latimes--2020-03-04--A coronavirus danger: Touching your face. Here is how to stop doing it

We all touch our face .
With this new coronavirus outbreak , how do we stop ?
Touching our faces is a real health risk .
So in this new world , not only is nose picking thought to be gross , but so is nose scratching , mouth touching and eye rubbing .
All it takes is just one virus to hitch a ride on a contaminated finger and slip into the body through a nostril or a wet part of the face .
Then the virus can latch on , finding a human cell in the throat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , flooding the body with even more copies of itself .
In critical illnesses , that one careless touch from an unwashed finger can begin a process of destroying lungs and kidneys and , in a worst-case scenario , trigger septic shock , multiple organ failure and make it impossible to breathe on your own .
And yet .
It ‘ s still so , so hard to stop touching our faces .
Much of time it ’ s spontaneous , and we aren ’ t even aware of it .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their faces 23 times per hour on average .
“ It ’ s human nature to want to touch your face , ” said Dr. Otto Yang , an infectious diseases expert at UCLA .
Touching our faces may actually be related to negative feelings — a feeling when we ’ ve failed to achieve a goal or aren ’ t satisfied , according to a research article published in the journal PLoS One .
Face touching can help us deal with anxiety and discomfort , and may be comforting , the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to touch our faces because of a perceived itch or to groom ourselves , but research suggests we ’ re actually doing it because we ’ re somehow uneasy or unsettled , according to research described in the study .
Touching our faces is also thought to be a way we might try to avoid being distracted .
In a study of face touching , researchers concocted ways of trying to distract study participants during a difficult mental task , and found that the human test subjects increasingly touched their faces when their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refocus .
Unfortunately , the things we touch the most often can often be filthy .
Such as our beloved smartphones .
Which we probably touch as soon as we wash our hands .
Colonies of bacteria were discovered on the vast majority of healthcare workers ’ cellphones in one study ; 93 % of the phones studied were found to be crawling with germs .
Most non-healthcare workers ’ phones were also dirty , with 58 % of them home to microbes , said the study , published in the Iranian Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only capable of transferring messages but also are disease-producing microbes , ” the study said .
While many people fear being sneezed or coughed on , there ’ s plenty of convincing evidence that shows just how easy it is for a virus to enter through face touching .
Some viruses can survive for days on hard surfaces , just waiting to be picked up by a new fingertip .
One study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found flu virus persisting on hard surfaces in flu patients ’ hospital rooms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mouse , bed rail , wall , sofa and clothes .
( In one case , the virus survived on a surface even after the room was cleaned and left empty for 72 hours before it was tested . )
Viruses are also common in daycare centers .
One study found more than half of tested surfaces were contaminated with flu virus ; another said “ respiratory viruses were omnipresent ... especially on the toys.
” Sometimes , it may not be the droplets in the sneezes and coughs that are most infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the snot , and the infected mucus is probably what helps it spread from person to person , and hand to hand , according to a number of studies .
And those seeking safety in masks should realize that they don ’ t keep you from touching your face .
Surgical masks don ’ t cover the eyes .
And people wearing masks can sometimes get an itch on their nose , and if they rub their nose through their mask , they ’ re likely to rub their eyes , said Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert .
“ Viruses are very happy infecting through the eyes as well as through nose and mouth , ” Cherry said .
So what can people do to break the habit ?
It ’ s not going to be easy , and some of these ideas will probably sound weird .
Nonetheless , people have kicked other habits commonly now seen as gross .
• Start being mindful when you do touch your face , catching yourself when — and , preferably , before — you do it .
• If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider folding your hands or doing something else with them , suggests one skin beauty care website .
• Got an itch ?
Try to ignore it .
If that ’ s bothersome , wash your hands , then scratch it , then wash your hands again .
Or buy sterile wooden tongue depressors to use as a tool to scratch itches .
• Perhaps consider wearing gloves .
The latest food safety gloves can also be used on smartphone screens , and gloves might make you more conscious about touching your face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it seems hard to learn how to not touch your face .
“ Politicians , for example , learn through extensive training to restrain from touching their face during public speaking , ” said Martin Grunwald , author of a book on face touching , “ Homo hapticus , ” and an expert on the subject at the University of Leipzig in Germany .
He also co-wrote the study published in PLoS One on face touching .
Still , “ this behavior requires extreme self-control and is extremely trying.
” Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hand-washing with soap and water for 20 seconds is effective at killing germs .
Bleach-based wipes also work — and wipe down your phone !
Hand sanitizer with at least 60 % alcohol can be effective in killing some viruses , including the new coronavirus , but can be ineffective with other viruses , UCLA ’ s Yang said .
There is a bright spot for those who can master a touchless lifestyle .
There was a “ substantially lower risk of community-acquired influenza infection ” for people in the Chinese province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rarely touched their face and received the annual flu shot , according to a study published in the journal Medicine .
Most of the flu transmission analyzed in that study was probably caused by touching contaminated surfaces and putting dirty fingertips in their mouth , nose or eyes , the authors said .

We all touch our face. With this new coronavirus outbreak, how do we stop?
Touching our faces is a real health risk. So in this new world, not only is nose picking thought to be gross, but so is nose scratching, mouth touching and eye rubbing. All it takes is just one virus to hitch a ride on a contaminated finger and slip into the body through a nostril or a wet part of the face.
Then the virus can latch on, finding a human cell in the throat, nose or sinuses to hijack and destroy it, flooding the body with even more copies of itself. In critical illnesses, that one careless touch from an unwashed finger can begin a process of destroying lungs and kidneys and, in a worst-case scenario, trigger septic shock, multiple organ failure and make it impossible to breathe on your own.
Advertisement
And yet. It’s still so, so hard to stop touching our faces. Much of time it’s spontaneous, and we aren’t even aware of it. One study caught medical students in class touching their faces 23 times per hour on average.
“It’s human nature to want to touch your face,” said Dr. Otto Yang, an infectious diseases expert at UCLA.
There’s a reason for that.
Science & Medicine How this coronavirus kills its victims The new coronavirus spreading rapidly around the globe can be deadly because it targets a very vulnerable and essential part of the body — the lungs.
Touching our faces may actually be related to negative feelings — a feeling when we’ve failed to achieve a goal or aren’t satisfied, according to a research article published in the journal PLoS One.
Face touching can help us deal with anxiety and discomfort, and may be comforting, the report said. We might think we want to touch our faces because of a perceived itch or to groom ourselves, but research suggests we’re actually doing it because we’re somehow uneasy or unsettled, according to research described in the study.
A Dodgers fan agonizes over a game in 2016. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Touching our faces is also thought to be a way we might try to avoid being distracted. In a study of face touching, researchers concocted ways of trying to distract study participants during a difficult mental task, and found that the human test subjects increasingly touched their faces when their attention was distracted and they needed to refocus.
Unfortunately, the things we touch the most often can often be filthy. Such as our beloved smartphones. Which we probably touch as soon as we wash our hands.
Colonies of bacteria were discovered on the vast majority of healthcare workers’ cellphones in one study; 93% of the phones studied were found to be crawling with germs. Most non-healthcare workers’ phones were also dirty, with 58% of them home to microbes, said the study, published in the Iranian Journal of Microbiology.
“Mobile phones are not only capable of transferring messages but also are disease-producing microbes,” the study said.
Clippers players in 2018 react to a loss by touching their faces, a natural human tendency. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
While many people fear being sneezed or coughed on, there’s plenty of convincing evidence that shows just how easy it is for a virus to enter through face touching.
Some viruses can survive for days on hard surfaces, just waiting to be picked up by a new fingertip. One study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found flu virus persisting on hard surfaces in flu patients’ hospital rooms. The virus was found on a computer mouse, bed rail, wall, sofa and clothes. (In one case, the virus survived on a surface even after the room was cleaned and left empty for 72 hours before it was tested.)
Viruses are also common in daycare centers. One study found more than half of tested surfaces were contaminated with flu virus; another said “respiratory viruses were omnipresent ... especially on the toys.”
Science & Medicine How bad could this coronavirus outbreak get? When it comes to the coronavirus outbreak, no one can predict the future. But experts look to pandemics of the past for hints about what’s to come.
Sometimes, it may not be the droplets in the sneezes and coughs that are most infectious. Instead, the virus is in the snot, and the infected mucus is probably what helps it spread from person to person, and hand to hand, according to a number of studies.
And those seeking safety in masks should realize that they don’t keep you from touching your face.
Surgical masks don’t cover the eyes. And people wearing masks can sometimes get an itch on their nose, and if they rub their nose through their mask, they’re likely to rub their eyes, said Dr. James Cherry, a UCLA infectious diseases expert.
“Viruses are very happy infecting through the eyes as well as through nose and mouth,” Cherry said.
So what can people do to break the habit?
It’s not going to be easy, and some of these ideas will probably sound weird. Nonetheless, people have kicked other habits commonly now seen as gross.
Start being mindful when you do touch your face, catching yourself when — and, preferably, before — you do it.
If you catch yourself before touching your face, consider folding your hands or doing something else with them, suggests one skin beauty care website.
Got an itch? Try to ignore it. If that’s bothersome, wash your hands, then scratch it, then wash your hands again. Or buy sterile wooden tongue depressors to use as a tool to scratch itches.
Perhaps consider wearing gloves. The latest food safety gloves can also be used on smartphone screens, and gloves might make you more conscious about touching your face.
Don’t get discouraged if it seems hard to learn how to not touch your face.
“Politicians, for example, learn through extensive training to restrain from touching their face during public speaking,” said Martin Grunwald, author of a book on face touching, “Homo hapticus,” and an expert on the subject at the University of Leipzig in Germany. He also co-wrote the study published in PLoS One on face touching. Still, “this behavior requires extreme self-control and is extremely trying.”
Of course, keeping your hands clean is essential. Hand-washing with soap and water for 20 seconds is effective at killing germs. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can be effective in killing some viruses, including the new coronavirus, but can be ineffective with other viruses, UCLA’s Yang said. Bleach-based wipes work to clean surfaces.
And wipe down your phone! Some say bleach wipes are safe for phones; others recommend a mix of water and 70% isopropyl alcohol.
There is a bright spot for those who can master a touchless lifestyle.
There was a “substantially lower risk of community-acquired influenza infection” for people in the Chinese province of Fujian who often washed their hands, rarely touched their face and received the annual flu shot, according to a study published in the journal Medicine.
Most of the flu transmission analyzed in that study was probably caused by touching contaminated surfaces and putting dirty fingertips in their mouth, nose or eyes, the authors said.


latimes--2020-03-04--Coronavirus hits critical moment in U.S.: More deaths, but there's still time to contain it

The battle against the coronavirus was reaching a critical moment in the United States , with the number of deaths rising Tuesday as public health leaders said there was limited window to contain the virus .
It was a day of grim milestones , with more deaths tied to a nursing home in Washington state , a new quarantine in the suburbs of New York City and warning that many more cases were coming .
“ I want them to be prepared for the reality that they , there are going to be more cases in the community , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ But I want them to continue their daily lives .
I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.
” The World Health Organization announced Tuesday the global mortality rate from coronavirus was 3.4 % .
The death rate so far — which includes more than 3,000 deaths — is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu , which is 0.1 % .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no one has built up an immunity to it .
Still , he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus .
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than the flu , which is often spread by people who are infected yet don ’ t have symptoms .
That doesn ’ t seem to be the case for COVID-19 , he said .
“ There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics ... which is why we must do everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tedros said .
Earlier reports have pointed to a mortality rate of about 2 % for COVID-19 .
Experts say they suspect all analyses so far have overestimated the disease ’ s fatality rate because milder cases are largely not being diagnosed .
In 80 % of people , the disease causes only mild illness , experts say .
Mike Ryan , who runs WHO ‘ s emergencies program , pushed back against officials who wanted to “ wave the white flag ” and surrender to the disease ’ s hold .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , and case numbers are now on the decline there .
Countries such as China and South Korea “ implemented very , very strong measures that have affected their own economies and their own societies , ” Ryan said .
“ It ’ s really a duty of others to use the time that has been bought .
“ That is not a reverse you can achieve with influenza .
If that is a failure , we ’ ll have slowed down the virus , ” he said .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus ’ arrival in a country for a few months , Ryan said .
Many countries , including the U.S , are in the middle of flu season , so large numbers of coronavirus cases would overwhelm the health system .
In Italy , COVID-19 patients and flu patients are already stretching hospitals and healthcare facilities , he said .
Tedros said he ’ s concerned by shortages of masks , gowns and other equipment needed by healthcare workers to stop the spread of disease “ caused by rising demands and hoarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers , ” said Tedros , noting that prices of surgical masks have increased sixfold .
Current information suggests that most COVID-19 cases are mild , said Dr. Nancy Messonnier , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases .
According to a report from China , the most serious illnesses occur in 16 % of cases , she said , and older people and those with underlying health conditions are twice as likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media briefing Tuesday , Messonnier said that cases similar to those reported abroad were now appearing in the United States .
The CDC is relying on local health clinicians to determine testing needs .
In addition to CDC test kits , commercial manufacturers overseen by the Food and Drug Administration are providing tests directly to states .
These types of tests are typically what are on the front lines in the United States , Messonnier said .
As of Monday evening , 60 cases of coronavirus had been diagnosed in the U.S. plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and were repatriated to America .
That puts the total at about 105 cases , according to the CDC .
The West Coast continues to bear the brunt of the illnesses in the U.S. , with the focus on Northern California and Washington state .
Public health officials confirmed a nursing home patient in Washington state was admitted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Feb. 24 and died two days later .
The patient , a 54-year-old man who had underlying medical conditions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirkland and died days before several other patients at the nursing home were linked to the coronavirus , hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said .
The Seattle and King County Public Health Department on Tuesday reported two additional deaths from COVID-19 , bringing the King County total to eight .
The other person who died was from Snohomish County , health officials said .
A North Carolina resident who visited the Kirkland facility has since tested positive for the virus , becoming that state ’ s first case of COVID-19 , Gov .
Roy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North Carolina are working to identify anyone else who may have come in contact with the individual .
“ I know that people are worried about this virus and I want to assure North Carolinians our state is prepared , ” Cooper said in a statement , noting that the person represents an isolated case .
More than 50 people in California have the virus , with new cases reported in Santa Clara County , Berkeley and two presumptive cases in Orange County .
There is some debate about how the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in history .
The 1918 Spanish flu — the worst pandemic of the 20th century — is estimated to have killed at least 50 million people worldwide over the course of three years .
That includes 675,000 in the U.S .
Among those who were infected , the death rate is estimated to be greater than 2.5 % The most recent pandemic flu — caused by the H1N1 virus that emerged from pigs in 2009 — caused between around the world .
An estimated 12,500 of those fatalities occurred in the U.S. during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an estimated 60.8 million nationwide were infected .
The new coronavirus could wind up somewhere in between , said Dr. Otto Yang , an infectious disease expert at UCLA .
Based on what ’ s known right now , his best guess is that it might resemble the pandemic flu of 1968 , which killed about 1 million people globally , including 100,000 in the U.S. That time , the fatality rate for those infected was about 0.03 % .
Since 2010 , the death toll of a single flu season has ranged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the CDC .
The current flu season , which began in October , has seen so far .
Though the flurry of positive test results in recent days does signal that the virus is circulating within the U.S. , experts advised the public to avoid reading too much into those numbers .
Until late last week , federal officials were not allowing widespread testing for the virus , so many people who were already sick are only now being diagnosed , Harvard epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch said .
“ Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things are happening , but a lot of the numbers are changing because we ’ re discovering things that have already happened , ” Lipsitch said in a forum Monday hosted by Harvard ’ s public health school .
“ It ’ s really important to distinguish ‘ Oh , goodness , there ’ s a new cluster ’ from ‘ Oh , goodness , we just discovered that there ’ s a cluster that ’ s been there for some time.
’ ” Times staff writers Noah Bierman and Noam N. Levey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hannah Fry and Anh Do in Los Angeles and Phil Willon in Sacramento contributed to this report .
Read reported from Seattle .

Soumya Karlamangla, Richard Read, Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby

Assistant plant manager Tracy Westfield cleans a classroom handle at Burroughs Middle School in Los Angeles on Tuesday as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.
The battle against the coronavirus was reaching a critical moment in the United States, with the number of deaths rising Tuesday as public health leaders said there was limited window to contain the virus.
The death toll in Washington state rose to 10, and Los Angeles and other Southern California communities delcared state of emergency amid new local cases.
“I want them to be prepared for the reality that they, there are going to be more cases in the community,” said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.”
The World Health Organization announced Tuesday the global mortality rate from coronavirus was 3.4%. The death rate so far — which includes more than 3,000 deaths — is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, which is 0.1%. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it.
Advertisement
Still, he and other health officials said there was still time to slow the spread of the virus.
Officials say they have learned the coronavirus is less transmissible than the flu, which is often spread by people who are infected yet don’t have symptoms. That doesn’t seem to be the case for COVID-19, he said.
“There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics ... which is why we must do everything we can to contain it,” Tedros said.
Earlier reports have pointed to a mortality rate of about 2% for COVID-19. Experts say they suspect all analyses so far have overestimated the disease’s fatality rate because milder cases are largely not being diagnosed. In 80% of people, the disease causes only mild illness, experts say.
President Trump met with a group of airline executives at the White House Wednesday and tried to reassure the public that it is safe to fly “in large portions of the world.” As public health officials reiterated pleas to wash hands and avoid touching faces, Trump joked about his own practices: “I haven’t touched my face in weeks. In weeks — I miss it.”
Former President Obama also urged Americans to follow the guidance of health officials and remain calm. “Protect yourself and your community from coronavirus with common sense precautions: wash your hands, stay home when sick and listen to the @CDCgov and local health authorities. Save the masks for health care workers. Let’s stay calm, listen to the experts, and follow the science.”
Advertisement
Mike Ryan, who runs the WHO‘s emergencies program, pushed back against officials who wanted to “wave the white flag” and surrender to the disease’s hold. China took drastic steps to fight the virus, he said, and case numbers are now on the decline there.
Countries such as China and South Korea “implemented very, very strong measures that have affected their own economies and their own societies,” Ryan said. “It’s really a duty of others to use the time that has been bought.
“That is not a reverse you can achieve with influenza. If that is a failure, we’ll have slowed down the virus,” he said.
There can be a big benefit in slowing the virus’ arrival in a country for a few months, Ryan said. Many countries, including the U.S, are in the middle of flu season, so large numbers of coronavirus cases would overwhelm the health system.
In Italy, COVID-19 patients and flu patients are already stretching hospitals and healthcare facilities, he said.
Tedros said he’s concerned by shortages of masks, gowns and other equipment needed by healthcare workers to stop the spread of disease “caused by rising demands and hoarding and misuse.”
“We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers,” said Tedros, noting that prices of surgical masks have increased sixfold.
Current information suggests that most COVID-19 cases are mild, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. According to a report from China, the most serious illnesses occur in 16% of cases, she said, and older people and those with underlying health conditions are twice as likely to develop serious outcomes.
Speaking during a media briefing Tuesday, Messonnier said that cases similar to those reported abroad were now appearing in the United States.
The CDC is relying on local health clinicians to determine testing needs. In addition to CDC test kits, commercial manufacturers overseen by the Food and Drug Administration are providing tests directly to states. These types of tests are typically what are on the front lines in the United States, Messonnier said.
As of Monday evening, 60 cases of coronavirus had been diagnosed in the U.S. plus an additional 45 people who were passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and were repatriated to America. That puts the total at about 105 cases, according to the CDC.
The West Coast continues to bear the brunt of the illnesses in the U.S., with the focus on Northern California and Washington state.
Public health officials confirmed a nursing home patient in Washington state was admitted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Feb. 24 and died two days later. The patient, a 54-year-old man who had underlying medical conditions, was transported from Life Care Center of Kirkland and died days before several other patients at the nursing home were linked to the coronavirus, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
The Seattle and King County Public Health Department on Tuesday reported two additional deaths from COVID-19, bringing the King County total to eight. The other person who died was from Snohomish County, health officials said.
A North Carolina resident who visited the Kirkland facility has since tested positive for the virus, becoming that state’s first case of COVID-19, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday. Health department officials in North Carolina are working to identify anyone else who may have come in contact with the individual.
“I know that people are worried about this virus and I want to assure North Carolinians our state is prepared,” Cooper said in a statement, noting that the person represents an isolated case.
More than 50 people in California have the virus, with new cases reported in Santa Clara County, Berkeley and two presumptive cases in Orange County.
There is some debate about how the coronavirus outbreak will play out and its place in history.
The 1918 Spanish flu — the worst pandemic of the 20th century — is estimated to have killed at least 50 million people worldwide over the course of three years. That includes 675,000 in the U.S. Among those who were infected, the death rate is estimated to be greater than 2.5% .
The most recent pandemic flu — caused by the H1N1 virus that emerged from pigs in 2009 — caused between 152,000 and 575,000 deaths around the world. An estimated 12,500 of those fatalities occurred in the U.S. during the first year of the outbreak; an estimated 60.8 million nationwide were infected.
The new coronavirus could wind up somewhere in between, said Dr. Otto Yang, an infectious disease expert at UCLA. Based on what’s known right now, his best guess is that it might resemble the pandemic flu of 1968, which killed about 1 million people globally, including 100,000 in the U.S. That time, the fatality rate for those infected was about 0.03%.
Since 2010, the death toll of a single flu season has ranged between 12,000 to 61,000 in the U.S., according to the CDC. The current flu season, which began in October, has seen about 18,000 deaths so far.
Though the flurry of positive test results in recent days does signal that the virus is circulating within the U.S., experts advised the public to avoid reading too much into those numbers.
Until late last week, federal officials were not allowing widespread testing for the virus , so many people who were already sick are only now being diagnosed, Harvard epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch said.
“Some of the numbers are changing because new things are happening, but a lot of the numbers are changing because we’re discovering things that have already happened,” Lipsitch said in a forum Monday hosted by Harvard’s public health school. “It’s really important to distinguish ‘Oh, goodness, there’s a new cluster’ from ‘Oh, goodness, we just discovered that there’s a cluster that’s been there for some time.’”
Times staff writers Noam N. Levey in Washington, Andrew J, Campa, Hannah Fry and Anh Do in Los Angeles and Phil Willon in Sacramento contributed to this report. Read reported from Seattle.


latimes--2020-03-04--Holly Mitchell and Herb Wesson appear headed for runoff in race for L.A. County supervisor

The race for one of the three seats up for grabs on the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appeared poised for a runoff Tuesday night , as partial election returns showed state Sen. Holly Mitchell and L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson leading in the 2nd Supervisorial District .
Along with former L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry , the longtime politicians sought to muscle their way into the seat being vacated by a termed out Mark Ridley-Thomas .
Four lesser-known candidates also ran .
If no candidate wins more than 50 % of the vote , the top two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November .
“ I feel good , I ’ m on the board , ” said Mitchell , speaking by phone Tuesday night after early results were posted .
“ I ’ m cautiously optimistic.
” “ I believe the voters are putting me through to the next round , ” Wesson told The Times by phone after speaking to supporters at his campaign headquarters .
“ I led this campaign not with my head , but with my heart , and I believe we made a real connection with the voters.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three county supervisor contests on Tuesday .
Incumbents Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn were leading in their respective races , according to partial returns .
The five-member Board of Supervisors represents 10 million people and oversees a $ 36-billion budget , the county ’ s jails and hospitals , and social services .
In the 2nd district race , homelessness , rising housing prices and gentrification were the dominant issues , as the district , which covers much of South L.A. , Culver City and Carson , has the largest homeless population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraising edge made him the target of attacks , with both Mitchell and Perry questioning his record on affordable housing and homelessness .
The former City Council president and Assembly speaker pulled in more than $ 1.5 million , while the L.A. County Federation of Labor spent another $ 1.5 million through an independent committee to support his bid , said Federation of Labor political director Devin Osiri .
The Assn .
for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs State PAC gave $ 500,000 to the committee led by the federation , while Service Employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mitchell , who raised $ 985,000 , also benefited from outside money .
An independent committee — with major funders that include Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West and Planned Parent Advocacy Project — spent more than $ 450,000 in the race , said Tina McKinnor , principal officer of the committee .
In the final weeks of the primary race , Perry ’ s campaign stepped up attacks on Wesson , sending mailers that alleged the councilman is being investigated by the FBI .
The mailers quoted a 2019 Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection with the FBI probe into City Councilman Jose Huizar .
The Times reported that investigators were looking for possible evidence involving a dozen people , including Deron Williams , Wesson ’ s chief of staff .
Wesson ’ s name , however , doesn ’ t appear in the search warrant and his attorney told The Times last year that the councilman was only a witness in its investigation .
No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the probe .
Hahn , who has endorsed Wesson , defended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , Hahn called the mailers a “ last-minute smear , ” and pointed to Wesson ’ s support from law enforcement groups .
Meanwhile , partial returns showed Hahn coasting to victory over challenger and attorney Desiree Washington , as she sought to retain her district seat .
The county ’ s 4th Supervisorial District covers Diamond Bar , Downey , San Pedro and Marina del Rey .
And in the county ’ s 5th district , Barger also was leading over John C. Harabedian , mayor of Sierra Madre , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Lancaster to Pasadena and takes in Santa Clarita and San Dimas .
Measure FD , a parcel tax that would raise an estimated $ 134 million annually for the Los Angeles County Fire Department was falling short of the two-thirds approval needed to pass .
Only voters who live in areas served by the L.A. County Fire Department , which include the unincorporated county and 58 cities that contract with the county for fire protection and emergency services , cast ballots on the measure .
Another ballot measure , Measure R , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would allow the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to subpoena witnesses and documents during its investigations .
It would also authorize the commission to develop a plan to reduce jail populations and reinvest savings into other preventative services .

State Sen. Holly Mitchell reacts as she sees the first polling results at her campaign headquarters putting her in the lead the Los Angeles County 2nd Supervisorial District race.
The race for one of the three seats up for grabs on the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appeared poised for a runoff, with partial election returns showing L.A. City Councilman Herb Wesson and state Sen. Holly Mitchell leading in the 2nd Supervisorial District.
Along with former L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry, the longtime politicians sought to muscle their way into the seat being vacated by a termed-out Mark Ridley-Thomas. Four lesser-known candidates also ran.
If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will go to a runoff in November.
“I feel good, I’m on the board,” said Mitchell, speaking by phone Tuesday night after early results were posted. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Advertisement
“I believe the voters are putting me through to the next round,” Wesson told The Times by phone after speaking to supporters at his campaign headquarters. “I led this campaign not with my head, but with my heart, and I believe we made a real connection with the voters.”
The race was the most closely watched of three county supervisor contests on Tuesday. Incumbents Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn were leading in their respective races, according to partial returns.
The five-member Board of Supervisors represents 10 million people and oversees a $36-billion budget, the county’s jails and hospitals, and social services.
In the 2nd District race, homelessness, rising housing prices and gentrification were the dominant issues, as the district, which covers much of South L.A., Culver City and Carson, has the largest homeless population in the county.
Herb J. Wesson Jr. at a L.A. city council meeting. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Wesson’s fundraising edge made him the target of attacks, with both Mitchell and Perry questioning his record on affordable housing and homelessness.
The former City Council president and Assembly speaker pulled in more than $1.5 million, while the L.A. County Federation of Labor spent another $1.5 million through an independent committee to support his bid, said Federation of Labor political director Devin Osiri. The Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs State PAC gave $500,000 to the committee led by the federation, while Service Employees International Union Local 721 gave $400,000.
Advertisement
Mitchell, who raised $985,000, also benefited from outside money. An independent committee — with major funders that include Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West and Planned Parent Advocacy Project — spent more than $450,000 in the race, said Tina McKinnor, principal officer of the committee.
In the final weeks of the primary race, Perry’s campaign stepped up attacks on Wesson, sending mailers that alleged the councilman is being investigated by the FBI.
Politics 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primary: What you missed, who dropped out On the biggest day of the Democratic presidential primary calendar, 14 states — from Maine to California — held primaries on Super Tuesday. There were1,357 delegates at stake, just over a third of the votes at this summer’s nominating convention.The balloting shaped up as a battle between Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.Former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg dropped out Wednesday morning after a disappointing showing, considering the hundreds of millions he’s spent on his campaign. Sen. Elizabeth Warren also fell well short of expectations. Our reporters in California and other key Super Tuesday states followed the day’s developments and will keep you up to date on the aftermath.Live Super Tuesday results Photos: Super Tuesday | 14 states hold primaries with 1,357 delegates at stake
The mailers quoted a 2019 Times story about a search warrant served in connection with the FBI probe into City Councilman Jose Huizar. The Times reported that investigators were looking for possible evidence involving a dozen people, including Deron Williams, Wesson’s chief of staff. Wesson’s name, however, doesn’t appear in the search warrant and his attorney told The Times last year that the councilman was only a witness in its investigation. No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the probe.
Hahn, who has endorsed Wesson, defended the councilman. Speaking on robocalls to district voters, Hahn called the mailers a “last-minute smear,” and pointed to Wesson’s support from law enforcement groups.
Meanwhile, partial returns showed Hahn coasting to victory over challenger and attorney Desiree Washington, as she sought to retain her district seat. The county’s 4th Supervisorial District covers Diamond Bar, Downey, San Pedro and Marina del Rey.
And in the county’s 5th district, Barger also was leading over John C. Harabedian, mayor of Sierra Madre, and educator Darrell Park. The district stretches from Lancaster to Pasadena and takes in Santa Clarita and San Dimas.
Measure FD, a parcel tax that would raise an estimated $134 million annually for the Los Angeles County Fire Department was falling short of the two-thirds approval needed to pass. Only voters who live in areas served by the L.A. County Fire Department, which include the unincorporated county and 58 cities that contract with the county for fire protection and emergency services, cast ballots on the measure.
Another ballot measure, Measure R, was ahead in partial returns. It would allow the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to subpoena witnesses and documents during its investigations. It would also authorize the commission to develop a plan to reduce jail populations and reinvest savings into other preventative services.


latimes--2020-03-04--Results unclear in union-versus-charter contests for L.A. school board

In early results Tuesday night , Jackie Goldberg had a comfortable lead in her bid to remain on the Los Angeles Board of Education .
Results in two other competitive contests were tighter , following campaigns marked by big spending from outside interests and negative , frequently inaccurate mailers against some of the candidates .
The early tallies in all races were too small to be conclusive .
Four of seven board seats were on the ballot in contests that are expected to determine whether the teachers union or charter school supporters will have greater influence in the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , all four seats were held by board members who leaned pro-union , and the shift of even one seat could result in a more pro-charter Board of Education .
The easiest race was in District 1 .
One-term incumbent George McKenna was opposed only by write-in candidate Michael Batie , whose name does not appear on the ballot .
In District 5 , Goldberg has been the presumed favorite .
But that did not stop businessman Bill Bloomfield from swamping the race with positive mailers about opponent Christina Martinez Duran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent more than $ 600,000 in support of Duran and more than $ 744,000 in negative mailers that distorted Goldberg ’ s record of pushing for increased funding for schools and supporting gun control .
Unions spent about $ 232,000 on behalf of Goldberg , who already was well known in areas of her district north and northeast of downtown .
She ’ s less well known in the cities of southeast L.A. County .
Goldberg first served on the board in the 1980s and later on the L.A. City Council and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Board of Education last May in a special election to complete the term of Ref Rodriguez , who resigned after pleading guilty to campaign-finance violations .
The switch from Rodriguez , the cofounder of a group of charter schools , to Goldberg , a union ally and charter critic , altered the board ’ s ideological balance .
Charters are privately operated public schools that compete with district operated schools for students .
Most charters are non-union .
In her first year , Goldberg has suggested that she would look with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also insisted she would not target existing charters — more than 200 — for shut down .
To tilt the board toward supporting charter growth , backers needed only one win , and they pushed hard in District 3 .
In this race , one-term incumbent Scott Schmerelson — a retired principal backed by the district ’ s employee unions — was opposed by charter-backed Marilyn Koziatek , a district parent who has led community outreach efforts at a local charter school .
Schmerelson was ahead in early returns , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backers spent more than $ 1.6 million to boost Koziatek and more than $ 1 million against Schmerelson .
Unions spent more than $ 671,000 in support of Schmerelson and also tried to flood neighborhoods with teachers who volunteered to walk precincts .
The other candidate , Elizabeth Bartels-Badger , was third in early returns , suggesting that she may pull in enough votes to keep the other two candidates from winning an outright majority .
If no candidate wins a majority of votes , the top two finishers will face off in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because term limits prevented incumbent Richard Vladovic from running again .
In early returns , the leading vote-getters included the three candidates who benefited most from outside campaigns : Mike Lansing , Tanya Ortiz Franklin and Patricia Castellanos .
But Lydia Gutiérrez , who had no significant funding support , was in that tight grouping .
As in District 5 , the campaign spending pitted charter ally Bloomfield against the teachers union and its allies .
And , as in District 5 , Bloomfield ’ s dollars swamped what either the unions or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own .
In this race , Bloomfield backed two candidates : former two-term school board member Lansing and education-program administrator Franklin .
Bloomfield ’ s apparent goal was to edge out union-backed candidate Castellanos from making a runoff .
Bloomfield also funded negative campaigns against both Gutiérrez , a teacher , and Castellanos , a veteran labor organizer and district parent .
Also running in District 7 was Silke M. Bradford , a school district administrator who evaluates the performance of charter schools .

Jackie Goldberg appears headed to reelection on the Los Angeles Board of Education, but little else has been settled Wednesday in hard-fought, expensive and pivotal contests to influence the direction of the nation’s second-largest school system.
With many ballots yet to be counted, two races seem on their way toward a November runoff, but it is not yet clear who will be in those contests.
In the west San Fernando Valley, incumbent Scott Schmerelson was leading in ongoing tallies, making him a good bet to be in a runoff against either Marilyn Koziatek, who was in second place, or Elizabeth Bartels-Badger.
Advertisement
For a board seat that takes in parts of South L.A. and the harbor area, four candidates are in a tight contest over the two spots in the runoff. Leading the pack early Wednesday was Patricia Castellanos, but many votes are yet to be tallied.
Throughout the campaign season, these contests were a battle between between supporters of charter schools and the teachers union — and that scenario is likely to continue until the November general election. The stakes are high for both sides on a board that has divided closely over issues affecting charter schools.
The four seats up in this election have all been held by board members friendly to the teachers union — and the union has been campaigning to keep it that way. Charter advocates are concerned about new state laws that give school boards more authority to limit charter growth and have been campaigning for candidates more likely to support their schools.
Charters are privately operated and compete with the school system for students. Most charters are nonunion.
“The new rules for charter approval would let a pro-union board cut back on charter growth in L.A. in a big way, but the unions, to take advantage of that opportunity, can’t afford to lose either of these last two seats,” said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at USC and Pepperdine. “This is going to be a classic charter-versus-union faceoff. Both sides are all in.”
District 1, parts of South and southwest L.A.
Advertisement
The easiest race was in District 1. One-term incumbent George McKenna was opposed only by write-in candidate Michael Batie.
District 5, parts of east and north L.A., southeast cities
In District 5, Goldberg was the presumed favorite. But that did not stop businessman Bill Bloomfield from swamping the race with positive mailers about opponent Christina Martinez Duran and negative mailers about Goldberg.
Goldberg had a comfortable majority in incomplete returns.
Bloomfield spent more than $600,000 in support of Duran and more than $744,000 in negative mailers that distorted Goldberg’s record of pushing for increased funding for schools and supporting gun control. Unions spent about $232,000 on behalf of Goldberg, who already was well known in areas of her district north and northeast of downtown. She’s less well known in the cities of southeast L.A. County.
Goldberg first served on the board in the 1980s and later on the L.A. City Council and in the Assembly. She returned to the Board of Education last May in a special election to complete the term of Ref Rodriguez, who resigned after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations.
The switch from Rodriguez, the cofounder of a group of charter schools, to Goldberg, a union ally and charter critic, altered the board’s ideological balance. Charters are privately operated public schools that compete with district operated schools for students. Most charters are non-union.
In her first year, Goldberg has suggested that she would look with some skepticism at petitions for new charters, but also insisted she would not target existing charters — more than 200 — for shut down.
District 3, West San Fernando Valley
To tilt the board toward supporting charter growth, backers needed only one win, and they pushed hard in District 3. In this race, one-term incumbent Schmerelson — a retired principal backed by the district’s employee unions — was opposed by charter-backed Koziatek, a district parent who has led community outreach efforts at a local charter school.
Charter backers spent more than $1.6 million to boost Koziatek and more than $1 million against Schmerelson. Unions spent more than $671,000 in support of Schmerelson and also tried to flood neighborhoods with teachers who volunteered to walk precincts.
District 7, South L.A., harbor area
This competitive seat opened up because term limits prevented incumbent Richard Vladovic from running again.
In early returns, the leading vote-getters included the three candidates who benefited most from outside campaigns: Mike Lansing, Tanya Ortiz Franklin and Castellanos. But Lydia Gutiérrez, who had no significant funding support, also was in that tight grouping.
As in District 5, the campaign spending pitted charter ally Bloomfield against the teachers union and its allies. And, as in District 5, Bloomfield’s dollars swamped what either the unions or individual candidates were able to do on their own.
In this race, Bloomfield backed two candidates: former two-term school board member Lansing and education-program administrator Franklin. Bloomfield’s apparent goal was to edge out union-backed candidate Castellanos from making a runoff.
Bloomfield also funded negative campaigns against both Gutiérrez, a teacher, and Castellanos, a veteran labor organizer and district parent.
Also running in District 7 was Silke M. Bradford, a school district administrator who evaluates the performance of charter schools.


latimes--2020-03-04--In L.A. City Council races, incumbents and political veterans pulling ahead

Four well-funded Los Angeles politicians — two of them incumbents , two of them looking to win new offices — were leading in their respective races for City Council late Tuesday , according to partial returns .
In a Hollywood Hills district , Councilman David Ryu was leading his opponents , but was at risk of being pushed into a November runoff election against nonprofit leader Nithya Raman .
In the northwest San Fernando Valley , Councilman John Lee was leading college educator Loraine Lundquist in their second head-to-head contest in eight months .
Former state Senate leader Kevin de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the five-way race to replace Councilman Jose Huizar on the Eastside .
And Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was leading attorney Grace Yoo as well as three other challengers in the race to replace Councilman Herb Wesson in South Los Angeles .
“ I think this is an affirmation of the leadership I have displayed over several decades now — that I am committed to results , committed to reform , which has been my mantra ever since I took office , ” Ridley-Thomas said shortly after the results posted .
Yoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a runoff .
While she was happy to be placing second , Yoo said the county ’ s handling of the election — and the fact that voters had to wait in line for hours — was “ completely outrageous.
” “ The voter suppression going on in the county of Los Angeles is awful , ” she said .
Council President Nury Martinez and Councilman Paul Krekorian , both representatives of the San Fernando Valley , were coasting to victory .
And Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson prevailed in his race for reelection in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only candidate on the ballot .
In contests where no one receives a majority , the top two candidates will compete in a runoff election in November .
De León , who held slightly more than a majority of the vote at about 11 p.m. , said he was “ cautiously optimistic ” about his prospects .
“ I ’ ve never taken anything for granted , and I will not take anything for granted tonight , ” he said .
Tuesday ’ s election was in many ways historic for L.A. For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century , the municipal election was conducted on the same day as the state ’ s presidential primary , a change made by voters in hopes of boosting voter turnout .
The presidential primary and other high-profile races were expected to lure more Democrats to the polls .
Democrats had been hoping a bigger turnout would boost Lundquist , a Democrat running in the northwest Valley to unseat Lee , who was until recently registered as a Republican .
Lee said the early results , which had him ahead by a significant margin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t about party politics.
” “ This is about potholes .
This is about funding police , ” he said .
In other parts of the city , insurgent candidates were hoping to capitalize on the excitement around the presidential bid of Bernie Sanders .
In other ways , Tuesday ’ s election was much like those that have been held in previous years .
Incumbents and established politicians were far more successful in collecting campaign donations and big-ticket endorsements .
Ryu , who is running for his second term , raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection campaign .
De León , who lost his race for U.S. Senate in 2018 , raised more than $ 830,000 .
Ridley-Thomas , who is looking to return to the council after an 18-year absence , took in more than $ 700,000 .
All three secured the endorsements of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party , the Federation of Labor and an array of politicians , including Mayor Eric Garcetti .
All three were viewed by their rivals as part of the city ’ s political establishment .
Former marketing executive Cyndi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ De León in the race to replace Huizar , said she decided not to accept contributions from real estate developers , charter school operators and others with business at City Hall .
That decision , she said , made the campaign more challenging but also sent an important message to the public .
“ We don ’ t have a shot at solving these problems if we don ’ t elect leaders who aren ’ t bought by special interests , ” she said .
Ridley-Thomas , who has been in office for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the front-runner in his race against Yoo , former city commissioner Aura Vasquez , community organizer Channing Martinez and activist Melvin Snell .
His rivals attempted to run to his left , calling for such measures as free bus and train fares , a rent freeze and new restrictions on oil drilling in L.A. De León , seeking to return to elected office after a two-year absence , was running ahead of Otteson , school board member Mónica García , high school counselor Raquel Zamora and nonprofit founder John Jimenez .
Both De @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivals for refusing to rule out a run for mayor in 2022 .
Fundraising begins Sunday in that race , which is expected to draw interest from a wide array of L.A. political leaders .
Ryu , for his part , faced criticism from his rivals over the city ’ s handling of an ongoing homelessness crisis .
Screenwriter Sarah Kate Levy called for the city to set up safe sites for people to pitch tents or sleep in their vehicles .
Raman outlined plans for a network of service centers that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn , pointed to his efforts to open homeless shelters and housing developments in his district .

L.A. City Council candidate Kevin de León gets a hug from labor leader Maria Elena Durazo at an election night party in Los Angeles.
Four well-funded Los Angeles politicians — two of them incumbents, two of them looking to win new offices — were leading Wednesday in their respective races for City Council, according to partial returns.
In a Hollywood Hills district, Councilman David Ryu was leading nonprofit leader Nithya Raman, in a contest that appeared to be heading to a runoff election in November. In the northwest San Fernando Valley, Councilman John Lee was leading college educator Loraine Lundquist in their second head-to-head contest in eight months.
Former state Senate leader Kevin de León appeared to be avoiding a runoff in the race to replace Councilman Jose Huizar on the Eastside. In the contest to replace Councilman Herb Wesson in South Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was leading attorney Grace Yoo, but not by a large enough margin to avoid a runoff.
L.A. City Council candidate Mark Ridley-Thomas speaks to attendees during a candidate forum in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“I think this is an affirmation of the leadership I have displayed over several decades now — that I am committed to results, committed to reform, which has been my mantra ever since I took office,” Ridley-Thomas said shortly after the results posted.
Advertisement
Yoo said she expects to force Ridley-Thomas into a runoff. While she was happy to be placing second, Yoo said the county’s handling of the election — and the fact that voters had to wait in line for hours — was “completely outrageous.”
“The voter suppression going on in the county of Los Angeles is awful,” she said.
Council President Nury Martinez and Councilman Paul Krekorian, both representatives of the San Fernando Valley, were coasting to victory. And Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson prevailed in his race for reelection in South Los Angeles. He was the only candidate on the ballot.
In contests where no one receives a majority, the top two candidates will compete in a runoff election in November. De León, who held slightly more than a majority of the vote at about 11 p.m., said he was “cautiously optimistic” about his prospects.
“I’ve never taken anything for granted, and I will not take anything for granted tonight,” he said.
Tuesday’s election was in many ways historic for L.A. For the first time in at least a century, the municipal election was conducted on the same day as the state’s presidential primary, a change made by voters in hopes of boosting voter turnout. The presidential primary and other high-profile races were expected to lure more Democrats to the polls.
Democrats had been hoping a bigger turnout would boost Lundquist, a Democrat running in the northwest Valley to unseat Lee, who was until recently registered as a Republican. Lee said the early results, which had him ahead by a significant margin, showed that the election “wasn’t about party politics.”
Advertisement
“This is about potholes. This is about funding police,” he said.
In other parts of the city, insurgent candidates were hoping to capitalize on the excitement around the presidential bid of Bernie Sanders.
In other ways, Tuesday’s election was much like those that have been held in previous years. Incumbents and established politicians were far more successful in collecting campaign donations and big-ticket endorsements.
The homelessness crisis was a major issue in the district represented by Councilman David Ryu. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Ryu, who is running for his second term, raised more than $1 million for his reelection campaign. De León, who lost his race for U.S. Senate in 2018, raised more than $830,000. Ridley-Thomas, who is looking to return to the council after an 18-year absence, took in more than $700,000.
All three secured the endorsements of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the Federation of Labor and an array of politicians, including Mayor Eric Garcetti. All three were viewed by their rivals as part of the city’s political establishment.
Former marketing executive Cyndi Otteson, running a distant second behind De León in the race to replace Huizar, said she decided not to accept contributions from real estate developers, charter school operators and others with business at City Hall. That decision, she said, made the campaign more challenging but also sent an important message to the public.
“We don’t have a shot at solving these problems if we don’t elect leaders who aren’t bought by special interests,” she said.
Ridley-Thomas, who has been in office for 29 years, had been viewed as the front-runner in his race against Yoo, former city commissioner Aura Vasquez, community organizer Channing Martinez and activist Melvin Snell. His rivals attempted to run to his left, calling for such measures as free bus and train fares, a rent freeze and new restrictions on oil drilling in L.A.
De León, seeking to return to elected office after a two-year absence, was running ahead of Otteson, school board member Mónica García, high school counselor Raquel Zamora and nonprofit founder John Jimenez.
Both De León and Ridley-Thomas faced criticism from their rivals for refusing to rule out a run for mayor in 2022. Fundraising begins Sunday in that race, which is expected to draw interest from a wide array of L.A. political leaders.
Ryu, for his part, faced criticism from his rivals over the city’s handling of an ongoing homelessness crisis. Screenwriter Sarah Kate Levy called for the city to set up safe sites for people to pitch tents or sleep in their vehicles. Raman outlined plans for a network of service centers that would assist unhoused Angelenos.
Ryu, in turn, pointed to his efforts to open homeless shelters and housing developments in his district.


latimes--2020-03-04--New coronavirus case confirmed in Los Angeles

Los Angeles recorded a new coronavirus case on Tuesday , with Kaiser Permanente announcing it was treating a patient .
“ Kaiser Permanente is overseeing the care of a coronavirus patient who is home in self-isolation and being treated on an outpatient basis .
We are in touch with and monitoring the patient , ” Kaiser said in a statement .
No other details were available .
Hours earlier , Orange County officials announced two presumptive coronavirus cases , both of whom had recently been in countries where the virus has spread .
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those results .
At least five Northern California counties reported new cases of COVID-19 on Monday .
On Tuesday , the city of Berkeley reported its first case after an individual visited a country with an outbreak .
That individual has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning .
“ While the risk of infection remains low , the expanded presence of the virus in our community is a reality we should all prepare for , ” said Berkeley Public Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez .
“ There are steps that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take now to improve basic hygiene and also prepare for a wider spread in the future.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the California Department of Public Health received approval from the CDC and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to dip into its emergency planning reserves of 21 million N95 face masks for medical workers on the front lines .
Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , delivering a message to the American public , reiterated that point .
“ I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ... there are going to be more cases in the community , ” he said .
“ But I want them to continue their daily lives .
I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.
” Redfield said scientists do not have the data to predict the disease ’ s future spread .
“ What we do know for sure , that in the right setting , it does have the potential to move quickly , ” he said .
“ When you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were less than three cases in Korea , now there ’ s 2,500 .
”

Los Angeles recorded a new coronavirus case on Tuesday, with Kaiser Permanente announcing it was treating a patient.
“Kaiser Permanente is overseeing the care of a coronavirus patient who is home in self-isolation and being treated on an outpatient basis. We are in touch with and monitoring the patient,” Kaiser said in a statement.
No other details were available.
Hours earlier, Orange County officials announced two presumptive coronavirus cases, both of whom had recently been in countries where the virus has spread.
Advertisement
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now looking to confirm those results.
At least five Northern California counties reported new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. On Tuesday, the city of Berkeley reported its first case after an individual visited a country with an outbreak. That individual has remained at home in a self-imposed quarantine since returning.
“While the risk of infection remains low, the expanded presence of the virus in our community is a reality we should all prepare for,” said Berkeley Public Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez. “There are steps that all of us in the community can take now to improve basic hygiene and also prepare for a wider spread in the future.”
Contra Costa County also reported a case, and Placer County reported a second case.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the California Department of Public Health received approval from the CDC and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to dip into its emergency planning reserves of 21 million N95 face masks for medical workers on the front lines.
Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, delivering a message to the American public, reiterated that point.
Advertisement
“I want them to be prepared for the reality that ... there are going to be more cases in the community,” he said. “But I want them to continue their daily lives. I want them to be mindful of the opportunity again to prepare themselves and their families.”
Redfield said scientists do not have the data to predict the disease’s future spread.
“What we do know for sure, that in the right setting, it does have the potential to move quickly,” he said. “When you think that just a couple of weeks ago there were less than three cases in Korea, now there’s 2,500.”


latimes--2020-03-04--Prop. 13 school bond measure trailing in returns

A bond measure that would raise $ 15 billion for new construction and renovation at schools and colleges across California was trailing in returns Tuesday night , but nearly half of the state ’ s precincts had yet to report any results .
Although “ no ” votes were leading statewide , early numbers from some of the state ’ s heavily Democratic counties , including San Francisco and Alameda , suggested a closer race .
The measure , which is not a tax and will be funded through general obligation bonds , needs a simple majority to pass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ total , $ 6 billion would be divided evenly among the University of California , Cal State and community college systems , and $ 9 billion would go to preschool through K-12 schools , including charter schools and career and technical education facilities .
“ I feel very optimistic , ” said Jeff Freitas , president of the California Federation of Teachers , which endorsed the measure .
“ I believe in the voters of California who have done a great job in supporting schools in California , and I think it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proposition 13 , which has no relation to the 1978 measure that capped property tax increases , enjoyed widespread support from public school districts , teachers unions , charter advocates , and all three systems of higher education .
Notably absent from the list of endorsers was the Los Angeles Unified School District , where officials did not say how much money they expected to lose or gain from the measure .
Concerns about L.A. 's eligibility for the funds and reduced revenues from developer fees may have played a role in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools Supt .
Austin Beutner said he considered Proposition 13 helpful , but L.A. public schools need much more than the bond measure would provide .
In the past , the state awarded funds on a “ first come , first served ” basis , which critics said gave an advantage to bigger and wealthier districts .
Under the new Proposition 13 , districts that demonstrate a need to make “ health and life-safety repairs , ” have a hard time raising funds locally , and serve high shares of low-income students , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority consideration .
The measure also changes how districts may raise money locally .
It increases the amount they can issue in local bonds but reduces the “ impact fees ” that they may charge developers of multi-family housing , especially when that development is near transit .

Students on campus for opening day of the new $160-million Maywood Center for Enriched Studies in 2017.
A bond measure that would raise $15 billion for new construction and renovation at schools and colleges across California was trailing in election returns Wednesday, with all of the state’s precincts reporting at least partial ballot counts.
“No” votes held a comfortable lead statewide. In L.A. County, where the vote count was still underway, the measure was narrowly passing.
For the record: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said that local schools bonds are paid for by parcel taxes.
The measure, which needed a simple majority to pass, would not have imposed a new property tax. It would have been repaid with interest out of the state’s general fund over 35 years, at a total cost of $26 billion.
Advertisement
Of the bond’s $15-billion total, $6 billion would be divided evenly among the University of California, Cal State and community college systems, and $9 billion would go to preschool through K-12 schools, including charter schools and career and technical education facilities.
Ahead of the vote, Proposition 13, which has no relation to the 1978 measure that capped property tax increases, enjoyed widespread support from public school districts, teachers unions, charter advocates, and all three systems of higher education.
“What was really unfortunate was the number linked to it and the elevated confusion around property taxes,” said Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, which supported the measure.
A provision in the measure would have increased the amount of money school districts could borrow through local bonds, which require local voter approval. Those bonds are typically repaid by property owners. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., the only registered opposition to the measure, seized on that possibility in its messaging.
Notably absent from the list of endorsers was the Los Angeles Unified School District, where officials did not say how much money they expected to lose or gain from the measure.
Advertisement
Concerns about L.A.’s eligibility for the funds and reduced revenues from developer fees may have played a role in their lack of an official endorsement. L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner said he considered Proposition 13 helpful, but L.A. public schools need much more than the bond measure would provide.
In the past, the state awarded funds on a “first come, first served” basis, which critics said gave an advantage to bigger and wealthier districts. Under the new Proposition 13, districts that demonstrate a need to make “health and life-safety repairs,” have a hard time raising funds locally, and serve high shares of low-income students, English learners and foster youth wouldreceive priority consideration. Within these categories, additional priority would be given to construction projects that use unionized labor.
The measure would also reduce the “impact fees” that districts could charge developers of multi-family housing, especially when that development is near transit.


latimes--2020-03-04--Race to replace Katie Hill in Congress appears headed to a runoff

Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith of Santa Clarita and Republican defense contractor Mike Garcia were in a tight race Tuesday night to succeed Rep. Katie Hill in one of California ’ s most competitive congressional districts , according to partial election returns .
Former Rep. Steve Knight , the Republican who was ousted in 2018 by Hill , a Democrat , was running third and on the verge of losing his shot at recapturing his seat representing the northern suburbs of Los Angeles .
The primary appeared likely to yield two runoffs between Smith and Garcia , a former Navy pilot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s seat for the rest of the year and another in November for the full two-year term that starts in January .
Trailing far behind were Cenk Uygur , host of the liberal talk show “ The Young Turks ” ; George Papadopoulos , a 2016 Trump campaign advisor who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia scandal ; and more than a half dozen others .
Smith was the candidate favored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many other Democratic luminaries , and Knight was backed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District covers Simi Valley , Porter Ranch , Santa Clarita , Palmdale and part of Lancaster .
A former Republican stronghold , it has become a toss-up in recent years as the population has grown and diversified , due largely to an influx of people seeking affordable housing on the far outskirts of L.A. Hill stepped down in November amid accusations that she ’ d had affairs with congressional and campaign staff members .
The conservative RedState website and a British tabloid published nude photos of Hill , who said she feared the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worsen if she remained in Congress .
Hill ’ s downfall came a year after she unseated Knight in the 2018 midterm election that gave Democrats control of the House in a nationwide suburban revolt against President Trump and his Republicans allies in Congress .
Hill was one of seven Democrats to capture seats previously held by Republicans in California .
At least three of the others face tough fights in November to retain their seats .
In the Central Valley ’ s 21st Congressional District , Rep. T.J. Cox was running far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he unseated in 2018 — in early returns .
In California congressional races , the candidates who finish first and second in the primary face off in the November general election regardless of party .
In Orange County , Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda of Laguna Beach was in a tight primary race in the 48th Congressional District against a well-funded Republican , Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel .
They will compete in a November runoff .
And in the 39th Congressional District , another Democratic freshman , Rep. Gil Cisneros of Yorba Linda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim , the former state assemblywoman he narrowly defeated in 2018 .
They , too , will face off in November .
In a state that has turned strongly against the GOP over the last couple decades , Republicans now hold just six of the state ’ s 53 House seats .
They won seven in 2018 , but former GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter resigned in January after pleading guilty to a felony in a campaign money scandal .
Hunter ’ s seat in the Republican-leaning 50th Congressional District , straddling San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until voters choose his successor in November ; his resignation came too late for an election to complete his term to be placed on the March 3 ballot .
The best-known Republican vying Tuesday to replace Hunter was former Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista .
In the initial primary results , Issa was running behind Ammar Campa-Najjar , the Democrat who lost to Hunter in 2018 even as the congressman was under indictment .
Issa was battling fellow Republican Carl DeMaio , a former San Diego city councilman , to reach the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace Hill for the rest of the year is scheduled to take place May 12 .
The one for the two-year term starting in January will be on Nov. 3 , the day of the presidential election .

Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith is introduced during an election night celebration at her headquarters in Stevenson Ranch.
Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith of Santa Clarita and Republican defense contractor Mike Garcia were in a tight race Tuesday night to succeed Rep. Katie Hill in one of California’s most competitive congressional districts, according to partial election returns.
Former Rep. Steve Knight, the Republican who was ousted in 2018 by Hill, a Democrat, was running third and on the verge of losing his shot at recapturing his seat representing the northern suburbs of Los Angeles.
The primary appeared likely to yield two runoffs between Smith and Garcia, a former Navy pilot — one in May to fill Hill’s seat for the rest of the year and another in November for the full two-year term that starts in January.
Trailing far behind were Cenk Uygur, host of the liberal talk show “The Young Turks”; George Papadopoulos, a 2016 Trump campaign advisor who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia scandal; and more than a half dozen others.
Advertisement
Smith was the candidate favored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many other Democratic luminaries, and Knight was backed by the House Republican leadership.
The 25th Congressional District covers Simi Valley, Porter Ranch, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and part of Lancaster.
A former Republican stronghold, it has become a toss-up in recent years as the population has grown and diversified, due largely to an influx of people seeking affordable housing on the far outskirts of L.A.
Hill stepped down in November amid accusations that she’d had affairs with congressional and campaign staff members. The conservative RedState website and a British tabloid published nude photos of Hill, who said she feared the “appalling invasion” of privacy would worsen if she remained in Congress.
Politics GOP enemies wanted to beat Katie Hill. Then they got her nude photos Katie Hill took Steve Knight’s congressional seat in 2018. Then someone gave his former campaign operatives naked pictures of her.
Advertisement
Hill’s downfall came a year after she unseated Knight in the 2018 midterm election that gave Democrats control of the House in a nationwide suburban revolt against President Trump and his Republicans allies in Congress.
Hill was one of seven Democrats to capture seats previously held by Republicans in California. At least three of the others face tough fights in November to retain their seats.
In the Central Valley’s 21st Congressional District, Rep. T.J. Cox was running far behind Republican David Valadao — the Republican he unseated in 2018 — in early returns. In California congressional races, the candidates who finish first and second in the primary face off in the November general election regardless of party.
In Orange County, Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda of Laguna Beach was in a tight primary race in the 48th Congressional District against a well-funded Republican, Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel. They will compete in a November runoff.
And in the 39th Congressional District, another Democratic freshman, Rep. Gil Cisneros of Yorba Linda, was finishing well behind Republican Young Kim, the former state assemblywoman he narrowly defeated in 2018. They, too, will face off in November.
Republican Young Kim, left, is running for the House seat that she lost in 2018 to Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros of Yorba Linda, who is seeking a second term. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press; Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
In a state that has turned strongly against the GOP over the last couple decades, Republicans now hold just six of the state’s 53 House seats. They won seven in 2018, but former GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter resigned in January after pleading guilty to a felony in a campaign money scandal.
Hunter’s seat in the Republican-leaning 50th Congressional District, straddling San Diego and Riverside counties, will be vacant until voters choose his successor in November; his resignation came too late for an election to complete his term to be placed on the March 3 ballot.
The best-known Republican vying Tuesday to replace Hunter was former Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista. In the initial primary results, Issa was running behind Ammar Campa-Najjar, the Democrat who lost to Hunter in 2018 even as the congressman was under indictment. Issa was battling fellow Republican Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego city councilman, to reach the general election contest against Campa-Najjar.
The runoff to replace Hill for the rest of the year is scheduled to take place May 12. The one for the two-year term starting in January will be on Nov. 3, the day of the presidential election.


latimes--2020-03-04--'This is like gridlock on the 405': Polls have closed, but hundreds still lined up to vote

It was 8:01 p.m. when Nick Franchino , an L.A. County poll worker , called out to voters lined up outside the Shepherd of the Valley Church in West Hills — and around the corner .
“ This is it , if you ’ re not in line you ’ re not in , ” he said .
He snapped a photo of the last voter in line .
“ You have to tell them it ’ s closed and you ’ re the last person , ” he said .
At that point , he counted 222 people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earned a resounding win in California ’ s Democratic presidential race on Super Tuesday , hundreds of voters were still lined up to vote across Los Angeles County .
Anyone lined up before 8 p.m. was allowed to vote .
“ This is like gridlock on the 405 , ” said Brentwood resident Myles Berkowitz , who was waiting in line around 8:30 p.m. “ It ’ s an absolute disaster .
The longest I ’ ve waited was in ’ 92 and that [ was for Bill ] Clinton .
That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hammer Museum in Westwood around 4 p.m. to vote on Tuesday , but was told by a polling staffer that it would be a three-hour wait .
So he drove to Felicia Mahood Senior Citizen Center in West L.A. , and stood in line for 20 minutes when a staffer there told Berkowitz that two of the center ’ s five voting machines were down .
The staffer warned it would be a 45-minute wait and suggested that Berkowitz head to another vote center at Brockton Elementary School .
He drove there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a two-hour wait .
Frustrated , Berkowitz headed back to the senior center , hoping the lines there had died down .
They had not .
“ They ’ re telling me , after waiting here for another hour and a half , that it ’ s another two hours , ” Berkowitz said .
At Castlebay Lane Charter School in Porter Ranch , scores of people remained in a line that trailed out the door at 8 p.m .
Poll workers estimated they would wait anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never a line the last several years , ” said Craig Meier , Porter Ranch resident who works as an executive assistant .
At his old polling place at a church “ we were in and out within 10 minutes.
” Lesley Kyle put her 5-year-old twins to bed with just enough time to rush to Shepherd of the Valley Church , the closest vote center .
She barely made it in , scurrying into place at the end of the line at 8 p.m. , with one other woman behind her as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters that the line was closed .
Kyle ’ s husband , who was at home with the kids , had already mailed in his ballot , but she “ wanted to just go over and verify my research on the judges and the measures , ” she said .
She said polls should stay open later for those who can ’ t make it during the day and early evening .
“ Who my children see is important to me , who represents my children , and the future and the well-being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Kyle said .
She planned to vote for Biden .
But would-be voters outside the Montebello Senior Center said they were turned away at 8 p.m. even though they were in line hours earlier .
Alyana Chavez , a 21-year-old student at Rio Hondo Community College , arrived at the senior center at 6 p.m. with her mother .
Right as they got to the front of the line two hours later , Chavez said , poll workers closed the doors and threatened to call police when voters complained that they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line .
“ Waiting there for two hours and not being able to vote , it ’ s really upsetting , ” Chavez said , noting there were about 80 people in line when the doors were closed .
In the San Fernando Valley , voters were waiting more than two hours outside Monroe High School to cast their ballots .
Tensions rose when a poll worker pulled some voters into a separate line for those who had filled out their ballot selections online in advance and had received codes to transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center , said Joe Meehan , 51 , who was waiting with his wife , Katie .
When she finally entered the building to vote around 8 p.m. , about 350 people were still in line , Meehan said .
“ When you ’ ve been waiting two hours and you hear how you could have saved time , it starts to get a little ugly , ” said Meehan , who works for an event registration company .
In Westwood , a line to vote snaked around the second floor of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones , read books and propped up computers to do homework as they waited well past when the polls closed .
At around 8:30 p.m. the last person in line had been told they would likely be waiting up to 3½ hours .
Seated on a bench beside her 103-pound St. Bernard , Sandra Kielgass laughed and chatted with new friends who came to pet the dog , Lady .
Kielgass lives blocks from the museum and said she had gotten in line around 6:30 p.m. but didn ’ t expect to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those waiting , but Kielgass was still anxious to cast her vote and get home .
“ I always go to a place late on election day , ” she said .
“ It ’ s to be expected .
I guess it ’ s a good thing it ’ s so crowded .
People are voting.
” Closer to the front of the line , Daniel La Cava and Jason Nehoray stared off blankly , listening to music .
They had both been waiting 2 hours and 20 minutes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nehoray , a UCLA senior , tried to go to the UCLA Ackerman Union vote center after class , but the line scared him off .
La Cava had stopped by the museum earlier in the day when the line was shorter but didn ’ t stay .
Now the battery life of his phone was top of mind .
“ I didn ’ t prepare well enough for this , ” he said .
“ I should ’ ve brought a book or something.
” Both intended to stick it out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told them that Sanders was projected to win California .
The line wasn ’ t going to change who they ’ d be voting for .
Times staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Emily Alpert-Reyes contributed to this report .

Sonali Kohli, Liam Dillon, Dakota Smith, Benjamin Oreskes

It was 8:01 p.m. when Nick Franchino, an L.A. County poll worker, called out to voters lined up outside the Shepherd of the Valley Church in West Hills — and around the corner.
“This is it, if you’re not in line you’re not in,” he said.
He snapped a photo of the last voter in line.
“You have to tell them it’s closed and you’re the last person,” he said. At that point, he counted 222 people in line.
As Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders earned a resounding win in California’s Democratic presidential race on Super Tuesday, hundreds of voters were still lined up to vote across Los Angeles County. Anyone lined up before 8 p.m. was allowed to vote.
Advertisement
“This is like gridlock on the 405,” said Brentwood resident Myles Berkowitz, who was waiting in line around 8:30 p.m. “It’s an absolute disaster. The longest I’ve waited was in ’92 and that [was for Bill] Clinton. That was an hour.”
Berkowitz stopped by the Hammer Museum in Westwood around 4 p.m. to vote on Tuesday, but was told by a polling staffer that it would be a three-hour wait. So he drove to Felicia Mahood Senior Citizen Center in West L.A., and stood in line for 20 minutes when a staffer there told Berkowitz that two of the center’s five voting machines were down.
The staffer warned it would be a 45-minute wait and suggested that Berkowitz head to another vote center at Brockton Elementary School. He drove there, only to be told it would be a two-hour wait.
Frustrated, Berkowitz headed back to the senior center, hoping the lines there had died down. They had not.
“They’re telling me, after waiting here for another hour and a half, that it’s another two hours,” Berkowitz said.
At Castlebay Lane Charter School in Porter Ranch, scores of people remained in a line that trailed out the door at 8 p.m. Poll workers estimated they would wait anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to cast their ballots.
“There was never a line the last several years,” said Craig Meier, Porter Ranch resident who works as an executive assistant. At his old polling place at a church “we were in and out within 10 minutes.”
Advertisement
Lesley Kyle put her 5-year-old twins to bed with just enough time to rush to Shepherd of the Valley Church, the closest vote center. She barely made it in, scurrying into place at the end of the line at 8 p.m., with one other woman behind her as Franchino, the poll worker, told voters that the line was closed.
Kyle’s husband, who was at home with the kids, had already mailed in his ballot, but she “wanted to just go over and verify my research on the judges and the measures,” she said.
She said polls should stay open later for those who can’t make it during the day and early evening.
“Who my children see is important to me, who represents my children, and the future and the well-being of my kids, is important,” Kyle said. She planned to vote for Biden.
But would-be voters outside the Montebello Senior Center said they were turned away at 8 p.m. even though they were in line hours earlier. Alyana Chavez, a 21-year-old student at Rio Hondo Community College, arrived at the senior center at 6 p.m. with her mother. Right as they got to the front of the line two hours later, Chavez said, poll workers closed the doors and threatened to call police when voters complained that they had a right to vote because they were in line.
“Waiting there for two hours and not being able to vote, it’s really upsetting,” Chavez said, noting there were about 80 people in line when the doors were closed.
In the San Fernando Valley, voters were waiting more than two hours outside Monroe High School to cast their ballots. Tensions rose when a poll worker pulled some voters into a separate line for those who had filled out their ballot selections online in advance and had received codes to transfer them to a ballot at the vote center, said Joe Meehan, 51, who was waiting with his wife, Katie. When she finally entered the building to vote around 8 p.m., about 350 people were still in line, Meehan said.
“When you’ve been waiting two hours and you hear how you could have saved time, it starts to get a little ugly,” said Meehan, who works for an event registration company.
In Westwood, a line to vote snaked around the second floor of the Hammer Museum as Angelenos fiddled with their phones, read books and propped up computers to do homework as they waited well past when the polls closed.
At around 8:30 p.m. the last person in line had been told they would likely be waiting up to 3½ hours. Seated on a bench beside her 103-pound St. Bernard, Sandra Kielgass laughed and chatted with new friends who came to pet the dog, Lady. Kielgass lives blocks from the museum and said she had gotten in line around 6:30 p.m. but didn’t expect to wait this long.
Pizza had been distributed to those waiting, but Kielgass was still anxious to cast her vote and get home.
“I always go to a place late on election day,” she said. “It’s to be expected. I guess it’s a good thing it’s so crowded. People are voting.”
Closer to the front of the line, Daniel La Cava and Jason Nehoray stared off blankly, listening to music. They had both been waiting 2 hours and 20 minutes, and expected to wait at least another hour. Nehoray, a UCLA senior, tried to go to the UCLA Ackerman Union vote center after class, but the line scared him off.
La Cava had stopped by the museum earlier in the day when the line was shorter but didn’t stay. Now the battery life of his phone was top of mind.
“I didn’t prepare well enough for this,” he said. “I should’ve brought a book or something.”
Both intended to stick it out to vote even after a reporter had told them that Sanders was projected to win California. The line wasn’t going to change who they’d be voting for.
Times staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Emily Alpert-Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-04--Frustrated voters light up Twitter after waiting hours at L.A. County vote centers

The polls officially closed at 8 p.m. for Tuesday ’ s primary election .
But thousands of L.A. County voters decided to wait to cast their ballots anyway .
While they waited — in some cases for hours — many took to Twitter to share photos and videos of their voting centers and to urge others to # StayinLine .
California ’ s Voter Bill of Rights states that anyone who is already in line by the time the polls close still has the right to vote .
Super Tuesday marked the first test of L.A. County ’ s new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million and took years for officials to implement .
At the Sherman Oaks East Valley Senior Center Auditorium , one voter reported that he waited three-and-a-half hours to cast his ballot .
Earlier in the day , voters reported broken machines and three-hour waits at the vote center inside UCLA ’ s Hammer Museum .
In West Hollywood , one voter reported a wait of 80 minutes .
At the Manhattan Beach Library , the wait at about 7:45 p.m. was estimated to be 120 to 140 minutes .
In Eagle Rock , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 minutes .
At a vote center in Pomona , those in line “ seemed determined to stay and vote.
” A video taken by Jackie Albrektson showed a line at a South Pasadena voting center stretching past the entrance after 8 p.m. One good Samaritan brought refreshments to would-be voters who were still in line nearly half an hour after the polls closed .

The line to vote at the El Sereno Senior Center on Tuesday.
The polls officially closed at 8 p.m. for Tuesday’s primary election. But thousands of L.A. County voters decided to wait to cast their ballots anyway.
While they waited — in some cases for hours — many took to Twitter to share photos and videos of their voting centers and to urge others to #StayinLine. California’s Voter Bill of Rights states that anyone who is already in line by the time the polls close still has the right to vote.
Super Tuesday marked the first test of L.A. County’s new voting system, which cost $300 million and took years for officials to implement.
Advertisement
.@JoshuaRush distributing water to the over 500 students currently in line at UCLA waiting to vote. Many are first time voters and have waited for over 3 hours in line #SuperTuesday
Thank you students please #StayinLine pic.twitter.com/q2to8F1td3 — Sophia “VOTE” Armen (@SophiaArmen) March 4, 2020
At the Sherman Oaks East Valley Senior Center Auditorium, one voter reported that he waited three-and-a-half hours to cast his ballot.
The line at my polling place @latimes check it out pic.twitter.com/aspF7oourf — Grant Mueller (@HairyGrantula) March 4, 2020
Earlier in the day, voters reported broken machines and three-hour waits at the vote center inside UCLA’s Hammer Museum.
This is the line of people still waiting to vote @hammer_museum , an hour after polls closed. pic.twitter.com/NF2vYRH6UZ — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) March 4, 2020
Advertisement
In West Hollywood, one voter reported a wait of 80 minutes.
Hundreds of people in West Hollywood. This is looking backward. Been waiting about an hour and 20 minutes, but people have been patient and diligently waiting. pic.twitter.com/3r4FX2bMna — Kirbie “Baby Yoda Stan” Johnson (@kirbiejohnson) March 4, 2020
At the Manhattan Beach Library, the wait at about 7:45 p.m. was estimated to be 120 to 140 minutes.
In Eagle Rock, some voters were waiting for up to 45 minutes.
A lot of calm determined people in Eagle Rock pic.twitter.com/Rh1G26sgOp — fresafresca (@fresafresca3000) March 4, 2020
At a vote center in Pomona, those in line “seemed determined to stay and vote.”
A video taken by Jackie Albrektson showed a line at a South Pasadena voting center stretching past the entrance after 8 p.m.
This is my wife walking out dog in South Pas at 8:10 PM. pic.twitter.com/Tm6VmT9KGi — Josh (@JalbyMD) March 4, 2020
One good Samaritan brought refreshments to would-be voters who were still in line nearly half an hour after the polls closed.