Traci Park
{{Short description|American attorney and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Traci Park
|image = Traci Park, 2023.jpg
|office = Member of the Los Angeles City Council
from the 11th district
|status =
|term_start = December 12, 2022
|term_end =
|predecessor = Mike Bonin
|successor =
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1976}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|otherparty = Republican (formerly)
|education = Johns Hopkins University (BA)
Loyola Marymount University (JD)
}}
Traci Park (born 1976) is an American attorney and politician, who is the Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 11th district since 2022.{{Cite web|title=Traci Park elected in Westside district, putting a record 6 women on L.A. City Council |publisher=The Los Angeles Times |last=Rainey |first=James |date=November 17, 2022 |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-17/traci-park-defeats-erin-darling-venice-area-council-race |access-date=November 21, 2022}} Having entered the race to challenge incumbent Mike Bonin,{{Cite web|title=Traci Park Challenges Mike Bonin in CD-11 Race |date=October 27, 2021 |website=Circling The News |url=https://www.circlingthenews.com/traci-park-challenges-mike-bonin-in-cd-11-race/ |access-date=May 29, 2022}} Park became a frontrunner for the open seat upon Bonin's announcement of retirement, and defeated civil rights attorney Erin Darling in the general election.{{Cite web|title=Homelessness and ‘the soul of the Westside’: Stakes high in race to replace Mike Bonin |last=Rainey |first=James |publisher=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 28, 2022 |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-28/council-district-11-venice-westside |access-date=May 29, 2022}}{{Cite web|title=Park Declares Victory, Darling Concedes in LA Council's 11th District Race |date=November 17, 2022 |website=Westside Current |url=https://www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/park-declares-victory-darling-concedes-in-la-councils-11th-district-race/article_c70dced8-66dd-11ed-91bf-c37465243672.html |access-date=November 21, 2022}}
Early life and career
Park was raised in Downey, California and Apple Valley, California.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-13 |title=In West L.A., two lawyers clash over an open City Council seat, encampments and policing |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-13/darling-park-los-angeles-city-council-2022-california-election |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Her mother was a school secretary.
Park graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1997 with a Bachelor's degree in History, later graduating from Loyola Law School in 2001 with a Juris Doctor. In 2009, she started working for Burke, Williams and Sorensen, a law firm specializing in public entities.{{cite web|url=https://www.westsidecurrent.com/brentwood/current-interview-traci-park-looks-to-restore-safety-in-cd11/article_9d796bfe-ee8e-11eb-9919-f7f53f8e4f44.html|title=Current Interview: Traci Park Looks to Restore Safety in CD11|date=January 31, 2022|website=Westside Current|author=McGregor, Angela}}
Los Angeles City Council (2022—present)
= Election =
In July 2021, Park announced her candidacy for Los Angeles City Council, hoping to unseat unpopular incumbent Mike Bonin of the 11th district.{{cite web|url=https://www.westsidecurrent.com/news/local/traci-park-announces-candidacy-for-los-angeles-council-district-11/article_58bf7414-db78-11eb-aa93-bbfd96e4b7c8.html|title=Traci Park Announces Candidacy for Los Angeles Council District 11|date=July 2, 2021|website=Westside Current}} After Bonin announced his retirement, the seat became open with Erin Darling becoming the progressive candidate in the race.{{cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2022/02/04/civil-rights-attorney-announces-campaign-to-succeed-mike-bonin-in-district-11|title=Civil rights attorney announces campaign to succeed Mike Bonin in District 11|date=February 4, 2022|website=Spectrum News 1}} Both Darling and Park advanced to the general election, with Park narrowly behind Darling in the results.{{cite web|url=https://smmirror.com/2022/06/runoff-set-for-la-city-council-district-11-race/|title=Runoff Set for LA City Council District 11 Race|website=Santa Monica Mirror|author= Catanzaro, Sam|date= June 8, 2022}} Park was a registered Republican before switching to the Democratic Party years prior to her campaign.{{cite web |title=Your Guide to the L.A. City Council District 11 Race: Traci Park vs. Erin Darling |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-30/2022-california-election-los-angeles-council-district-11-guide-park-darling |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 30, 2022 |first=James |last=Rainey}}{{cite web |title=Meet Traci Park, Candidate For LA City Council District 11 |last=Charky |first=Nicole |website=Patch |date=May 25, 2022 |url=https://patch.com/california/venice/meet-traci-park-candidate-la-city-council-district-11 |access-date=May 29, 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Patel |first1=Nihar |title=Traci Park hopes to rebuild trust with public as she takes City Council seat |url=https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/greater-la/homelessness-holidays/traci-park |access-date=19 January 2024 |publisher=KCRW |date=21 December 2022}}
During the campaigns, Darling criticized Park for representing the city of Anaheim against a city employee who accused a supervisor of using the N-word; Park countered by accusing Darling of representing "unsavory criminal defendants."{{cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2022/10/06/la-city-council-candidate-traci-park-defends-legal-record|title=LA City Council candidate Traci Park defends legal record|date=October 6, 2022|website=Spectrum News 1|author=Cagle, Kate}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-09/council-district-11-traci-park-erin-darling-bash-each-other|title=Council candidates on L.A.'s Westside bash each other over their legal careers|date=October 9, 2022|author=Rainey, James|website=Los Angeles Times}} Park also criticized Darling for his association with Bonin, as well as Bonin's record with homelessness in the district.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-23/council-race-mike-bonin-legacy|title=Mike Bonin remains in middle of City Council race, though he dropped out 9 months ago|date=October 23, 2022|website=Los Angeles Times|author=Rainey, James}} In the election, Park defeated Darling by a six-point margin.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2022/11/17/election-2022-erin-darling-concedes-to-traci-park-in-la-city-council-race/|title=Election 2022: Erin Darling concedes to Traci Park in LA City Council race; LAUSD contests remain tight|date= November 17, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Daily News}}
= Tenure =
During her swearing-in ceremony, protesters were removed after trying to interrupt Park's speech.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-10/multiple-protesters-removed-from-incoming-l-a-councilwoman-traci-parks-swearing-in-ceremony-video-shows|title=Protesters removed from incoming L.A. Councilwoman Traci Park’s swearing in ceremony|date=December 10, 2022|website=Los Angeles Times}} She voted in favor of the 41.18 ordinance, a measure which aimed to curtail homeless encampments by banning sitting, sleeping and storing property within 500 feet of schools, day-care centers, parks, recreation centers, in a contrast to her predecessor's refusal to support the ordinance.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/02/16/la-leaders-end-mike-bonins-embrace-of-encampments-on-the-westside/|title=LA leaders end Mike Bonin’s embrace of encampments on the Westside|date= February 16, 2023 |website=Daily Breeze}} In 2024, Park expressed opposition to Measure HLA, which would create hundreds of miles of bus lanes and bike lanes.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-14 |title=Firefighters launch campaign against Measure HLA, saying 'road diets' threaten safety |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-14/firefighters-launch-campaign-against-measure-hla |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
During her election campaign, Park opposed converting two city-owned parking lots on Venice Boulevard into 140 housing units for the homeless. She opposes California state legislation that restricts the ability of localities to ban new housing.{{Cite web |last=McGregor |first=Angela |date=2023-12-26 |title=The Current Interview: CD11 Council Member Traci Park |url=https://www.westsidecurrent.com/news/the-current-interview-cd11-council-member-traci-park/article_157128e2-a051-11ee-9ed1-07c57c9a68ca.html |website=Westside Current |language=en}} In 2023, she assured residents who were protesting plans to build apartment buildings in Westside, an affluent neighborhood of Los Angeles, that "there's going to be a lot of meetings" about the plans.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-29 |title=Hundreds of Westchester residents say no to city's high-rise plans: 'This is excessive' |url=https://abc7.com/westchester-los-angeles-city-of-la-high-rise-plans-neighborhood-council-playa/13715497/ |website=ABC7 Los Angeles |language=en}} That same year, she expressed opposition to tearing down the Marina Freeway and replacing it with housing.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-28 |title=What a refusal to study turning a freeway into housing says about L.A.'s future |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-10-28/marina-freeway-community-outreach-study-housing-park |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} In 2024, Park took no position on whether a four-story apartment for low-income and moderate-income renters in her Westside district, which the landlord of a neighboring property filed a CEQA lawsuit against, should be allowed to be built without delay.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-22 |title=LA's Mayor Promised Environmental Review Wouldn't Hold Up Affordable Housing — Now Some Projects Are Hitting Roadblocks |url=https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-ed1-mayor-karen-bass-executive-directive-affordable-housing-city-ceqa-appeals-environmental-review-sawtelle |website=LAist |language=en}}
In 2024, Park expressed opposition to a proposed expansion of the Los Angeles City Council, a reform called for by ethics advocates to reduce corruption in the L.A. City Council.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-20 |title=LA City Council Expansion, Once Hailed As Much Needed Reform, Is Dead For Now |url=https://laist.com/news/politics/la-city-council-expansion-dead-for-now |website=LAist |language=en}}
Electoral history
{{Election box open primary begin no party no change |title=2022 Los Angeles City Council District 11 election}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Erin Darling
|votes = 22,939
|percentage = 34.67
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Traci Park
|votes = 19,168
|percentage = 28.97
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Greg Good
|votes = 6,565
|percentage = 9.92
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Allison Holdorff Polhill
|votes = 5,805
|percentage = 8.77
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Michael Newhouse
|votes = 4,702
|percentage = 7.11
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Jim Murez
|votes = 3,286
|percentage = 4.97
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Matthew Smith
|votes = 2,590
|percentage = 3.91
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Midsanon "Soni" Lloyd
|votes = 1,116
|percentage = 1.69
}}
{{Election box total no party no change
|votes = 66,171
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no party no change}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Traci Park
|votes = 50,758
|percentage = 52.06
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Erin Darling
|votes = 46,732
|percentage = 47.94
}}
{{Election box total no party no change
|votes = 97,490
|percentage = 100.00
}}{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.tracipark.com Traci Park for Los Angeles City Council District 11]
{{Los Angeles City Council}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Traci}}
Category:21st-century California politicians
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni
Category:Lawyers from Los Angeles