The Los Angeles 7th City Council District covers the northeast part of the San Fernando Valley and includes equestrian areas zoned for horses and crossing signals posted high so riders on horseback can reach the buttons without having to dismount. It also includes former industrial areas and trash dumps and multigenerational Black and Latino communities. L.A. neighborhoods in District 7 surround the independent city of San Fernando and include Sylmar, Mission Hills, Pacoima, Sunland-Tujunga, Lake View Terrace, Shadow Hills, La Tuna Canyon and a portion of North Hills East.
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla began his political career at age 26 as the council member for the 7th District. Since he left for the state Senate in 2006, no council member has represented the district for two full terms, and the district has had several periods when it was represented by unelected caretakers due to resignations.
What’s at stake in this race
L.A. voters will choose who will be their chief steward of city services in each of eight odd-numbered council districts (look up your district here) for the next four years and will determine the ideological makeup and effectiveness of the 15-member City Council.
Challenges include federal immigration enforcement, homelessness, the city’s readiness for the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics and continuing city budget shortfalls.
What does a City Council member do?
Council members have three distinct roles:
- Each member curates their district by identifying local problems and opportunities and working with more than 40 city departments to steer needed services to residents and businesses. They may work to bring in non-city resources in the form of county, state, federal or philanthropic grants. They serve as intermediaries between their constituents and City Hall. Members play a vital role in shaping development in their districts.
- As part of the full-time, 15-member council, they set citywide policy, adopt ordinances, commission studies and provide a counterweight and oversight to the mayor and city departments and bureaus. They adopt an annual city budget ($14 billion in 2025-26) based on a proposal provided by the mayor, divvying up money among the Los Angeles Police Department, homeless services, libraries, parks, sidewalk repair and tree-trimming, among other services. They approve or reject the mayor’s appointments to city commissions and to lead most city departments. They focus on areas such as policing and public safety by leading or serving as members of council committees.
- Council members often work outside their formal roles through appointment to other governmental boards such as Metro and the Metropolitan Water District and by providing leadership in their communities through assisting charities, schools and civic institutions.
Fast facts about the City Council
- Each City Council member represents about 260,000 Angelenos.
- Annual salary is $244,727.
- A term lasts four years. Members may serve a maximum of three terms.
- City elections are non-partisan.
- Voters may have a chance to enlarge the council from the current 15 members to 25 members under a charter reform proposal that supporters say will provide better representation. (As a point of comparison, several other major cities have far larger councils. New York has a 51-member City Council. Chicago has a 50-member council.) It’s up to the current council whether to put the question on the Nov. 3 ballot.
What it takes to win
The incumbent in District 7, Monica Rodriguez, is running unopposed (barring a write-in campaign) and is all but certain to be reelected.
The candidate in City Council District 7
Monica Rodriguez, incumbent
The drought of council members serving consecutive terms is due to end in December, when incumbent Monica Rodriguez concludes her second term.
Four challengers took out nomination papers to run against Rodriguez, but none filed them by the deadline, so Rodriguez is virtually assured a third term. An official write-in campaign against her technically is possible if a candidate signs up to run in April and returns the required papers, with signatures, by May 19.
Rodriguez grew up in Arleta and attended San Fernando High School and Occidental College. She worked as an executive for the California Realtors Association and served as chief deputy to a school board member. She served in the administration of Mayor Richard Riordan and in the offices of council members Richard Alarcon and Mike Hernandez before being appointed to the L.A. Board of Public Works.
Rodriguez uses her experience in a variety of city positions to identify resources for projects in her district. One of her favorite words is “bird-dogging,” by which she means being persistent in getting projects approved and funded.
“I’m of the ilk of a Tom LaBonge,” she said, referring to the late council member who focused on constituent services.
More voter resources:
Go deeper:
The incumbent faces a primary challenge from his upstairs neighbor, as well as two others, in District 13, which includes Echo Park, Atwater Village and much of Hollywood.
Four candidates are trying to unseat the incumbent in L.A. City Council District 1, which includes the neighborhoods of Highland Park and Westlake, among others.
