Hugo Soto-MartinezServing

Hugo Soto-Martinez

City CouncilDemocrat

CA-LA City Council D13 City Council

Mexican-American·Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 13 (December 2022-present)

Why This Race Matters

Hugo Soto-Martinez is running against Colter Carlisle (neighbor/former supporter, East Hollywood NC VP); Nikos Constant (attorney, Silver Lake NC board); and 2 others.

Soto-Martinez is the only renter and first rank-and-file union organizer on the LA City Council, making his re-election a test of whether progressive, working-class representation can hold in a gentrifying district. He defeated incumbent Mitch O'Farrell with 57.24% in 2022 as a DSA-backed candidate. Four challengers have filed against him, including his upstairs neighbor Colter Carlisle.

CD-13 covers Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Thai Town, Atwater Village, Glassell Park, Historic Filipinotown, and Little Armenia. The nonpartisan primary is June 2, 2026, with a potential runoff November 3, 2026. Soto-Martinez claims a 25% reduction in homelessness across District 13 during his first term. He also passed major renter protections lowering allowable rent increases and stopping no-fault evictions.

Key dates to watch: Primary on June 2, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.

About

Hugo Soto-Martinez is a Los Angeles City Councilmember representing District 13, elected in 2022 after defeating eight-year incumbent Mitch O'Farrell with 57.24% of the vote. Born and raised in South Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents who worked as street vendors, he dropped out of high school at 14 after his father suffered a disabling back injury. He later earned a bachelor's degree in Criminology, Law and Society from UC Irvine while working at a hotel, then spent 16 years as a labor organizer with UNITE HERE Local 11. He is the only renter and the first-ever rank-and-file union organizer on the LA City Council.

Family & Heritage

Born and raised in South Los Angeles to two Mexican immigrant parents who worked as street vendors. Father suffered a disabling back injury when Hugo was 14, forcing him to drop out of school and work. Mother found work as a janitor at LAX and has been a SEIU-USWW member for 20+ years. One of six children in the family.

Political Career

Before Politics

UNITE HERE Local 11 labor organizer for 16 years, organizing mostly immigrant women in the hotel industry; Worked at a non-union hotel starting at age 16; Helped family as a street vendor selling oranges as a child

Education

B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society, University of California, Irvine (2006)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Tenant protections and renter rights (passed biggest renter protection package in a generation)
*Sanctuary city policies and immigrant protections
*Homelessness reduction (25% decrease in District 13)
*Expanding unarmed crisis response programs
*Affordable housing
*Street vendor protections
*Public safety reform

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