Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LAUSD District 3: What We Know So Far
RESULTS: EARLY RETURNS
(Last updated 11:58 p.m. Tuesday)
Keep in mind that even after all precincts have been counted, there will still be ballots to count. In some cases, it could be weeks before the official outcome is clear.
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Bartels-Badger | 12,347 | 25.42% |
| Marilyn Koziatek | 15,295 | 31.49% |
| Scott Mark Schmerelson* | 20,922 | 43.08% |
* Incumbent
Support for LAist comes from
Map shows the borders of the LAUSD District 3 board seat. (Courtesy of LAUSD)
()
ABOUT THIS RACE
Since January, charter school advocates have spent more than $2.6 million on attack ads in this year’s Los Angeles Unified School Board races. Never before has an LAUSD primary seen more negative advertising.
And no candidate has been hit harder than incumbent LAUSD board member Scott Schmerelson.
The California Charter Schools Association’s political arm has endorsed a challenger, Marilyn Koziatek, and also poured more than $1 million into ads attacking Schmerelson.
One CCSA ad portrayed Schmerelson, who’s Jewish, in gold chains with a fanned-out wad of cash. Schmerelson’s campaign has called that mailer “anti-Semitic.â€
Support for LAist comes from
📧 #LAUSD ELECTION AD CLAIM: @ScottAtLAUSD held stock in McDonald's, BP, and "the owner of JUUL."
— Kyle Stokes (@kystokes) February 26, 2020
ACCURATE? 🟩 Yes, according to his own financial disclosures.
-Schmerelson says the ad is anti-Semitic
-@SpeakUpParents says there's more to the storyhttps://t.co/BUMYXt5egg pic.twitter.com/6pby8MuoYJ
The ad is part of a line of criticism against Schmerelson over his finances. Charter-allied advocacy groups have criticized him for controversial personal investments. (Schmerelson has since said he’s sold the offending stocks.)
Schmerelson was one of the few LAUSD board members to openly support LAUSD board members during their strike last winter. The teachers union has since spent almost $700,000 trying to buoy Schmerelson.
But CCSA has outspent them by a 4-to-1 margin. They’ve spent $1.6 million to help Koziatek, who’s on staff at Granada Hills Charter High School.
And a third candidate — Elizabeth Badger, the founder and CEO of a non-profit called the Minority Outreach Committee — entered the primary’s final weekend with more campaign cash on hand than either Koziatek or Schmerelson (about $25,000).
YOUR GUIDE
YOU SHOULD KNOW
- If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, it means a runoff election between the top two finishers — and a long slog to November.
- Why Declaring Winners In California May Take A Minute
- Those Nasty LAUSD School Board Campaign Ads: What's Fact? What's Opinion?
- This Might End Up Being The Most Expensive LAUSD School Board Primary Ever
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist