Los Angeles's 7th City Council district explained

State:Los Angeles
District:7
Chamber:City Council
Representative:Monica Rodriguez
Party:Democratic
Residence:Mission Hills
Population:268,710
Population Year:2020
Registered:124,771
Registered Year:2017
Percent White:22.3
Percent Asian:6.3
Percent Hispanic:68.3
Percent Black:3.1
Percent Other:0.3

Los Angeles's 7th City Council district is one of the fifteen districts in the Los Angeles City Council. It is currently represented by Democrat Monica Rodriguez since 2017 after winning an election to succeed Felipe Fuentes, who resigned the year prior.

The district was created in 1925 after a new city charter was passed, which replaced the former "at large" voting system for a nine-member council with a district system with a 15-member council. At its creation, the 7th district was situated south of Downtown Los Angeles. It was moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1956.[1]

Geography

The 7th district includes the neighborhoods of Sylmar, Mission Hills, Pacoima, Sunland-Tujunga, Lake View Terrace, Shadow Hills, La Tuna Canyon, and the northern portion of North Hills East.[2]

The district overlaps California's 29th congressional district and California's 30th congressional district, is completely within California's 20th State Senate district, and overlaps California's 43rd State Assembly district and California's 44th State Assembly district.

Historical boundaries

At its creation, it was bounded on the north by Jefferson Boulevard, on the south by Slauson Boulevard, on the west by Vermont Avenue and on the east by South Park Avenue.[3] [4] In 1928, it expanded to include Exposition Park and Vermont Square.[5] In 1933, it was bounded on the east by Alameda Avenue, on the west by Crenshaw Boulevard, on the north by Exposition Boulevard and on the south by Vernon Avenue.[6] [7] By 1937, it was bounded on the west by Crenshaw Boulevard, on the north by Exposition Boulevard, on the east by the city boundary with Vernon and on the south by Vernon Avenue.[8] [9]

By 1947, it was noted that nearly 50% of the district's population was African-American. In 1956, after incumbent councilman Don A. Allen's election to the California State Assembly, the City Council decided that the district would be moved to the San Fernando Valley.[1] In 1961, it included the neighborhoods of Van Nuys, Sepulveda, Granada Hills and Sylmar.[10] In 1986, it included Panorama City, part of Sun Valley and Sylmar.[11] By 1993, it had a population that consisted of 70% Latinos and 19% African-Americans council that covered "much of the northeast Valley", encompassing "one of Los Angeles's poorest areas" and containing "the shuttered General Motors plant in Van Nuys as well as Blythe Street in Panorama City, one of the Valley's most drug-infested areas until a police crackdown."[12]

List of members representing the district

1889–1909

CouncilmemberPartyYearsElectoral history
Single-member ward established February 25, 1889
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J. T. Brown
Republicannowrap February 25, 1889 –
December 5, 1890
Elected in 1889.
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Daniel M. McGarry
Democraticnowrap December 5, 1890 –
December 5, 1892
Elected in 1890.
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Thomas Strohm
Republicannowrap December 5, 1892 –
December 12, 1894
Elected in 1892.
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James Ashman
Democraticnowrap December 12, 1894 –
December 16, 1896
Elected in 1894.

Benjamin S. Lauder
Republicannowrap December 15, 1898 –
December 5, 1902
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.

Edward Kern
Democraticnowrap December 5, 1902 –
November 26, 1906
Elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Resigned.
Vacantnowrap November 26, 1906 –
December 13, 1906

Henry H. Lyon
Republicannowrap December 13, 1906 –
December 10, 1909
Elected in 1906.
Redistricted to the at-large district and lost re-election.
Single-member ward eliminated December 10, 1909

1925–present

CouncilmemberPartyDatesElectoral history
District established July 1, 1925
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Ralph L. Criswell
Republicannowrap July 1, 1925 –
June 30, 1927
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1925.
Lost re-election.
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Howard W. Davis
Republicannowrap July 1, 1927 –
June 30, 1935
Elected in 1927.
Re-elected in 1929.
Re-elected in 1931.
Re-elected in 1933.
Retired.
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Will H. Kindig
Democraticnowrap July 1, 1935 –
June 30, 1937
Elected in 1935.
Lost re-election.
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Howard W. Davis
Republicannowrap July 1, 1937 –
June 30, 1939
Elected in 1937.
Lost re-election.
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Carl C. Rasmussen
Democraticnowrap July 1, 1939 –
June 30, 1947
Elected in 1939.
Elected in 1943.
Lost re-election.
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Don A. Allen
Democraticnowrap July 1, 1947 –
September 13, 1956
Elected in 1947.
Re-elected in 1949.
Re-elected in 1951.
Re-elected in 1953.
Re-elected in 1955.
Resigned when elected to the California State Assembly.
Vacantnowrap September 13, 1956 –
July 1, 1957
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James C. Corman
Democraticnowrap July 1, 1957 –
January 3, 1961
Elected in 1957.
Resigned when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vacantnowrap January 3, 1961 –
June 1, 1961
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Ernani Bernardi
Democraticnowrap June 1, 1961 –
June 30, 1993
Elected to finish Corman's term.
Re-elected in 1965.
Re-elected in 1969.
Re-elected in 1973.
Re-elected in 1977.
Re-elected in 1981.
Re-elected in 1985.
Re-elected in 1989.
Re-elected in 1993.
Retired to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.
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Richard Alarcon
Democraticnowrap July 1, 1993 –
January 3, 1999
Elected in 1993.
Re-elected in 1997.
Resigned when elected to the California State Senate.
Vacantnowrap January 3, 1999 –
June 8, 1999
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Alex Padilla
Democraticnowrap June 8, 1999 –
December 4, 2006
Appointed to finish Alarcon's term.
Elected in 2001.
Re-elected in 2005.
Resigned when elected to the California State Senate.
Vacantnowrap December 4, 2006 –
July 1, 2007
nowrap March 16, 2007 –
July 1, 2007
Member-elect Richard Alarcon appointed as caretaker
until certification of election.
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Richard Alarcon
Democraticnowrap July 1, 2007 –
June 30, 2013
Elected in 2007.
Re-elected in 2009.
Termed out.
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Felipe Fuentes
Democraticnowrap July 1, 2013 –
September 30, 2016
Elected in 2013.
Resigned to become a lobbyist.
Vacantnowrap September 30, 2016 –
July 1, 2017
Council President Herb Wesson appointed as caretaker
until next election.
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Monica Rodriguez
Democraticnowrap July 1, 2017 –
present
Elected in 2017.
Re-elected in 2022.

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://search.proquest.com/docview/167018265 "Council Votes Redistricting After Flare-up Over Changes," Los Angeles Times, October 24, 1956, page B-1
  2. Web site: LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who's Who (And What They Do). Hernández, Caitlin. November 18, 2022. LAist.
  3. https://search.proquest.com/docview/161720218 "First Map Showing City Council's Districts," Los Angeles Times, January 16, 1925, page 1
  4. https://search.proquest.com/docview/161759966 "Here Are the Hundred and Twelve Aspirants for the City's Fifteen Councilmanic Seats," Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1925, page 7
  5. https://search.proquest.com/docview/162132736 "Council Areas' Lines Changed," Los Angeles Times, December 29, 1928, page A-1
  6. https://search.proquest.com/docview/163109975 "District Lines Get Approval," Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1932, page 2
  7. https://search.proquest.com/docview/163102835 "City Reapportionment Measure Gets Approval," Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1933
  8. https://search.proquest.com/docview/164642106 "New Council Zones Defined," Los Angeles Times, January 7, 1937, page A-18
  9. https://search.proquest.com/docview/165123125 "Proposed New Alignment for City Voting Precincts" (with map), Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1940, page A-3
  10. https://search.proquest.com/docview/167864124 Carlton Williams, "12 Vie for 7th District Council Post," Los Angeles Times, March 21, 1961
  11. https://search.proquest.com/docview/154826193 "Los Angeles' Realigned Council Districts," Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1986, page B -3
  12. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-27-me-1846-story.html Jack Cheevers, "Elections: The Head of a Pacoima Youth Group Joins a Growing Field . . .," Los Angeles Times, January 27, 1993