‘Fed Up’ Los Angeles Residents Vote for Moderate Democrat Over Progressive Candidate

Traci Park, elected to the Los Angeles City Council's District 11 in Nov. 8, 2022, election, poses for photo on Jan. 30, 2022. Courtesy of Traci Park

“Fed up” residents in Los Angeles’ Council District 11 opted for a former Republican attorney, Traci Park, to represent the Westside, despite the incoming squad of progressive candidates winning in three other districts in the Nov. 8 election.

Park, who left the Republican Party more than 18 years ago and is now a registered Democrat, defeated civil rights attorney Erin Darling on Nov. 17 following Darling’s concession in the race to replace outgoing Councilman Mike Bonin—who decided to not seek reelection, citing mental health issues. By Nov. 19, Park had 52.06 percent of the vote versus Darling’s 47.94 percent.

“I feel the weight of the responsibility of the monumental task I am about to undertake,” Park told The Epoch Times on Nov. 18. “It’s a lot of competing emotions.”

Courtesy of Traci Park

Park plans to increase mental health and substance abuse services for homeless Angelenos suffering from addiction. She also advocates for “a policy of compassionate enforcement” of the city’s encampment ban—which is currently suspended in the district—by bringing together law enforcement, government sectors, housing suppliers, and homeless service providers, according to her campaign website.

Like most Los Angeles voters, homelessness and crime were on the minds of voters in the 11th District, which encompasses the Westside communities of Brentwood, Del Rey, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Sawtelle, Venice, West Los Angeles, and Westchester.

Sean O’Brien, a Venice resident for more than 30 years, told The Epoch Times that he has never seen the levels of crime and homeless encampments that the city has experienced in the past four to five years.

“So, collectively, we were all just pissed off and fed up with it all, and I’m so glad that Traci won,” O’Brien said. “She is the first candidate that I actually ever gave money to.”

A Venice Beach resident drives past a homeless encampment in front of the Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library in Venice, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Venice Beach—once a seaside resort town known for its grungy underground vibe, attracting millions of tourists each year—is now the epicenter of much of the 11th District’s frustrations.