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The L.A. City Council Tuesday voted 11 to 1 to appoint Heather Hutt to serve the remainder of the term of Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was automatically ousted from the council after his conviction last month on federal bribery charges.
She’s been serving as District 10’s interim councilmember since last September. The term lasts until December 2024.
Why it matters
Hutt is a candidate for the seat in next year’s regularly scheduled election, and her appointment gives her the advantage of incumbency. Some community members argued it was unfair to appoint Hutt and called for a special election to let voters decide who should fill the remainder of Ridley-Thomas’s term.
Members of the council argued any special election would be costly and likely produce a runoff that would end in December — too close to next year’s March primary — and that Hutt would provide continuity.
The backstory
Hutt temporarily filled the seat during the prosecution of Ridley-Thomas, who had been suspended from the council before his removal. Hutt is a former chief of staff to former City Councilmember Herb Wesson.
District 10
District 10
(Courtesy City of L.A.)
District 10 stretches from Koreatown west to Mid-City along Wilshire Boulevard and south to West Adams and Leimert Park.
What’s next
In addition to Hutt, State Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, former L.A. Board of Water and Power Commissioner Aura Vasquez, and attorney Grace Yoo (who unsuccessfully ran against Ridley-Thomas in 2020) are in the race for the District 10 seat.
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