Los Angeles's 3rd City Council district explained

State:Los Angeles
District:3
Chamber:City Council
Representative:Bob Blumenfield
Party:Democratic
Residence:Reseda
Population:256,822
Population Year:2020
Registered:138,309
Registered Year:2017
Percent White:44.8
Percent Asian:11.7
Percent Hispanic:36.4
Percent Black:3.9
Percent Other Race:0.31

Los Angeles's 3rd City Council district is one of the fifteen districts in the Los Angeles City Council. It is currently represented by Democrat Bob Blumenfield since 2013 after winning an election to succeed Dennis Zine, who termed out and ran for City Controller that year.

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.

Geography

The Third District extends to the western boundary of both Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County, bordering Ventura County. To the east, it ends at White Oak and Lindley Avenue. It includes the neighborhoods of Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Reseda, Winnetka and Canoga Park.[1]

The district is inside California's 32nd congressional district, 46th State Assembly district, 20th and 27th State Senatorial districts.

Historical boundaries

At its creation, it was mostly south of the Santa Monica Mountains east of Sawtelle, with its eastern boundary at Western Avenue, and its southern boundary running along Washington Boulevard to embrace the Palms area. It included the Los Angeles Country Club and the Sawtelle district, and all the Santa Monica Mountains west of Sawtelle to the Ventura County line, including Pacific Palisades and Topanga Canyon.[2] [3] In 1928, the northern boundary was at the "crest of the Santa Monica Mountains and the west boundary the city limits. The Pacific Ocean is the westerly portion of the south boundary of the district, then the line runs southeast along the city limits of Santa Monica to Cambridge Street, south to Pico Boulevard, southeast on Manning avenue and easterly in an irregular line to Eighth Street and Western Avenue. The line runs north on Western avenue to Melrose avenue. . . ."[4] In 1933, due to its size, it lost much of its territory, with the new boundaries south by Pico Boulevard, east by Highland Avenue, north by Hollywood Hills, extending west to the ocean and Santa Monica Canyon."[5] [6] [7]

In 1940, the district was an irregularly shaped east-west district including the area south of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, with Westwood, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, to the coast.[8] By 1951, it had West Hollywood, UCLA and contiguous territory and then ventures over the Santa Monica Mountains to take in a portion of the San Fernando Valley, including Tarzana, Woodland Hills and other communities."[9] In 1960, the district gave up Encino and part of Woodland Hills.[10]

By 1964, the district was reduced in size when the 12th District was transferred from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley, taking over some of the 3rd's area.[11] It included the southwest corner of the Valley, including Woodland Hills, Tarzana and parts of Encino, Canoga Park and Reseda.[12] By 1981, "although the district is largely white and middle class, it is complicated and anything but homogenous. A study in contrasts, it has expensive ranch homes in Woodland Hills that are minutes away from shack-like dwellings in Canoga Park, a largely Hispanic barrio dating from the early 1900s."[13] In 1985, Canoga Park, West Hills were now in District 12, and Reseda, west Van Nuys and parts of Tarzana and Woodland Hills were included in the district.[14]

Officeholders

1889–1909

CouncilmemberPartyYearsElectoral history
Single-member ward established February 25, 1989
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William H. Bonsall
Republicannowrap February 25, 1889 –
December 12, 1892
Elected in 1889.
Re-elected in 1890.
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Frank S. Munson
Republicannowrap December 12, 1892 –
December 16, 1896
Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
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Zachariah D. Mathuss
Democraticnowrap December 16, 1896 –
December 15, 1898
Elected in 1896.
Retired.
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Louis F. Vetter
Republicannowrap December 15, 1898 –
December 12, 1900
Elected in 1898.
Lost renomination.
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Frank Walker
Democraticnowrap December 12, 1900 –
December 5, 1902
Elected in 1900.
Retired to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.
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Oscar E. Farish
Democraticnowrap December 5, 1902 –
December 8, 1904
Elected in 1902.
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Sidney W. Hiller
Republicannowrap December 8, 1904 –
December 13, 1906
Elected in 1904.
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Walter J. Wren
Republicannowrap December 13, 1906 –
December 10, 1909
Elected in 1906.
Retired.
Single-member ward eliminated December 10, 1909

1925–present

CouncilmemberPartyDatesElectoral history
District created July 1, 1925.
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Isaac F. Hughes
Republicannowrap July 1, 1925 –
June 30, 1927
Elected in 1925.
Lost re-election.
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Ernest L. Webster
Independentnowrap July 1, 1927 –
June 30, 1931
Elected in 1927.
Lost re-election.
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James S. McKnight
Progressivenowrap July 1, 1931 –
June 30, 1933
Elected in 1931.
Lost re-election.
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Stephen W. Cunningham
Republicannowrap July 1, 1933 –
June 30, 1941
Elected in 1933.
Re-elected in 1935.
Re-elected in 1937.
Re-elected in 1939.
Retired to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.
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J. Win Austin
Republicannowrap July 1, 1941 –
June 30, 1953
Elected in 1941.
Re-elected in 1943.
Re-elected in 1945.
Re-elected in 1947.
Re-elected in 1949.
Re-elected in 1951.
Retired.
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Robert M. Wilkinson
Republicannowrap July 1, 1953 –
June 30, 1957
Elected in 1951.
Re-elected in 1955.
Retired.
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Patrick D. McGee
Republicannowrap July 1, 1957 –
June 30, 1961
Elected in 1957.
Retired to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.
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Thomas D. Shepard
Republicannowrap June 1, 1961 –
June 30, 1969
Elected in 1961.
Re-elected in 1965.
Retired.
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Donald D. Lorenzen
Republicannowrap June 1, 1969 –
June 30, 1977
Elected in 1969.
Re-elected in 1973.
Lost re-election.
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Joy Picus
Democraticnowrap June 1, 1977 –
June 30, 1993
Elected in 1977.
Re-elected in 1981.
Re-elected in 1985.
Re-elected in 1989.
Lost re-election.
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Laura Chick
Democraticnowrap June 1, 1993 –
June 30, 2001
Elected in 1993.
Re-elected in 1997.
Retired to run for City Controller.

Dennis Zine
RepublicanJuly 1, 2001 –
June 30, 2013
Elected in 2001.
Re-elected in 2005.
Re-elected in 2009.
Retired to run for City Controller.
Independent
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Bob Blumenfield
DemocraticJuly 1, 2013 –
present
Elected in 2013.
Re-elected in 2017.
Re-elected in 2022.

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who's Who (And What They Do). Hernández, Caitlin. November 18, 2022. LAist.
  2. https://search.proquest.com/docview/161720218 "First Map Showing City Council's Districts," Los Angeles Times, January 16, 1925, page 1
  3. https://search.proquest.com/docview/161759966 "Here Are the Hundred and Twelve Aspirants for the City's Fifteen Councilmanic Seats," Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1925, page 7
  4. https://search.proquest.com/docview/162132736 "Council Areas' Lines Changed," Los Angeles Times, December 29, 1928, page A-1
  5. https://search.proquest.com/docview/163109975 "District Lines Get Approval," Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1932, page 2
  6. https://search.proquest.com/docview/163102835 "City Reapportionment Measure Gets Approval," Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1933
  7. https://search.proquest.com/docview/164642106 "New Council Zones Defined," Los Angeles Times, January 7, 1937, page A-18
  8. https://search.proquest.com/docview/165123125 "Proposed New Alignment for City Voting Precincts" (with map), Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1940, page A-3
  9. https://search.proquest.com/docview/166222066 "Outlook in City's Council Contests," Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1951, page 2
  10. https://search.proquest.com/docview/167779737 "Council OKs Changes in Its Districts," Los Angeles Times, November 1, 1960, page B-1
  11. https://search.proquest.com/docview/154963738 Jack McCurdy, "New Council Districting Voted 14-0," Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1964, page A-1
  12. https://search.proquest.com/docview/155156523 "Incumbent Councilman One of Three in 3rd District Race," Los Angeles Times, March 28, 1965, page SF-C-4
  13. https://search.proquest.com/docview/152745685 Penelope McMillan, "Picus Goes From Novice to Adviser," Los Angeles Times, March 22, 1981, page C-1
  14. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-28-me-29662-story.html Allan Jalon, "Only Politician Among 12 Honored," Los Angeles Times, December 28, 1985