Los Angeles Council District 9: Ugarte Leads Mazariegos by 1,898 Votes in South L.A. Count

SOUTH LOS ANGELES — November 5, 2026. In the election for the open Los Angeles City Council District 9 seat, the latest available Wednesday-afternoon count lists Jose Ugarte with 13,929 votes (53.66%) and Estuardo Mazariegos with 12,031 (46.34%). Ugarte’s reported advantage is 1,898 votes in a total of 25,960 counted candidate votes. These are unofficial numbers from the county’s 4:32 p.m. November 4 reporting batch, not a final result or certification.

Two candidates with distinct routes into local politics

Ugarte previously worked as deputy chief of staff to outgoing Councilmember Curren Price and has highlighted experience helping constituents navigate Los Angeles city government. Mazariegos is a community organizer and co-director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. The Los Angeles Times reported that Price endorsed Ugarte and that Mazariegos was supported by organizations including United Teachers Los Angeles. Groups outside the campaigns also spent money supporting different candidates; their spending does not establish what individual voters believed.

A potential historic change in District 9 representation

The incumbent, Curren Price, is term-limited. According to MyNewsLA’s November 5 account, District 9 has not elected a Latino member since Edward Roybal left in 1962 for Congress. Both nominees in the November 2026 election are Latino immigrants who came to California as children, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Whether elected, their backgrounds illustrate the district’s varied communities; the vote count itself does not determine what policies a new member will pursue.

Downtown institutions and South Los Angeles neighborhoods

District 9 extends through portions of downtown Los Angeles and South L.A. and includes important institutions and places such as the Los Angeles Convention Center and USC. Local council decisions can affect street and sidewalk investments, the delivery of city services, housing, public safety, zoning and the area surrounding employment centers. Not every resident of South Los Angeles votes in Council District 9; its precise boundaries, rather than a neighborhood label, determine eligibility.

Why the margin remains preliminary

The timestamped results tracker displays Ugarte’s advantage changing as successive ballot batches arrive. A larger percentage lead than the nearby District 3 council contest does not turn the result into a certified election outcome. An estimated 842,000 outstanding ballots was previously cited for all of Los Angeles County; the number relevant to District 9 is not specified. California58 is not predicting how remaining voters cast their ballots.

The next official results

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk continues processing lawful vote-by-mail, provisional and other eligible ballots. Check the county’s official election results service for new releases. County certification follows the canvass, not a newsroom race call or the statement of a candidate. A related local District 3 council article covers the separate West Valley election, and our mayoral transition report covers the city’s larger government changes.

Sources: Los Angeles County Registrar’s November 4 at 4:32 p.m. District 9 tally, MyNewsLA November 5, Los Angeles Times November 4. Publication date: November 5. No certified council winner is asserted.

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