Los Angeles City Council District 12
# Los Angeles City Council District 12

Los Angeles City Council District 12 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council. It encompasses the northwestern and western section of the San Fernando Valley, in the city of Los Angeles. It is represented by John Lee.

On August 14, 2019 candidate John Lee claimed victory as the results showed him with a sizable lead over his opponent. Los Angeles City Council elections are nonpartisan. Lee is the only Independent on the 15-member council, his predecessors, Smith and Englander were Republicans. With Lee, the City Council includes two Asian Americans (the other being Councilmember Nithya Raman), the most in its history.

## Politics

| Party | Percent Registration |
| - | - |
| Democratic | 44% |
| Republican | 24% |
| other | 32% |

## Geography

### Modern

The district covers the northwestern San Fernando Valley communities of

* Chatsworth,
* Granada Hills
* Northridge
* Porter Ranch
* West Hills
* Sherwood Forest
* and parts of North Hills, and Reseda.

See official city map outlining District 12.

### Historic

From 1925 to 1964 the district occupied the same general area in northwest Downtown Los Angeles or the Westlake area. In 1964, however, it was shifted bodily to the North Valley, taking Council Member John P. Cassidy with it.

The rough boundaries or descriptions have been as follows:

1926. Bunker Hill and northwest Downtown, with a district office at 1209 Huntley Drive in the Westlake area.

1928. South boundary: Ninth Street. West: Hoover Street. North: Fountain Avenue. East: Temple, Bellevue and Alvarado streets.

1932–33. Same as 1928, with the east boundary moved to Figueroa Street and the south boundary to Pico Boulevard.

1935. Same general area as 1932, with the north boundary in an irregular line on Temple Boulevard to the southern edge of Griffith Park.

1940. Same general area as previously, with the east and north boundaries at Glendale Boulevard and at Sunset Boulevard.

1954. West of Downtown, between Figueroa and Catalina streets.

1955. Roughly Venice Boulevard on the south, Sunset Boulevard on the north, Catalina Street on the west and Figueroa Street on the east.

1964. Shifted to the northwest San Fernando Valley.

## Officeholders

The district has been represented by thirteen men and one woman, Harriett Davenport; she succeeded her husband, Ed J. Davenport, who died in office in 1953. The district has also been represented by a Republican since at least 1979.

Northwest and west of Downtown

| Name | Term of office |
| - | - |
| A. J. Barnes | 1925–1927 |
| Douglas Eads Foster | 1927–1929 |
| Thomas W. Williams | 1929–1931 |
| Thomas F. Ford | 1931–1933 |
| James T. Carroll | 1933 |
| John W. Baumgartner | 1933–1945 |
| Ed J. Davenport | 1945–1953 |
| Harriett Davenport | 1953–1955 |
| Ransom M. Callicott | 1955–1961 |
| John P. Cassidy | 1961–1964 |

San Fernando Valley

| Name | Term of office |
| - | - |
| John P. Cassidy | 1964–1967 |
| Robert M. Wilkinson | 1967–1979 |
| Hal Bernson | 1979–2003 |
| Greig Smith | 2003–2011 |
| Mitchell Englander | 2011–2018 |
| Greig Smith | 2019 |
| John Lee | 2019–present |
