Jon Regardie is a veteran Los Angeles journalist who has contributed to dozens of local and national publications, including L.A. Downtown News, where he served as editor, and Los Angeles Magazine, Blueprint, Westside Current and The Eastsider.
The June 2 ballot holds more competitive City Council races than Los Angeles has seen in decades, with five contests offering a fair amount of uncertainty in the outcome. The one drawing the least attention is the West San Fernando Valley’s District 3.
Why? A couple reasons. Valley residents will tell you this area is often overlooked in the civic discourse. Additionally, the race to succeed termed-out Bob Blumenfield lacks the juicy progressive-vs.-moderate clash playing out in many council contests. Rather, it holds three people with centrist views.
C.R. Celona, Tim Gaspar and Barri Worth Girvan all favor growing the Los Angeles Police Department, and on homelessness, each would utilize 41.18, the ordinance prohibiting camping near schools and parks. But there are notable differences in their backgrounds and priorities. Here are seven ways those differences break down.
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Most telling comments from a 79-minute forum
The candidates have appeared at multiple forums, including an April 14 event hosted by the West Valley Warner Center and Winnetka chambers of commerce. While they addressed many topics, some specific lines proved instructive.
Girvan: “Delivering core city services is my bread and butter, and it’s what I’ve been doing on the front lines, serving our constituents for 20 years.”
What it reveals: The comment, in response to a question about infrastructure shortfalls amid a tight budget, reflects Girvan’s history working at multiple levels of government and the public interaction that requires. Her resume includes time working for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, State Sen. Bob Hertzberg and, most recently, County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
Gaspar: “Our current City Council doesn’t have a single person on it that has ever run a business of any kind, so when the City Council is talking about new laws and ways to help businesses, they frankly don’t have any idea.”
What it reveals: When the candidates were asked about a wave of business closures in the area, Gaspar answered through the lens of founding his eponymous insurance agency in 2008 and growing it to 65 employees (he eventually sold it). That perspective, he argues, will allow him to help small enterprises across L.A.
Celona: “I try to work humor in. It doesn’t work. Those of you who know me know I’m somewhat not funny.”
What it reveals: The line came during closing remarks, when Celona referenced the need for accountability. It was one of many jokes that didn’t land during this and other forums. While Celona touts 26 years of building start-ups and frequently voices the need to bring back entertainment industry jobs, a litany of failed laugh lines makes him appear less serious than other candidates.
Golden State staff
Addressing homelessness
District 3 faces many of the challenges that the rest of the city confronts — residents complain about broken sidewalks and darkened streetlights. Burglaries are a great concern. Homelessness is an issue, including near the Los Angeles River. The 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count tallied 775 unhoused people in the district, according to the count’s raw data total; that is up 77 from the previous year, driven by a 126-person increase in sheltered individuals (the unsheltered count actually declined by 49 people).
At an online forum hosted by the Woodland Hills Homeowners Association, the candidates offered ideas to tackle elements of the crisis. Gaspar cited the need for the city to determine how to “compel help” for mentally ill or addicted people who refuse services. Celona suggested focusing resources specifically on “small groups,” such as unhoused families, and using what is learned to scale up and address the greater population. Girvan stressed the importance of augmenting housing creation with investments in wraparound mental health treatment, which requires partnering with the county.
The neighborhood
The approximately 260,000 residents of Council District 3 live in communities that include all or parts of Woodland Hills, Winnetka, Reseda, Canoga Park and Tarzana. Like the rest of Los Angeles, the district has neighborhoods full of single-family homes and communities defined by apartment buildings and shopping corridors. The $100,408 median household income ranks fifth among council districts, according to an analysis of 2023 American Community Survey data by the USC Lusk Center’s Neighborhood Data for Social Change project. The district’s 49% homeownership rate well surpasses the citywide 36%.
Gaspar and Girvan are West Valley natives with decades in the community. Celona is a Connecticut native who moved to District 3 five years ago, after a stint in Hollywood.
Mariel Garza
Rams house
The next councilmember will be in office as the Rams Village at Warner Center takes shape. The $10-billion, 52-acre mega-development is opening in phases through 2035, near the open-air Topanga Village shopping center. Components include an indoor practice field (in addition to two existing outdoor fields), team headquarters, two performance venues, 3 million square feet of residential space and a hefty retail and office footprint.
An effective councilmember can make a mega-project work as a catalyst for a larger area. So how would the candidates take advantage of the investment?
Girvan said Step 1 is executing a labor agreement that ensures well-paying jobs for local residents, and using the destination status of Rams Village to boost public transportation. She pledges to “market the heck out of it” with Valley business groups, and cites a potential to help businesses that never recovered from the pandemic.
Celona would focus on infrastructure improvements, seeking upgrades to streets, sidewalks and public spaces, with better links between the G Line busway (formerly the Orange Line) and Warner Center. He’d also seek more greening options so the project benefits a broader community.
Gaspar did not return my requests for comment on Rams Village. But in a statement on his website, he cited the project’s economic potential and mentioned projections of it generating $21 million annually for the city. He said as a councilmember, he would want those funds reinvested in the West Valley, not going elsewhere.
Jon Regardie
Money matters
While cash is not always king in Los Angeles elections, Gaspar dominates the money race. Through April 18, according to the City Ethics Commission, he had nearly doubled Girvan in both campaign contributions and cash on hand (Celona was far behind). But the biggest disparity comes from outside groups: Through May 18, nearly $928,000 in independent expenditures had been spent on videos, mailers and more supporting Gaspar, with the largest outlay from the Downtown business group Central City Association. An L.A. County Federation of Labor PAC had spent $61,000 backing Girvan.
Going to committee
Council members also serve on various committees and lobby the council president for specific assignments. What two committees do the candidates most want to join?
Girvan said Public Safety, reflecting her aim to provide safe and clean neighborhoods, and also the Trade, Travel and Tourism panel. She cited the economic impact of visitors and the goal of maximizing the benefits of the 2028 Olympics.
Celona wants to join Government Efficiency, Innovation and Audits, citing a desire to measure what works in city bureaucracy and audit what doesn’t. He’d also aim for the Economic Development and Jobs Committee, hoping to support the entertainment industry and small businesses.
Gaspar did not respond.
3 major endorsements
Gaspar: Bob Blumenfield, Rick Caruso, Los Angeles Police Protective League.
Girvan: Lindsey Horvath, L.A. County Democratic Party, L.A. County Federation of Labor.
Celona: None is listed on his website.
Correction, 12:20 p.m., May 22, 2026: A previous version of this article incorrectly said C.R. Celona moved from Connecticut five years ago. In fact, he moved from Connecticut to Los Angeles before then; he has been living in Council District 3 for five years.
