The political machinery of Los Angeles is currently grinding through a transition in District 9 that most of the city chooses to ignore. For over a decade, Curren Price has held the reins of this South Los Angeles seat, but as he prepares to exit due to term limits—and while navigating a high-profile legal battle involving embezzlement and perjury charges—a power vacuum has opened. Six candidates are now fighting to represent a district where the median household income hovers around $37,000, and where nearly 70% of residents are renters facing an aggressive housing crisis. This isn't just a local election; it is a referendum on whether the "New 9th" promised by the establishment can actually serve the people who live there, or if it remains a playground for stadium developers and real estate interests.
The Ghost of the Status Quo
The incumbent’s legacy is a study in contradictions. On one hand, Price championed the $15 minimum wage and guaranteed basic income pilots. On the other, his tenure saw the rise of massive commercial developments like BMO Stadium and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art—projects that brought "renaissance" headlines but left many residents wondering why their own streets remain littered with illegal dumping and broken lights.
Jose Ugarte, Price’s former chief of staff, stands as the heir apparent. He has secured a commanding fundraising lead, fueled by the same political networks that sustained Price for three terms. If Ugarte wins, the district can expect a continuation of the current trajectory: large-scale investment paired with moderate progressive rhetoric. However, the "status quo" label is a heavy anchor in a district where 24.7% of the population consists of non-citizen foreign-born residents who often feel the city's bureaucracy is built to exclude them.
The Leftward Surge and the DSA Factor
The most significant threat to the establishment comes from Estuardo Mazariegos. As a community organizer with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and a candidate endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Mazariegos is running on a platform that treats the city’s housing department as a failed experiment.
Mazariegos isn't just asking for more affordable units; he is demanding a surcharge on tickets for sporting and entertainment events within the district—think USC football or LAFC games—to fund local amenities. His stance on policing is equally blunt. While the Los Angeles Police Department reported a 19% decrease in homicides citywide in 2025, Mazariegos argues that "safety" in District 9 shouldn't be measured by patrol cars, but by whether the streetlights actually turn on. He is part of a broader movement attempting to consolidate a "left-bloc" on the City Council that could shift the balance of power away from the mayor’s office.
Economic Survival in the Ninth
The numbers in District 9 tell a story of a community being squeezed from both ends.
| Metric | District 9 / South LA Statistic |
|---|---|
| Total Population | ~280,000 |
| Hispanic/Latino Population | 64% |
| Black/African American Population | 22.6% |
| Renter-Occupied Units | 69.2% |
| Population Growth (2020-2024) | -4.0% |
The 4% population decline since 2020 is a red flag. People are leaving because they can no longer afford to stay. While city-wide inflation has cooled to around 2.6% in early 2026, real wages have only risen by 0.8% when adjusted for purchasing power. For a family in South Central, that "growth" is invisible.
Jorge Nuño, a social entrepreneur known for "The Big House" incubator, represents a middle path between the DSA’s radicalism and Ugarte’s establishment backing. Nuño’s focus is on "inter-generational wealth," specifically preserving the dwindling stock of single-family homes to prevent corporate landlords from turning the entire district into a rental colony. He talks about "dump zones" to solve the trash epidemic—a practical, if unglamorous, solution to a problem that has plagued the 9th for decades.
The Policing Paradox
Crime remains the third rail of the District 9 race. The 2025 LAPD data suggests a city becoming safer, with homicides at their lowest levels since the 1960s. Yet, in South Los Angeles, the perception of safety is decoupled from the data.
Candidates like Raul Claros and Maria "Lou" Calanche—the latter a former Police Commissioner—are threading a needle. They recognize the community’s frustration with both over-policing and under-protection. Calanche, who founded the nonprofit Legacy LA, brings an institutional weight that other challengers lack, focusing on "holistic" safety that involves youth development rather than just more badges on the street.
The divide is clear:
- The Reformers: Ugarte and Calanche want to tweak the system to make it more accountable.
- The Abolitionists/Deep Skeptics: Mazariegos and Nuño argue that the LAPD’s budget is a black hole that should be redirected toward jobs and infrastructure.
Gentrification as a Policy Choice
South Park and the L.A. Live complex represent the shiny, profitable face of District 9. But just a few blocks south, the "Historic South Central" neighborhoods face a different reality. The district has done more than its fair share in creating housing density, yet most of that density is targeted at a demographic that doesn't actually live in South LA yet.
Mazariegos and the DSA contingent argue that the city has essentially outsourced urban planning to real estate developers. Their solution—social housing—is a direct challenge to the market-rate logic that has dominated the Price era. If the 9th District becomes the testing ground for this model, it would represent the most significant shift in LA land-use policy in half a century.
The Invisible Voter
Perhaps the most daunting factor in this race is the "voter universe." District 9 has the smallest non-Democratic voter pool of almost any district in the city. This means the primary on June 2 is the real election. Because of the city’s 50% rule, if a candidate clears the threshold in the primary, there is no November runoff.
This favors the candidate with the best "ground game"—the ability to physically knock on doors and convince residents that their vote matters in a system that often feels rigged. Currently, the race is a six-way split. If no one hits 50%, the top two will head to a November showdown.
The "Brutal Truth" of District 9 is that the candidates are fighting over a piece of the city that has been systematically underfunded for generations while being used as a backdrop for Los Angeles's global ambitions. Whether the winner is a seasoned staffer like Ugarte, a radical organizer like Mazariegos, or a community builder like Nuño, they will inherit a district that is tired of promises and hungry for basic dignity.
The residents of the 9th don't need another stadium. They need the trash picked up, the rent stabilized, and a representative who doesn't end up in a courtroom. The primary on June 2 will determine if they get any of that, or just four more years of the same.
