Barger Preparing for Third, Final Term on LA County Board of Supervisors

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena, was preparing for a third and final term Wednesday after besting four challengers in Tuesday’s election.

Barger, who was first elected in 2016 to represent District 5, was challenged in Tuesday’s election by Pasadenan Chris Holden, who has served in the state Assembly since 2012; Perry Goldberg, an attorney and founder of ThriveLA, which promotes farming communities for unhoused veterans; Konstantine Anthony, a member of the Burbank City Council since 2020 and a former mayor; and Marlon Marroquin, a technologist with specialization in international crime analysis.

District 5 covers more than 90 communities, including the cities of Arcadia, Burbank, La Cañada, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Temple City, along with the unincorporated areas of Agua Dulce, Claremont, Palmdale, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Lakeview Terrace, Sunland, Toluca Lake and Valley Village.

With returns still being tabulated early Wednesday, Barger had well over the 50% margin needed to avoid a November runoff election and reclaim her seat outright.

Barger, 63, previously served as chief deputy to former Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. She is the only Republican on the nonpartisan board.

“I have worked hard to keep public safety, homelessness, and investing in local businesses front and center through my policy motions and strong collaborations with stakeholders from a variety of public and private sectors,” Barger said in a statement when launching her reelection campaign last year.

“I am proud of my work and progress on challenging the status quo on homelessness, funding more law enforcement patrols to fight crime, and expanding care for our communities — but there is more to be done.”

Barger added that her reelection bid reflects her commitment to keep up the fight to bring change residents need.

“Many of our challenges are compounded by policies coming from Sacramento that create more problems than they solve, and don’t reflect the needs or desires of our communities,” Barger told the Los Angeles Times.

Holden, 63, a Democrat representing the Pasadena area in the Assembly, was a distant second in the voting. He was elected to his Assembly seat in 2012. Due to term limits, he cannot run again.

“I’m running for county Supervisor because the challenges we face need to be more urgently addressed,” Holden said on his campaign’s website.

“It’s time for Democratic leadership with a proven track record of getting things done for Los Angeles County.”

Holden said he wanted to take action to solve the county’s most pressing challenges by “locking arms with Mayor Karen Bass to rapidly house those living on our streets and preventing more families from falling into homelessness.”

Anthony, 43, a Burbank City Council member, served as Burbank mayor from 2022 to 2023. He entered public service after an improv comedy and acting career.

“As supervisor, I want to bring my experience and successes as mayor of Burbank in championing working people, renters, and the disabled to the rest of Los Angeles County,” Anthony said on his campaign’s website.

Goldberg, 54, said his organization, ThriveLA, was a blueprint for how the county can transform unused land into communities of privately owned small farms, where homeless people can work and pay for their own employer- provided housing.

“Unlike government handouts, these live-work communities are a real solution to meet L.A.’s need for a large and rapid increase in the supply of housing that’s truly affordable — not subsidized,” Goldberg said on his campaign’s website.

Marroquin, 35, a technologist and businessman, said his priorities were improving public safety, tackling homelessness and streamlining government.

It’s been 44 years since an incumbent county supervisor has lost a reelection bid.

The L.A. County supervisors rank among the most influential local government officials nationwide. The five board members govern a county with approximately 10 million residents. Supervisors are elected to serve four-year terms and can remain in office for up to 12 consecutive years.