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By Jasmine Laws and Toby Meyjes
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Democratic-backed candidates are on course to flip three seats in mayoral and city council elections in California continuing a trend of the party making gains in votes during President Donald Trump's second term.
Although the elections in Whittier are non-partisan, candidates endorsed by Democrats had the early lead in unofficial results.
According to the City of Whittier website, James Becerra, who was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, has 66 percent of the vote, ahead of incumbent Joe Vinatieri, previously reported to be a Republican, who is on 31.9 percent.
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In the race for District 2, Democratic-backed Vicky Santana has 61 percent of the vote, ahead of Republican-backed incumbent Octavio Martinez, who is placed second in a field of five, with 24.8 percent.
In District 4, Aida Susie Macedo is on 67 per cent of the vote compared to Fernando Dutra's 26.8 percent.
Why It Matters
While local elections are officially nonpartisan, they can reflect voter sentiment towards national conversations, meaning they have increasingly functioned as proxies for broader political battles.
At the center stage of these elections were issues being discussed nationwide, like the impact of federal immigration enforcement on residents, as well as housing and economic issues.
These elections, along with others happening this month, could be an early warning sign for Republicans as the November midterms draw nearer.
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What To Know
Voting for these elections in Whittier began in person on Saturday, April 11, and as of mid-morning on Monday, the city had received almost 8,000 vote-by-mail ballots, while over 500 had been recorded in person, according to City Clerk Rigo Garcia speaking to local media. This surpassed turnout in 2024, when only 8,202 of 55,188 registered voters cast a ballot.
The candidates for Whittier mayor included incumbent Vinatieri, Becerra, and Isaiah L. Leon Savage.
Candidates for District 2 included incumbent Martinez, Santana, Brian Ahern, Rolando Cano, and Rene Ramos, and those for District 4 include incumbent Dutra, Macedo, and Felipe “Phil” Longoria.
In the mayoral contest, Vinatieri—a longtime incumbent and local business owner—has made implementing precautions for major brush fire a top priority, while Becerra, an environmental planner, has remained focused on rebuilding and strengthening trust between residents and City Hall, according to Whittier Daily News.
In the race for the 2nd District council seat, Santana has called for a more agile city government that can respond faster to community concerns such as traffic and neighborhood quality-of-life issues, while incumbent Martinez has said his priorities include enhancing public safety and reducing bureaucratic hurdles to encourage investment.
In the 4th District, Macedo, backed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, has been campaigning on improving transparency, trust, and communication between City Hall and the public, while Dutra, the incumbent, who has been endorsed by Republican lawmakers, has kept focus on easing traffic congestion along a major commercial corridor as a way to support local businesses and job growth.
What Happens Next
There is still time before official election results are announced and the council members are sworn in. The second batch of mail-in ballots will be counted on Wednesday, following a third count on Friday and a fourth count on April 21. On April 28, the victorious candidates will be sworn in.
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