When District 9 Thrives, Los Angeles WorkS FOR WORKING PEOPLE
Estuardo Mazariegos is a father, immigrant, and 20-year community organizer running for City Council to build a government that is accountable to the people who sustain this city—not special interests.
A CHAMPION FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
CD9 deserves a representative in City Hall who will actually fight for them.
For nearly two decades, Estuardo has organized alongside residents in South Los Angeles to win landmark protections for tenants and families. Watch the video to hear why he’s taking the fight from our neighborhoods directly to City Hall—and what it will take to build a city that works for working people.
MEET ESTUARDO:
ORGANIZER. FATHER. NEIGHBOR.
Brought to Los Angeles as a child fleeing political violence in Guatemala, Estuardo knows firsthand the struggles of working-class families in South Central. Instead of accepting systems designed to suppress our communities, he chose to organize.
As Co-Director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), he has spent his life turning neighborhood demands into citywide action—from leading the fight for the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance and the Resident Protection Ordinance, to helping pass Measure ULA.
Estuardo is running for City Council to expand social housing, enforce tenant protections, invest in our neighborhoods, and stand with immigrant families. Because his only obligation is to the people of District 9, he proudly refuses all money from corporate PACs, real estate developers, and police associations.
FROM THE COMMUNITY IN CD9 TO CITY HALL
District 9 is the hardest-working district in Los Angeles, yet it has faced decades of wealth extraction, pollution, and disinvestment.
The decisions made in our City Council office directly shape the housing, transportation, safety, and public investment in your community. CD9 residents share this office, and it is time we have a true voice in city government that fights for our fair share.
POLICY PLATFORM
This platform was developed in partnership with local movements, union members, and everyday residents.
Our goal is simple: build a city government that listens to residents, protects our most vulnerable, and uses the tools of government to improve daily life for working people.
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Corruption at City Hall has robbed our community of power. Scandals, bribery, pay-to-play politics, and backroom deals have left District 9 with the lowest voter turnout in the city because too many people reasonably feel the system is rigged against them.
We need to reform our campaign finance system, restore integrity and trust in City Hall by championing strong ethics reforms, and make city government more accessible and responsive, especially for immigrants and working-class families.
We deserve a government that is honest, accountable, and finally works for the people, not billionaires or the well-connected.
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In District 9, thousands of immigrant families live with the daily fear of detention or separation - an anxiety made worse by rising authoritarian attacks from the Trump administration.
We need a community-centered approach that strengthens existing protections and expands access to justice and opportunity. That means ensuring legal representation and due process for all residents, regardless of immigration status; making city services more accessible through culturally competent case management; and removing barriers so immigrant families can achieve economic stability and prosperity.
This is a comprehensive approach to ensuring immigrant families in District 9 can live safely, participate fully, and build stable, thriving lives in the community they call home.
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Council District 9 has the second-highest number of unhoused residents in the city. This is not by accident. This crisis is the result of decades of racist housing policies, rising rents, underfunded mental health care, and policing practices that push people out of sight instead of helping families stay housed.
The solution starts with keeping people housed. That means stopping displacement before it begins, scaling up street outreach and services, expanding interim, permanent, and permanently affordable housing, and making every dollar count through greater transparency and accountability in homelessness spending.
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For generations, South Central residents have built a vibrant economy of small businesses, vendors, makers, caregivers, and workers - often in spite of city policy, not because of it.
Council District 9’s greatest strength is its people. Our residents are some of the hardest-working and most generous in the city, yet they have not been given the same opportunities as others. Addressing decades of disinvestment means investing in current and future local businesses that hire locally and help families thrive. Supporting workers also means creating clear pathways to good, union jobs; passing policies that raise wages and benefits; expanding access to education and job training; and making it easier for working families to succeed.
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South Central families have lived with the consequences of pollution, disinvestment, and environmental racism - freeways cutting through our neighborhoods, factories next to our homes, and some of the worst air quality in the nation. Working parents are still asking the same question I ask as a father: What kind of future are we leaving our children?
A clean energy future for our community looks like this: cleaner air, cheaper and more reliable energy, access to healthy food, and better parks and transit, especially as the ongoing climate crisis makes extreme heat, pollution, and high energy costs harder on families.
This is a vision for a resilient District 9 where every family can thrive.
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Families in South Central are being pushed out of the neighborhoods they built - rent hikes, no-fault evictions, unsafe conditions, and predatory landlords exploiting a broken system. With nearly three-quarters of District 9 residents renting, and more than half already rent-burdened, people are working multiple jobs just to stay housed while rents and home prices soar. USC’s expansion has added even more pressure by pushing thousands of students into surrounding neighborhoods without providing enough on-campus housing, driving up rents and displacing longtime residents.
That is why I am building on this work with a clear plan to create a more just housing future in District 9. We need to build more housing with a strong emphasis on deeply affordable homes, protect tenants by enforcing renters’ rights and preventing displacement, preserve and invest in existing affordable housing, and hold institutions accountable for their impact on surrounding communities. Because everyone deserves a safe, stable place to live, and this city cannot thrive unless we make that real for everyone.
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South Central is a historically Black community with a vibrant and proud history. Central Avenue was once the heart of Black life in Los Angeles and the epicenter of the West Coast jazz scene. Today, that legacy lives on in thriving neighborhoods like Historic South Central, Green Meadows, South Park, and beyond. Yet for far too long, Black Angelenos have been let down by an affordability crisis that is pushing families out of their own neighborhoods, and by a city government that has too often failed to show up for them.
I’m running for City Council in District 9 to help build a safer, more affordable, and better-run city for everyone, because when the Black community thrives, Los Angeles thrives.
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South Central has a rich artistic and cultural heritage that continues today. Historic South Central was once known as the “West Coast Harlem,” with Central Avenue as the heart of Black cultural life. The Dunbar Hotel hosted legends like Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald, and that legacy lives on through the annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival.
Artists are the heartbeat of Los Angeles, yet too many struggle to make ends meet in the very city their work helps define. We need a city that truly values creative workers, not just in words but in policy, by making Los Angeles more affordable for artists, using the district’s museums and cultural institutions to expand free and low-cost access for local residents, and bringing film production and good union jobs to our communities.
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District 9 has a long history as a stronghold of labor. It was founded as a working class community and as the heart of the city’s industrial sector, and it remains a diverse, working class neighborhood today.
Decades of organizing in the community have made clear which issues have gone unaddressed for far too long. Deindustrialization and disinvestment have drained public resources from the district, leading to aging infrastructure, unaffordable housing, limited green space, and ongoing public safety challenges.
We must work closely with the city’s labor movement to make sure all workers in District 9, both union and non union, are respected, protected, and able to thrive.
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Los Angeles has long been a beacon for LGBTQ+ people across the country and is one of the most diverse cities in the United States. South Central, in particular, has a powerful history within the LGBTQ+ movement as a Black and brown community. Council District 9 was home to Club Alabam, which hosted annual drag balls and helped anchor Los Angeles’s historic jazz scene. Our community has long been on the frontlines of building a more inclusive future for queer people.
Today, queer and trans people across the United States are facing an increasingly hostile political climate, with an authoritarian federal administration working to roll back hard-won rights. We must stand up against hate in all its forms and ensure that LGBTQ+ Angelenos, especially youth, trans residents, and communities of color, can live openly, safely, and with dignity.
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Our district is home to some of Los Angeles’s biggest economic engines, including LA Live, BMO Stadium, and the Coliseum. These venues generate enormous wealth and attract visitors from around the world. Yet despite hosting some of the city’s most profitable events, Council District 9 remains the lowest-income district in Los Angeles. Too often, our neighborhoods are treated as a playground for the wealthy, while local residents see little of the benefit.
The 2028 Olympic Games will bring global attention and billions of dollars to Los Angeles. We must ensure this moment does not repeat the same mistakes. That means reinvesting Olympic and tourism revenues directly into the communities that make this city run by funding affordable housing, safe and accessible green spaces, and reliable transportation. At the same time, we must ensure workers are paid living wages, have strong union protections, and work in safe conditions.
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Public safety means that all of us are safe when walking in our neighborhoods, waiting at the bus stop, going to the park with our families, and sending our children to school. It means having access to fully funded public services, well-maintained streets that are quickly repaired, and public spaces that are properly lit and welcoming. No matter where we come from, what we look like, or how we speak, everyone deserves to feel safe in their city and have a real chance to build a better life for their family.
I believe in a proactive, preventive approach to public safety that invests in what actually keeps communities stable: addressing poverty, expanding access to mental health care, and ensuring safe, affordable housing. Los Angeles already has proven models that work, and we should scale them by strengthening community-based violence prevention, improving police accountability, increasing street and public transit safety, addressing gun violence, and ensuring our neighborhoods are prepared for emergencies and disasters.
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South Central has some of the most dangerous streets and longest commutes in Los Angeles. Cracked sidewalks. Faded crosswalks. Cars speeding by with no protected bike lanes in sight. For too many families, simply getting around can feel unsafe.
Everyone deserves to move through their neighborhood safely, whether they are getting to work, school, a doctor’s appointment, or visiting loved ones.
Safe streets will be a top priority, and that starts with how the City invests and plans. That means making public transit reliable, safe, and truly accessible. We must push for full implementation of our mobility plan, add protected bike lanes and bus-only lanes, fix our broken sidewalks and crossings, and make buses free.
Read the complete transportation and mobility platform here.
POWERED BY PEOPLE, NOT CORPORATIONS
We are running a 100% Clean Money campaign. We rely entirely on grassroots volunteers and small-dollar supporters who believe in building a stronger future for District 9 and Los Angeles.
Your contribution directly funds our neighborhood outreach, helping us knock on doors, organize volunteers, and reach voters who are too often ignored by the political establishment.
Endorsements
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FORMER LA CITY COUNCILMEMBER MIKE BONIN
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LAUSD district 5 Board Member Karla Griego
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los angeles city controller kenneth mejia
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national union of healthcare workers
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united teachers los angeles
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Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment
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democratic socialists of america - los angeles
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Huelga L.A. Activist
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INITIATE JUSTICE ACTION
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california working families party
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los angeles college faculty guild local 1521
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engineers and architects association
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seiu healthcare committee of interns and residents
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run for something
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united steel workers local 675
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one fair wage
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STONEWALL YOUNG DEMOCRATS
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STONEWALL DEMOCRATS
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ORGANIZE FOR PEACE
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LA City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez
STAY IN THE LOOP
Real change in South Central doesn't start at City Hall, it starts in communities.
Because we refuse corporate and developer money, our path to victory relies entirely on a grassroots movement of everyday people.
Sign up to receive the latest campaign updates, invitations to local gatherings, and opportunities to knock on doors and connect with voters directly. Together, we can build a city government that finally works for working people.