By Stephen Witt, Los Angeles County Politics
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath (D-Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Calabasas, Malibu, Pacoima), a leading champion of Measure G, the ballot measure that created the job, announced Monday that she is running to become Los Angeles County’s first elected County Executive.
Horvath, a 42-year-old millennial, filed paperwork Monday for the office and is the first candidate to enter a race that could reshape how the nation’s most populous county is governed. The primary is in March 2028, nearly 500 days away.
Measure G, approved by 51.6% of voters in 2024, created an elected County Executive who will oversee a $54 billion budget and more than 110,000 employees, with veto power over Board decisions. The measure also expands the Board of Supervisors from five members to nine and creates an independent ethics commission.
Horvath is the Board’s only millennial and the only supervisor who backed Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman, part of a generational shift in LA politics. She also backed Barri Worth Girvan, her former district director, who declared victory in the race for the San Fernando Valley’s 3rd City Council District, where she leads Tim Gaspar 51.70% to 48.30% in the latest count.
“Los Angeles has never been a place that dreams small. But for too long, our County government has moved too slowly, failed to meet the moment, and allowed bureaucracy to stand in the way of progress. I fight every day to reform our government because I believe the people of Los Angeles deserve better — a government that works for them, delivers real results, and is accountable to the people it serves. That’s why I’m running to become Los Angeles County’s first elected County Executive,” said Horvath in a statement.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a government that finally meets the scale of our challenges and the ambition of our people,” she added.
A Westside candidate in a sprawling county
Horvath, a former West Hollywood mayor, represents a district that stretches from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside and coastal cities including Santa Monica and Malibu. Her base sits in the county’s central core, which includes the city of Los Angeles, home to about 3.86 million people, and closely tied cities such as West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Culver City.
That base may be enough to win. But the race will test whether another candidate can galvanize the county’s other population centers, including Long Beach, with about 456,000 residents; Santa Clarita, about 230,000; Glendale, about 191,000; Lancaster and Palmdale, about 334,000 combined; Pomona, about 148,000; Torrance, about 142,000; and Pasadena, about 137,000, according to 2024 Census estimates.
The San Gabriel Valley alone has more than 2 million residents across 31 cities and unincorporated communities, more than any city in the county but Los Angeles.
Ed Reece, president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, signaled what the region will expect from the county’s first elected executive. Reece spoke personally, as Claremont’s vice mayor, rather than on behalf of the council of governments, which is preparing a formal response.
“Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s announcement marks the beginning of an important new chapter in Los Angeles County government. As President of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, I know firsthand how critical strong partnerships between the County and our cities are to delivering results for residents. The next County Executive must understand that effective leadership means listening to local communities, working collaboratively, and delivering measurable results. I look forward to hearing the visions of Supervisor Horvath and others who enter this historic race,” said Reece.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who leads the county’s second-largest city, did not respond to LACP’s questions by deadline.
Roberto Barragan, executive director of ICON CDC, a San Fernando Valley community development nonprofit, praised Horvath’s run.
“I am terribly excited and enthusiastically supportive of her seeking the county executive office. Her willingness to stand up and speak truth to power and push for change is welcomed at this time of challenge to all of LA County,” said Barragan.
Barragan is among the Pacoima activists pushing to close the county-owned Whiteman Airport, which sits in Horvath’s district, and redevelop the roughly 184-acre site. Advocates point to Warner Center in Woodland Hills, also in Horvath’s district, as a model.
