Introduction
2026 Primary Election Voter Guide
This voter guide is a labor of love.
Every entry in these pages reflects hours of research, interviews, questionnaire review, and deliberation by La Defensa staff. We did this work because we believe our community deserves more than a name and a party affiliation. We believe you deserve to know where candidates actually stand on the issues that define safety, dignity, and justice in Los Angeles — and we believe that difference matters at every level of government, from the halls of Congress to the courtrooms of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
La Defensa is a femme-led organization dedicated to shifting Los Angeles County’s reliance on criminalization and incarceration toward systems of care that center human dignity. Our work is informed by the legacy of the communities we belong to: Chicanx, Black, queer, immigrant, undocumented, working class people with incarcerated loved ones. This guide reflects those commitments.
Election Day
Tuesday, June 2
Last Day to Register to Vote
Tuesday, June 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click the bold section headings below to navigate to different pages of this guide.
INTRODUCTION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Introduction
Contents
Recommendations & Ratings Key
Acknowledgements
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Secretary of State
Controller
Treasurer
Attorney General
Insurance Commissioner
Superintendent of Public Instruction
What's
In This
Guide
In vetting each candidate, we ask tough questions, like:
- Does this candidate believe housing is a human right?
- Will they protect immigrant families from federal enforcement overreach?
- Do they support divesting from carceral systems and reinvesting in communities?
- Are they willing to be held accountable by the people they seek to represent?
To help us answer those questions, we developed a detailed endorsement questionnaire covering criminal justice reform, immigration and sanctuary policy, reproductive rights, housing, harm reduction, racial justice, reparations, participatory budgeting, and foreign policy.
We sent that questionnaire to candidates across every level of government on this ballot and tailored a subset of questions related to La Defensa’s priorities as related to their powers in office. Where candidates responded, we have drawn directly from their own words. Where they did not, we did independent research, reviewed their campaign websites, voting records, campaign donation and examined their endorsements, with a primary focus on positions related to public safety and pretrial justice.
The June 2, 2026 primary ballot is long and demanding. We hope this guide makes it a little easier to navigate — and a little clearer why every race, including those at the bottom of your ballot, matters to the communities we are fighting for.
With love and solidarity,
💙 La Defensa Staff
Our
Recommendations
Each candidate is tagged with “Endorsed,” “Recommended,” or “Harm Reduction,” based on their track record in state and local policy.
Our Ratings Key
✅ Endorsed
La Defensa has vetted the candidate and highly recommends this candidate as a community champion on critical issues.
👍 Recommended
Based on our research, La Defensa finds this candidate to be generally aligned with our values and priorities compared to those in their field.
⚠️ Harm Reduction
Although La Defensa is unable to recommend any of the candidates in field, voters can choose this candidate to reduce the possible negative consequences that the alternative candidate could have on progressive policies we care about.
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2026 Primary voter guide
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Acknowledgments
Authors & Researchers
Titilayọ Rasaki, Gabriela Vazquez, Bryanna Siguenza, Ivette Alé-Ferlito, Kaitlin Ruiz, Karen Garcia, Megan Castillo, Mya Hendrix, Shayla Wilson, and Vanesa Palomera
Design
Jess McNeil-Estes and Clayton Rosa