What are the stakes of this race

There are three Los Angeles City Council seats up for grabs, including Paul Krekorian’s seat in Council District 2, stretching across parts of Toluca Lake to Van Nuys. Krekorian has been in office for 14 years. This means he cannot run again due to term limits.

Why this race was important

Key issues for voters in Council District 2 include housing, green space and public transportation. The two candidates in this race have little in common in their approach on most of these issues.

Jillian Burgos, an optician and small business owner, said she would prioritize improving transportation safety in areas where there are a lot of injuries and deaths on the roads. His opponent, Adrian Nazarian, who served in the California State Assembly for more than a decade, said his focus is on public transportation. Nazarian said he plans to convert Orange Rail to light rail and said the Red Line subway stations in North Hollywood and Universal City could be centers for development.

When it comes to housing, Burgos said she supports cracking down on illegal short-term rentals, applying vacancy taxes on empty commercial space and updating “outdated” zoning regulations. Nazarian had a different solution regarding rent and said he favored capping annual rent increases at 3 percent for rent-controlled units.

Follow the money

When it came to fundraising and spending, Nazarian was the clear winner. His campaign raised more than $1 million, and she raised just under $200,000.

Groups like the Los Angeles Police Protective League political action committee have spent about $15,000 to oppose Burgos, who does not support the latest LAPD contract that increased officer pay. Several outside groups have spent money to support Nazarian, including the Police Protective League, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and Firefighters for a Better Los Angeles.

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