Barger Takes Commanding Lead in County Supervisor Re-Election Bid

Looking for a third and final term, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger appeared bound for a third and final term Tuesday evening, jumping to a strong early lead over four challengers that will likely allow her to avoid a runoff election.

Barger, who was first elected in 2016 to represent District 5, was being challenged in Tuesday’s election by Perry Goldberg, an attorney and founder of ThriveLA, which promotes farming communities for unhoused veterans; Chris Holden, who has served in the state Assembly since 2012; 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.

Early returns showed Barger with 60.2% of the vote. If she receives more than 50%, she will win re-election outright without being forced into a November runoff with the second-place finisher. Holden was solidly in second place in early returns, but with only 21.8% of the vote.

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.

Goldberg, 54, said his organization, ThriveLA, is 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.

On the issues of crime, Goldberg said he wants to turn L.A. into the gold standard of safety.

“It’s ridiculous that, in 2024, it still doesn’t feel safe to walk down our streets at night,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg said he would push L.A. to install “beautiful lights and cameras in our public spaces” to prevent crime while helping small businesses by encouraging consumers to go out.

Holden, 63, a Democrat representing the Pasadena area in the Assembly, was elected to his 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 will 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.”

He said he will invest in community safety, good paying jobs, housing opportunities, quality health care and affordable childcare.

As an Assembly member and former Pasadena City Council member, Holden said he fought to extend the Metro L (Gold) Line by securing $290 million for six new stations, and raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers.

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.

He points out that he was the first diagnosed autistic person to serve as mayor in the United States.

“BACOD (Burbank Advisory Council on Disabilities) was founded to bring disability issues to the attention of city council and staff. As a member, I helped guide policy discussion and inform others of my personal experiences living with a disability,” Anthony said.

He said his top priority is to fundamentally change the way L.A. County addresses the homeless crisis.

“Rather than the failed enforcement protocols that still plague most cities, we need more social workers, services, and outreach by unarmed teams to interact with individuals on the street, in their cars, and in public parks,” Anthony said.

He is also advocating for effective police oversight and reform.

“As supervisor, I will collaborate closely with Sheriff Luna and District Attorney Gascón on comprehensive reforms aimed at eradicating corruption and holding deputies with a history of conduct violations accountable for their actions,” Anthony said.

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

“My approach to homelessness goes beyond housing, integrating key services like mental health support and job training, with an eye on the added challenges of climate change,” Marroquin said on his campaign’s website. “Drawing from my experiences, I aim to create empathetic, effective solutions that build more than structures — they build a supportive, adaptive environment.”

On the issues of public safety, he said he plans to equip law enforcement with advanced technology.

“Leveraging my deep understanding of crime dynamics and data analysis, I will ensure that our safety measures are not only innovative but also maintain transparency and fairness in collaborations with the private sector,” Marroquin said.

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.