By Stephen Oduntan, Contributing Writer | Los Angeles WAVE
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — The 9th City Council District has been represented by a Black lawmaker since 1963 when Gilbert Lindsay replaced Ed Roybal on the City Council.
That is likely to end next year after the only Black candidate seeking to replace Curren Price in the June primary election did not qualify for the June 2 ballot, according to the Los Angeles City Clerk’s Office.
Chris Martin was deemed “not qualified” after failing to submit the required number of valid signatures, the clerk’s office confirmed this week.
Martin submitted 906 signatures, but only 355 were validated, leaving him 145 short of the 500 required to appear on the ballot, according to the city clerk.
Martin said he had submitted more than enough signatures and questioned the validity of the review process.
“I submitted 909 signatures, but they invalidated 497 of them, leaving me 145 signatures short,” Martin said. “Some of the grounds they used were problematic and inaccurate.”
He said some signatures were rejected due to discrepancies such as mismatched addresses, even when voters remained within the district. Martin also pointed to issues with how petition affidavits were dated, which he said led to additional signatures being disqualified.
“I don’t believe the process was handled fairly,” he said, adding that he is exploring legal options to challenge the decision.
City officials have spent recent weeks verifying voter signatures submitted by candidates across Los Angeles. While gathering the required 500 signatures can be relatively straightforward in citywide races, it is often more difficult in individual council districts.
Candidates can fail to qualify if a significant number of signatures are deemed invalid during the review process.
Martin’s candidacy comes at a pivotal moment for District 9, where long-standing demographic shifts are reshaping the political landscape. The district, which has been represented by a Black council member since 1963, is now predominantly Latino, with roughly 78% of residents identifying as Latino and about 13% as Black, according to available data.
With Price termed out after three terms on the council, some political observers have suggested the seat could shift to Latino representation.
Against that backdrop, Martin argued that a lack of institutional support played a role in his campaign’s challenges. He said he was the only viable Black candidate in the race and criticized what he described as a lack of support from established political leaders.
“I do want to hold accountable the Black establishment of politicians who didn’t support the only Black candidate who would have been viable,” Martin said.
A request for comment from Price’s office was not returned before publication.
Six candidates — all Latino — remain on the 9th District ballot. They include Jose Ugarte, an aide to Price; Martha Sanchez, a professor and therapist; Jorge Nuno, a social entrepreneur; Jose Hernandez, an educator and therapist; Elmer Roldan, a nonprofit director; and Estuardo Mazariegos, a community organization director.
Price has endorsed his aide Ugarte. City Council President Marquee Harris-Dawson has endorsed Roldan and county Supervisor Holly Mitchell has endorsed Nuno.
After Lindsay was elected in 1963, he held the seat for almost 30 years. He was replaced by Rita Walters, who was followed by Jan Perry. Price succeeded Perry in 2013.
Martin’s removal from the ballot could impact the dynamics of the District 9 race, which includes a large portion of South Los Angeles and has drawn attention amid broader political developments in the area.
Stephen Oduntan is a freelance writer for Wave Newspapers.
