The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to install community advocate Imelda Padilla as a temporary voting member of the council following her win last week in the Council District 6 election.
Padilla beat rival Marisa Alcaraz in the race for the San Fernando Valley seat, which has been vacant since former council President Nury Martinez resigned last year. Results released Friday show Padilla has nearly 56% of the vote to Alcaraz's 44%.
County officials said 446 outstanding vote-by-mail ballots are left to be processed, as well as any mail-in ballots that come in by Wednesday. Election results will be certified Friday.
Council members wanted to install Padilla before their three-week break began this week.
Section 409(b) of the City Charter states that the council "may appoint a person to hold the office temporarily until the vacancy election is conducted and the election results are certified and declared."
At Wednesday's meeting, council members congratulated Padilla, who has served on the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council and worked for local nonprofit groups.
"She's one of the hardest-working people I know," said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents neighborhoods on the city's Eastside.
"I'm really excited that you're joining this space to see how we move forward in a better direction for all of our districts in the entire city," Hernandez added.
Padilla was accompanied Wednesday in council chamber by her mother Gliceria, her sister Carmen and her two young nieces. "Let's get to work," Padilla told the council.
Padilla also apologized to her young nieces for the "language" — racial slurs and anti-gay epithets — heard at Wednesday's council meeting.
A handful of public speakers regularly use graphic and vulgar language at L.A. City Council meetings.
City attorneys contend that such speech is protected under the 1st Amendment.
