LA City Attorney Race, 4 Candidates + Their Views
LA City Attorney is a nonpartisan race. The city attorney is one of LA’s most powerful offices. The job of LA City Attorney includes prosecuting misdemeanors, advising politicians on local legislation, defending the city against lawsuits, and enforcing consumer protection laws, including tenants’ rights. The city attorney’s office, with more than 1,000 employees, advises on policy issues from policing to housing to homelessness.
Four candidates are vying for the office. Incumbent, Hydee Feldstein Soto, is being challenged by Aida Ashouri, John McKinney, and Marissa Roy. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two will proceed to a general election on November 3, 2026.
A summary of the candidates:
· Aida Ashouri– campaign website and on Instagram.
A human rights and legal aid attorney, Ashouri's campaign centers on "people over profits" and grassroots organizing.
· John McKinney - campaign website and on Instagram.
A veteran Deputy District Attorney with nearly 30 years of experience, McKinney’s platform leans toward a "law and order" approach.
· Marissa Roy - campaign website and on Instagram.
A Deputy State Attorney General and former Deputy City Attorney, Roy is running a progressive challenge.
· Hydee Feldstein Soto (Incumbent) - campaign website and on Instagram.
As the first woman and Latina to hold the office, her reelection campaign focuses on her track record of restructuring the office.
The candidates’ views, key platforms, and endorsements, gathered from varied sources with the help of AI, are below:
Hydee Feldstein Soto (Incumbent)
As the first woman and Latina to hold the office, her reelection campaign focuses on her track record of restructuring the office.
Public Safety and Corruption: Emphasizes ending no-bid contracts and "shutting down avenues to corruption." She highlights her creation of the first Public Rights and Workers' Rightsbranches.
Homelessness: Advocates for reducing the cost of shelter construction and using "Community Outreach Courts" to clear legal hurdles for the unhoused to access services.
Safety: Focuses on prosecuting retail theft and hate crimes while supporting first responders.
Endorsements: Mayor Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Times, and the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund.
A Deputy State Attorney General and former Deputy City Attorney, Roy is running a progressive challenge.
Tenant and Worker Protection: Proposes a dedicated "Tenants' Rights Team" to fight abusive landlords and plans to significantly increase staffing for wage theft investigations.
Critical of Incumbent: Her platform argues the current administration has spent too much on "liability payouts" and has been overly aggressive in suing journalists and protesters.
Endorsements: Attorney General Rob Bonta, the LA County Democratic Party, and Streets For All.
A veteran Deputy District Attorney with nearly 30 years of experience, McKinney’s platform leans toward a "law and order" approach.
Neighborhood Safety: Focuses on prosecuting repeat offenders, retail theft, and "quality-of-life" crimes. He advocates for "compassionate accountability" regarding homelessness—keeping sidewalks passable while connecting individuals to services.
Fiscal Responsibility: Aims to proactively work with city departments to identify legal risks and reduce the hundreds of millions spent on settlements and verdicts.
Endorsements: Former DAs Steve Cooley and Jackie Lacey.
A human rights and legal aid attorney, Ashouri's campaign centers on "people over profits" and grassroots organizing.
Slumlord Accountability: Promises to reopen the Code Enforcement Unit (which she claims the incumbent closed) to prosecute landlords for uninhabitable conditions and harassment.
Environmental Justice: Focuses on reopening the Environmental Crimes Unit to target polluters in vulnerable communities and ban oil wells near homes.
Police Accountability: Emphasizes protecting the right to protest and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.
Endorsements: Peace and Freedom Party LA, civil rights organizer Eric Mann, and founder of Biking While Black, Yolanda Davis-Overstreet.
Compiled by Debra Shrout