riverside and a Master of Social Welfare from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Her work has brought together schools, government agencies, nonprofits, young people, and families to help those facing homelessness and other barriers find stability and opportunity.
Nikki is running for re-election to continue breaking down the barriers that keep people from building a good, quality, life in Burbank.
She is fighting for a city where families and individuals can afford to stay, workers can find quality jobs, renters are treated fairly, children have access to opportunity, and every resident knows that their city government works for them.
LA Forward leaders appreciated her stance record of leadership and her stance on many key issues.
Nolan Southerland for Burbank City Council
There are three at-large council spots up for election this November in Burbank. LA Forward is proud to endorse Nolan Southerland, along with Mike Van Gorder and incumbent Councilmember Perez.
Nolan is a father, community organizer, entertainment union member, and Burbank resident for over a decade. He’s organized with tenants, led work protecting our immigrant neighbors, and engaged the city on issues from transit to policing. He’s running because members of the Burbank community asked him to represent our collective interests in City Hall.
LA Forward members were deeply impressed during his interview by his approach to governance and his commitment to the issues we care about. He communicated his positions to our members with clarity and brevity.
Mike Van Gorder For Burbank City Council
There are three at-large council spots up for election this November in Burbank. LA Forward is proud to endorse Mike Van Gorder, along with incumbent Councilmember Perez and newcomer Nolan Southerland.
Mike is a working parent that is experiencing, alongside you, the daily stress of being cost-burdened; housing, childcare, groceries, gas and the thousand other things that have exploded in price this past decade.
We are in a housing crisis, and he’s a housing policy expert; we are in a democratic crisis, and he’s launched the protest series that put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air; we are facing a federal terror campaign against both citizens and noncitizens, and he’s leading anti-ICE organizers in Burbank. The LGBTQIA community is under attack as a proxy to undermine public education, and he is a proud public school father and fierce ally to the queer community that will call out the culture war as the hateful, counterproductive theater that it is.
He works as a senior housing policy specialist for the State of California and currently serves on Burbank’s Planning Commission. He’s a founder of the Glendale Tenants Union and served three terms as an elected delegate to the State Democratic Party.
His platform is laser-focused on improving Burbank residents’ everyday lives: Combatting the housing crisis, boosting worker power, protecting public education, and standing up for ALL Burbankers.
LA Forward didn’t endorse him when he ran for Council in 2024 but we were impressed with his relentless commitment to stay involved after he lost that election. We appreciate the expertise and passion he brings to the race and his strong commitments to renter protections.
Freddy Puza for Culver City Council
There are two at-large seats up for election on the Culver City Council this fall and LA Forward is proud to endorse both Freddy Puza and Thomas Auero Small for these important positions.
Freddy Puza has served on Council for the last four years. He’s a collaborative leader, community advocate, and problem-solver dedicated to making the city more affordable, inclusive, and sustainable for everyone
During his time in office, he has focused on addressing the issues that matter to residents: improving neighborhood livability, expanding housing affordability, protecting renters, supporting small businesses, investing in safe transportation options, advancing climate action, and strengthening Culver City's vibrant arts and cultural community.
He previously served on Culver City's Committee on Homelessness and the General Plan Advisory Committee, helping shape long-term solutions to some of the city's most pressing challenges. He also co-created Culver City Pride, helping launch the city's first-ever LGBTQ+ Pride celebration and establishing a new tradition that reflects Culver City's values of inclusion, belonging, and community. Through these efforts, Freddy has consistently worked to bring people together, amplify underrepresented voices, and build a city where everyone feels welcome.
As the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the Culver City Council, Freddy is proud to represent a city that embraces diversity and civic engagement. He remains focused on addressing the challenges facing Culver City while ensuring it remains a place where residents, families, workers, and small businesses can thrive.
He’s been endorsed by Our Culver, Culver City Democratic Club, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Westside Young Democrats, Equality California, Stonewall Democrats, United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Friends of the Earth, and Moms Demand Action Gun Sense. He also has the backing of local elected officials like Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Rep. Laura Friedman, State Senators Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and Ben Allen, as well as Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Culver City Councilmember Yasmine-Imani McMorrin and Bubba Fish, and Fmr. Culver City Mayors Gary Silbiger and Meghan Sahli-Wells.
Thomas Small for Culver City Council
There are two at-large seats up for election on the Culver City Council this fall and LA Forward is proud to endorse both Freddy Puza and Thomas Auero Small for these important positions.
Thomas Aujero Small was elected to the Culver City Council in 2016 and appointed Mayor in 2018. After serving one four-year term on the Council, he took time off to be with his kids. Six years later, he’s back and ready to serve again.
His path to public service began through the arts. A lifelong student of music, architecture, and cities, Thomas's work as a writer and researcher exploring the relationship between culture and
the built environment led to his appointment to the Culver City Cultural Affairs Commission. He also volunteered with the Culver City Unified School District, teaching Spanish to elementary students at Linwood E. Howe.
As a Cultural Affairs Commissioner, Thomas worked to strengthen Culver City's commitment to the arts and culture, including partnering with Poet Laureate Janet Hoult to establish the Culver City Artist Laureate Program, creating a lasting way to recognize the artists who enrich our community.
During his time on the Commission, Thomas developed a deeper appreciation for how local government shapes the future of a city. Then as a Council Member, he went on to chair the City's General Plan Update Committee, leading a community-wide conversation about responsible growth, neighborhood preservation, and the kind of city Culver City should become.
As Mayor, Thomas helped guide the city through a period of significant change while working to preserve the qualities that make Culver City such a special place to live. He focused on improving mobility, strengthening neighborhoods, modernizing infrastructure, supporting local businesses, and building partnerships that brought new resources to the city. Throughout his public service, he has believed that thoughtful planning and practical leadership can help every neighborhood thrive.
Thomas has also represented Culver City throughout Los Angeles County and California. He has served with the Southern California Association of Governments, the Westside Council of Governments, the California League of Cities, and other regional organizations helping Culver City compete for grants, build partnerships, and ensure the city's voice is heard on issues ranging from transportation to sustainability.
After completing his service as Mayor and City Councilmember, Small founded Culver City Forward, a public-private initiative that brought together residents, community organizations, and the city's leading media and technology companies to shape Culver City's future. Although the effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it reinforced his belief that strong partnerships between government, business, and the community can improve quality of life for everyone.
He continued his civic leadership by helping curate the Los Angeles Verde Exchange Conference, designing programs on urban mobility, international crisis response, and community resilience. His work included collaborations with the RAND Corporation to engage residents in recovery, planning and preparedness following the Los Angeles wildfires.
He currently serves on the LA Metro Sustainability Council, and on the advisory boards of the Urban Land Institute-LA and the Thomas Mann House, an international forum for democracy and transatlantic dialogue.
Small and his wife, Joanna Brody, have called Culver City home for decades, where they raised their two children. Thomas is running for City Council because he believes Culver City's best days are still ahead. He believes our city can be a place where families can thrive, seniors can age in place, businesses can succeed, housing is within reach, neighborhoods remain strong, and government earns the public's trust by listening, communicating openly, and delivering results.
He’s been endorsed by Our Culver, the Culver City Democratic Club, Westside Young Democrats, Los Angeles County Young Democrats, the CA Working Families Party, Sierra Club, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Western States Carpenters, California Democratic Renters Council, Stonewall Young Democrats. He has the support of elected officials such as Culver Councilmembers Freddy Puza, Bubba Fish, and Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, as well as former Mayors Meghan Sahli-Wells, David Hauptman, and Gary Silbiger.
John Pickhaver for El Segundo City Council
LA Forward is proud to endorse John Pickhaver for an at-large El Segundo City Council seat, alongside our allies at Indivisible South Bay. His two opponents are registered independents who lean conservative – Chris Pimentel (current Mayor), and Ryan Baldino (Mayor Pro Tem). Voters can vote for up to two candidates, but we’re recommending voting only for John Pickhaver.
John Pickhaver is the only progressive candidate in the race. Pickhaver has a six-year history as a community builder and activist advocating for a more inclusive city. (El Segundo has a history of redlining and racial profiling.) Pickhaver helped spur the city to recognize and celebrate Pride Month, pushed the city to create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) citizen advisory committee, and currently serves as Chair of El Segundo’s Art and Culture Committee.
He is the only candidate willing to meaningfully discuss the need to build multifamily housing as mandated by the State of California. Although he has been a consistent voice calling for transparency and accountability from the incumbents on the City Council, he has also built positive relationships with city staff and council members. He has the skills and experience to navigate the city’s systems and work toward the best possible outcomes.
Pickhaver led a successful campaign to stop a proposed data center in an area that is now zoned for housing after the passage of SB 79. He also successfully organized opposition to a rushed process to make El Segundo a charter city, which could have led to lawsuits with the state.
The two incumbents in the race, Chris Pimentel and Ryan Baldino, have been willing to rush major changes to the city’s governance in pursuit of perceived short-term benefits. Chris Pimentel is an advocate for the defense-tech startup community, which brings attention to the city but does not necessarily provide benefits to residents and small-business owners.
Both Pimentel and Baldino have taken NIMBY positions on housing, both having voted for a “poison pill” inclusivity requirement for multifamily housing that could have thwarted development just as SB 79 rezoned areas near transit for development.
Both candidates advocated for El Segundo to become a charter city on a rushed timeline. Pimentel voted to override the City Planning Commission’s denial of a Tesla dealership on Pacific Coast Highway due to zoning issues. Pimentel also voted for – and lost – a motion for the city to invest a small percentage of City Pension funds into a volatile Crypto ETF.
The best way to ensure a progressive candidate is elected would be to vote only for Pickhaver in this race, as an additional vote for a second candidate essentially cancels out the vote for Pickhaver. If a voter chooses to vote for both seats, the recommendation would be to vote for Pickhaver and Baldino.
Steven Kung for Monterey City Council District 5
Steven Kung is challenging incumbent Vinh Ngo for Monterey Park City Council District 5. Kung is a LA Forward member, and we’re proud to endorse him, alongside CA Working Families Party, No Data Center Monterey Park, Jane Fonda Climate PAC
La Comadre Network, and SGVoices Communities for Change
Steve is not a long-time politician. He’s a writer-director who became deeply involved in local politics when an Australian developer wanted to build LA County’s largest hyperscale data center a five minute walk from his house. He co-founded No Data Center Monterey Park and ran the ballot measure committee for Yes on Measure NDC, which banned data centers.
The community showed up in force, passing NDC by 88% and propelling our little-city-that-could onto the national stage by becoming the first city in the country to ban data centers by popular vote. Winning the data center battle by a landslide inspired Steven to believe that real change in our city is possible - even a city riddled with political dysfunction - as long as it’s powered by the people.
The incumbent had courted the data center developer, although he later backtracked.
His platform comes out of the anti-data center actions – healthy neighborhoods, free of pollution, ICE and Flock, and first and foremost, transparency and accountability with city hall because Monterey Park cannot go through another debacle like the data center again.
Diana Lam for Rosemead City Council
There are three at-large seats on the Rosemead City Council up for election and LA Forward is excited to endorse our member Diana Lam for one of them and pleased to recommend incumbents Sandra Armenta and Steven Ly for the remaining two spots.
The other candidate in this race is John Tran, who was formerly convicted on corruption charges. He is endorsed by the MAGA Republican current councilmember Maggie Smith who is not seeking re-election
Diana Lam is a daughter of immigrants who is a first generation college graduate who built a career in finance and workforce development. She’s running a strong grassroots campaign for Rosemead City Council to bring fresh perspectives in City Hall and to make City Hall work better for everyday families. We think she’ll make an excellent councilmember.
Electing Sandra Armenta and Steven Ly is important for blocking John Tran. Although Steven is more moderate than us, we appreciate his interest in relationship-building.
Caroline Torosis for Santa Monica City Council
Three seats on the seven-member Santa Monica City Council are open for election this fall. Incumbents Caroline Torosis and Lana Negrete are both running for re-election, while Jesse Zwick is stepping down after one term on the council.
LA Forward is proud to endorse Caroline Torosis for re-election and to recommend two other candidates, Brett Morrow and Danny Ivanov.
These three candidates are being backed as a progressive slate by a few of the key political groups in Santa Monica, including Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) and UNITE HERE Local 11. Torosis and Morrow are also backed by Santa Monica Forward (which despite the name is not connected to LA Forward).
The competing slate is led by incumbent Negrete and includes Doug Trussler and Ashley Oelsen, and backed by police and firefighters unions. There are many other candidates, but we think the real battle is between these two slates and that the progressive slate members are the ones worth voting for.
Torosis began her career as a public interest attorney representing workers who had been denied wages they were owed, arguing their cases in front of the Labor Commissioner and the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. From there sheI moved into building the systems that could protect workers at scale, helping stand up LA County's Wage Enforcement Program for its new minimum wage ordinance and co- authoring state legislation giving local agencies subpoena power to enforce it, then went on to lead economic development and affordable housing work for the County. In 2016, she was elected to the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, later serving as Chair, working hard to protect tenants. In my day job, she serves as Policy Director and Senior Deputy to Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell on the LA County Board of Supervisors, focusing on economic justice and human services.
As mayor, she brought on a highly effective city manager and launched the city’s Realignment Plan for economic revitalization.
As a councilmember, she’s supported new housing, protected bike infrastructure, and proactive community safety approaches.
Our Candidate Endorsement Process
LA Forward endorses progressive candidates for local office after a comprehensive and deliberative process that ensures you can trust our recommendation. Our goal is to help you navigate the complicated choices on your ballot and which candidates are worth supporting with your time and money.
Our local candidate endorsements are the result of a multi-step process.
Ultimately, all candidates who secure a support from a simple majority (50%+1) of voting members will receive our endorsement.
To protect our process and the voices of our members, we don’t allow anyone – including candidates – to buy memberships for their supporters to attempt to influence our endorsement votes. Anyone who is being paid by a campaign is not eligible to vote or participate in deliberations about the endorsement for that race.
Due to our limited capacity, LA Forward does not endorse candidates in every race in the county. Our current priorities are LA City Council, LA Citywide offices, some LA Countywide seats such as Superior Court, and smaller cities where we have a base of supporters.
For candidates: If we plan to make an endorsement in your race, we will contact your campaign to ask you to complete our candidate questionnaire to be considered for our process. Our team has limited bandwidth to respond to a high volume of inquiries about individual races – but if you have an urgent or essential question, you can reach us via the contact form on our website.