Los Angeles's 12th City Council district

Los Angeles's 12th City Council district is one of the fifteen districts in the Los Angeles City Council. It is currently represented by Independent John Lee since 2019, after he was elected to finish Mitchell Englander's term. Lee is the only Independent on the nonpartisan City Council, previously being a Republican much like his predecessors.[1]

Los Angeles's 12th City Council district
Government
 • Councilmember. John Lee
. I–Porter Ranch
Population
 (2020)
 • Total262,032
Demographics
 • White47.7%
 • Asian16.4%
 • Hispanic28.1%
 • Black4.3%
 • Other0.5%
Registration
 • Democratic44%
 • Republican24%
 • No party preference32%
Websitecouncildistrict12.lacity.gov
Registered voters (2017) 161,523

The district was created in 1925 after a new city charter was passed, which replaced the former "at large" voting system for a nine-member council with a district system with a 15-member council. At the time of creation, it was situated in Downtown Los Angeles before being moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1964. Within recent years up until 2020, the seat was held by Republicans and was considered a Republican stronghold within a Democratic city.[2][3] It is the second largest district behind the 11th district.

Geography

The district covers the northwestern San Fernando Valley communities of Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Northridge, Porter Ranch, West Hills, North Hills, and Reseda.[4]

The district completely within California's 32nd congressional district, California's 27th State Senate district, and overlaps California's 38th and 45th State Assembly districts.

Historical boundaries

From 1925 to 1964 the district occupied the same general area in northwest Downtown Los Angeles, Bunker Hill and Westlake, with a district office at 1209 Huntley Drive.[5] In between 1928 and 1954, the boundaries expanded the district.[6][7][8][9][10] In 1954, it was now Downtown, between Figueroa and Catalina streets.[11] In 1955, it bordered Venice Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and Figueroa Street.[12]

In 1964, the council had discussed moving the 12th district to the northwest San Fernando Valley which had grown in population over the years, and incumbent John P. Cassidy agreed to do so, saying he would relocate to the area.[13] At the time, the area included Granada Hills, Northridge, Chatsworth, Panorama City and the northern half of Canoga Park and had a population of about 190,000.[14]

List of members representing the district
Councilmember Party Dates Electoral history Areas represented
District established July 1, 1925.

A. J. Barnes
(Westlake)		 Progressive July 1, 1925 –
June 30, 1927		 Elected in 1925.
Lost re-election.		 1925–1954
Downtown Los Angeles, Bunker Hill and Westlake

Douglas E. Foster
(Westlake)		 Republican July 1, 1927 –
June 30, 1929		 Elected in 1927.
Lost re-election.

Thomas W. Williams
(Silver Lake)		 Socialist July 1, 1929 –
April 13, 1931		 Elected in 1929.
Died.[15]
Vacant April 13, 1931 –
June 3, 1931

Thomas F. Ford
(Silver Lake)		 Democratic June 3, 1931 –
March 1, 1933		 Elected and appointed
to finish Williams's term.
Resigned when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vacant March 1, 1933 –
March 17, 1933

James T. Carroll
(Westlake)		 Democratic March 17, 1933 –
June 30, 1933		 Appointed to finish Ford's term.
Not a candidate in the next election.

John W. Baumgartner
(Westlake)		 Democratic July 1, 1933 –
June 30, 1945		 Elected in 1933.
Re-elected in 1937.
Re-elected in 1941.
Re-elected in 1943.
Retired.

Ed J. Davenport
(Westlake)		 Democratic July 1, 1945 –
June 24, 1953		 Elected in 1945.
Re-elected in 1947.
Changed parties in 1948.[16]
Re-elected in 1949.
Re-elected in 1951.
Died.[17]
Republican
Vacant June 24, 1953 –
September 1, 1953

Harriett Davenport
(Westlake)		 Independent September 1, 1953–
June 30, 1955		 Appointed to finish her husband's term.
Retired.

Ransom M. Callicott
(Westlake)		 Republican July 1, 1955 –
November 14, 1962		 Elected in 1955.
Re-elected in 1959.
Died.[18]
Vacant November 14, 1962 –
December 7, 1962

John P. Cassidy
(Westlake)		 Republican December 7, 1962 –
June 30, 1967		 Appointed to finish Callicott's term.
Elected in 1963.
Re-elected in 1965.
Lost re-election.		 1964–2012
San Fernando Valley
(Granada Hills, Northridge,
Chatsworth, Panorama City and Canoga Park)

Robert M. Wilkinson
(Porter Ranch)		 Republican July 1, 1967 –
June 30, 1979		 Elected in 1967.
Re-elected in 1969.
Re-elected in 1971.
Re-elected in 1975.
Retired.

Hal Bernson
(Northridge)		 Republican July 1, 1979 –
June 30, 2003		 Elected in 1979.
Re-elected in 1983.
Re-elected in 1987.
Re-elected in 1991.
Re-elected in 1985.
Re-elected in 1999.
Retired.

Greig Smith
(Granada Hills)		 Republican July 1, 2003 –
June 30, 2011		 Elected in 2003.
Re-elected in 2007.
Retired.

Mitchell Englander
(Granada Hills)		 Republican July 1, 2011 –
December 31, 2018		 Elected in 2011.
Elected in 2015.
Resigned.		 2012–present
San Fernando Valley
(Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Northridge, Porter Ranch,
West Hills, North Hills, and Reseda)

Greig Smith
(Granada Hills)		 Republican January 15, 2019 –
August 23, 2019		 Appointed to serve until next election.
Retired.

John Lee
(Porter Ranch)		 Republican August 30, 2019 –
 Elected to finish Englander's term.
Changed parties in 2020.[1]
Re-elected in 2020.
Independent

References
  1. Bozzi, Sloane (March 3, 2020). "John Lee wants to finish what he started". The Sundial.
  2. Grigoryants, Olga (July 26, 2019). "San Fernando Valley's City Council District 12 candidates, vying for key office amid a wave of change, could not be more different". Los Angeles Daily News.
  3. Reyes, Emily Alpert; McDaniel, Piper (August 14, 2019). "Republican John Lee claims victory in Valley council race". Los Angeles Times.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Hernández, Caitlin (November 18, 2022). "LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who's Who (And What They Do)". LAist.
  5. "To the Citizens of Los Angeles," Los Angeles Times, February 14, 1926, page B-5
  6. "Council Areas' Lines Changed," Los Angeles Times, December 29, 1928, page A-1
  7. "District Lines Get Approval," Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1932, page 2
  8. "City Reapportionment Measure Gets Approval," Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1933 With map of all districts.
  9. "Do You Know Who Your City Councilman Is?" Los Angeles Times, March 24, 1935, page 22 Includes a map.
  10. "Proposed New Alignment for City Voting Precincts," Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1940, page A-3 Includes a map.
  11. "6 Councilmen to Run; Mrs Davenport to Quit," Los Angeles Examiner, December 14, 1954, section 3, page 2, in Los Angeles Public Library reference file
  12. "Unusual Setup for Council's Contests," Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1955, page B-3
  13. Erwin Baker, "Councilman Cassidy Will Move to the Valley," Los Angeles Times, July 11, 1964, page 17
  14. Jack McCurdy, "New Council Districting Voted 14-0," Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1964, page A-1
  15. "Last Rites for Councilman to Be Tomorrow," Los Angeles Times, April 13, 1931
  16. Parson, Don. "The Darling of the Town's Neo-Fascists": The Bombastic Political Career of Councilman Ed J. Davenport. Vol. 81. University of California Press. pp. 467–505.
  17. "Councilman Ed Davenport Dies in Sleep," Los Angeles Times, June 25, 1953, page 1
  18. "Vital Record," Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1962, page 28
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