L.A. City Council President Pro Tem Curren Price has endorsed Marisa Alcaraz for Council District 6. Alcaraz currently serves as Price’s environmental policy director and deputy chief of staff and is vying for the seat left vacant by former Council President Nury Martinez. A special election is scheduled for April 4.
“There is one viable person that I have chosen to put my support behind and that is Marisa,” stated Councilmember Price. “Marisa is a champion for equity and has a long history of fighting for the poor and working class. She is the leader our city needs and deserves as we turn the page on an ugly chapter in Los Angeles.”
Price went on to say, “with more than 10 years in government experience, Marisa has been the architect behind some of Los Angeles’ most progressive labor policies aimed at improving the lives of working-class families.” Price added that her resume includes a citywide hotel worker minimum wage which set the stage for Los Angeles’ $15 minimum wage, as well as paid sick leave. She also helped pass Hero Pay for grocery store workers at the height of the pandemic. In December 2022, she helped carry Fair Work Week across the finish line, adding extra protections for workers in large retail and grocery establishments, requiring employers to provide two weeks advance notice of schedules, predictability pay and mandatory rest periods between shifts.
“As a proponent for disenfranchised communities, Marisa played a key role to Ban the Box from job applications that inquired about someone’s criminal history and she spearheaded the policy to legalize sidewalk vending in the City,” Price said.
Alcaraz stated, “Equity is at the center of everything I do and fighting for African-American and Latino communities is deeply personal for me, I was born and raised in Council District 6 and I am committed to continue working on policies that address environmental, social and economic justice.”
Furthermore, Alcaraz’s role in the creation of BIG:LEAP, the nation’s largest Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) Program, is helping to change the lives of thousands of struggling Angelenos. The $40 million pilot program is providing around 3,200 local families affected by the pandemic with $1,000 a month for a year. Councilmember Price said he hopes BIG:LEAP, which he initially proposed for his District, serves as a model on a national or state level.
Last year, Alcaraz oversaw efforts to launch a Community Grant Program in South L.A. that distributed more than $5 million to 100 local organizations, including Neighborhood Councils, schools, non-profits, health care organizations, churches and more.
“As a result of this life changing opportunity, organizations like the Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD) will be able to continue to do the good work that lifts up Black and Brown Angelenos,” said Founder and CEO of CRCD Mark Wilson, one of the grant recipients. “Without the support, we would not be able to help the thousands of at-risk youth in South Central.“
Price added that Alcaraz is currently leading efforts on pending legislation for the creation of a Public Bank in the City of LA. “She is working collaboratively with Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, Ground Game LA and Public Bank LA to empower the City to invest directly into the local economy by way of lower cost lending, opening up opportunities for small businesses in marginalized communities and helping to fund affordable housing and green projects.”
