By Stephen Witt, Los Angeles County Politics
Two moderate Democrats running for Los Angeles city attorney and the open City Council District 3 seat in the southwest San Fernando Valley spent this week telling donors the city must choose between steering back to the center and driving off a cliff, casting the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as the force pulling Los Angeles left.
Tim Gaspar, the insurance-agency founder running to succeed termed-out Councilmember Bob Blumenfield (D-Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Winnetka, Woodland Hills), and John McKinney, the veteran deputy district attorney running for city attorney, shared the bill at two fundraisers in private homes three weeks before the Nov. 3 election.
The first event drew a largely Jewish crowd Monday night to a Woodland Hills home for a forum billed around antisemitism, Israel and DSA. Co-host Derek Karpel told guests in his prepared remarks that Jews make up about 6% of Los Angeles County yet account for roughly 80% of reported religious hate crimes.
The Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages into Gaza. DSA-LA’s general election voter guide describes the war that followed as a genocide, a charge Israel rejects.
Gaspar called DSA his biggest single motivation for running.
“When you think about what their goals are in regards to defunding police and abolishing prison and abolishing private property rights, I mean, looking at what their goals are nationwide is really scary stuff. And it basically takes every single struggle that we’re having right now as a city and accelerates it,” said Gaspar.
Moderators asked about City Controller Kenneth Mejia, who they noted has accused Israel of genocide. Gaspar said international policy belongs to Congress, not City Hall.
“It’s like letting your toddler do your taxes,” said Gaspar.
McKinney set the stakes at a second gathering Tuesday night in the West Valley.
“We’re in an inflection point in this city, like we haven’t been in a long time. We are either going to course correct back to the middle of the lane a bit, or we’re going to go right off into the guardrail and off the cliff, depending on how these races turn out,” said McKinney.
The fight for the center runs hottest in McKinney’s race. He faces Marissa Roy, a deputy attorney general whom DSA-LA describes as a longtime chapter member and endorsed with 93.8% of the vote, according to the chapter’s primary voter guide. Roy topped the June primary with 43.1% to McKinney’s 28.6%, ousting City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.
Gaspar’s runoff opponent, Barri Worth Girvan, a former community affairs director for Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, was not among the candidates DSA-LA endorsed in the primary. However, the chapter recommends her in its general election guide, a step short of an endorsement.
“While Girvan is no socialist, she would be a step forward in the SFV in the face of a candidate who wants to increase policing and criminalization of homelessness,” wrote DSA-LA.
Girvan’s campaign did not comment as of publication, despite repeated calls and texts from LACP.
Both candidates pushed back on that line of criticism at the West Valley event, arguing that leaving people on the street is the cruel option.
“When somebody like me, or Tim, stands up to say that this is unconscionable, we’re going to end it, what do they say? Oh, you’re going to criminalize homelessness. You’re going to criminalize poverty. No, we’re going to save lives,” said McKinney.
Gaspar said the city should not let people sick from addiction or mental illness decline help and stay on the street.
“Anybody who lives on the street long enough is going to die from being on the street. That’s the only way that ends if they don’t get help,” said Gaspar.
Gaspar also argued that four of the council’s 15 members want to defund the police, abolish prisons and abolish private property rights. He said the balance would tip in for moderate candidates if he wins in District 9, and in South Los Angeles, where mainstream Democrat Jose Ugarte faces DSA-endorsed Estuardo Mazariegos.
“If he can get elected, then we’ve got at least five reasonable people on the city council, and hopefully that would be enough for us to turn the tide to be able to have a city council that favors public safety, that favors handling the homeless the same way San Francisco does,” said Gaspar.
Gaspar had already made his own choice in the city attorney’s race.
“I’m a huge supporter of John. I’ve already voted for him,” said Gaspar.
