Politics

2015 Los Angeles General Election

Produced by Sean Dillingham, Chris Keller & Brian Frank | Updated Apr. 15, 2015

See who’s appearing on the ticket on May 19, and find out more about the candidates running for office.

Source: The information on this page was provided by the candidates themselves via SmartVoter.org.

City Council District 4

Carolyn Ramsay

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: Councilmember's Staff Chief
  • 15 years of experience strengthening our neighborhoods
  • Chief of Staff, Councilmember Tom LaBonge
  • Local Program Director, Trust for Public Lands
Top Priorities if Elected
  • Holding City Hall accountable to our neighborhoods
  • Fixing our streets, sidewalks, and water pipes
  • Helping local businesses succeed and creating good-paying jobs

David Ryu

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: Community Health Director
  • Director of Development & Public Affairs, Kedren Acute Psychiatric Hospital and Community Health Center
  • Senior Deputy, County Supervisor Yvonne Burke
  • Netkal Fellow, USC School of Social Work
  • Bachelor of Arts, Economics, UCLA
Top Priorities if Elected
  • Ensure neighborhood concerns about city services and quality of life are heard and respected at City Hall.
  • Improve City-resident communications with ombudsman service, early community input on development issues.
  • Strengthen our economy by raising the minimum wage and phasing out the gross receipts tax.

LAUSD School Board District 3

Tamar Galatzan

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: School Boardmember/Prosecutor
  • Los Angeles Unified school board member (2007-present)
  • Deputy City Attorney/Neighborhood Prosecutor (2002-present)
  • Western States Counsel, Anti-Defamation League (1996-2002)
  • J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1994)
  • B.A. in political science, UCLA, magna cum laude (1991)
Top Priorities if Elected
  • Pass a balanced, responsible budget, and stick to it throughout the fiscal year.
  • Provide our students with high-quality teachers, materials and support so they can pass the more rigorous curriculum now required for graduation.
  • Equip our schools and teachers with the technology needed to prepare students for college and careers.

Scott Mark Schmerelson

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: Administrator/Retired Teacher
  • Spanish Teacher
  • Secondary Counselor
  • Assistant Principal
  • Principal
  • Treasurer, Cuban-American Teachers' Association
  • Executive Director of Region 16, Association of California School Administrators
Top Priorities if Elected
  • School Bond funds must be expended as the voters intended.
  • Class size is too high to ensure a quality education.
  • Fair wages and full time employment for our LAUSD employees.

LAUSD School Board District 5

Bennett Kayser

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: School Board member
  • Teacher
Top Priorities if Elected
  • Class size reduction
  • Expand early education
  • Hire a new Superintendent

Ref Rodriguez

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: Educator
  • Founder, Partnerships to Uplift Communities Schools
  • Parish Manager St. Francis de Sales Parish
  • Lecturer, Loyola Marymount University School of Education
  • Appointee of Governor Jerry E. Brown to The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Top Priorities if Elected
  • Increasing Local Control of Schools -- We need to empower principals and teachers to make the decisions that put learning first.
  • Improving Middle Schools -- Our middle schools have been neglected, and this is a critical period for action to increase graduation and college rates.
  • Ensuring Parent Engagement in Schools -- We need to remove barriers that keep parents and communities from being a part of their schools.

LAUSD School Board District 7

Lydia A. Gutiérrez

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: Public School Teacher
  • California State University of Dominquez Hills, M.A.
  • Pepperdine University, B.A.
  • Mathematics Leadership Institute, California Polytechnic State University
  • California State University of Long Beach, Fellow - Writing
  • Access to Science Standards & Educational Technology, California State University of Los Angeles
  • Continuing Teacher Leadership Institute, U.C.L.A.-Mathematics
Top Priorities if Elected
  • A-Achieving Academic Excellence
  • B-Building Fiscal Responsibility
  • C-Cultivating success after Graduation

Richard A. Vladovic

Biographical Highlights
  • Occupation: School Boardmember/Educator
  • Retired School Superintendent, West Covina Unified School District
  • Retired Teacher
  • Retired School Principal
  • Graduate Professor
  • Charter Member of UTLA
  • Educational Scholar
Top Priorities if Elected
  • Continue Increasing Student Achievement
  • Introducing Innovative Solutions that Get Results
  • Providing Safe and Healthy Schools
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