Westside Showdown: Park and Malik Battle for LA Council Power

Incumbent Traci Park faces off against civil rights attorney Faizah Malik in high-stakes LA City Council District 11 primary

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:04pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A vibrant, fractured painting of a city skyline in warm, overlapping tones of orange, red, and yellow, conceptually representing the urgency and chaos of the Palisades Fire recovery efforts.The Westside's recovery from a devastating wildfire has become a central issue in the high-stakes battle for the CD11 council seat.Los Angeles Today

In LA's CD11 primary on June 2, 2026, incumbent Traci Park faces Faizah Malik in a race shaped by the Palisades fire recovery and debates over homelessness and housing. Park is centering her reelection on wildfire recovery and visible cleanup, while Malik is pushing for zoning changes, quicker permitting, and stronger tenant protections as top priorities.

Why it matters

The race has turned into a referendum on how to recover from the January 2025 Palisades Fire and how to tackle homelessness and housing across Venice, Pacific Palisades and Westchester. Whoever wins will help decide how burned-out neighborhoods are rebuilt, how infrastructure gets funded and how visible encampments are handled for the next four years.

The details

Park, first elected in 2022, is centering her reelection case on wildfire recovery and what she casts as visible cleanup across the district. Malik, a public-interest attorney who led housing-justice efforts at Public Counsel, casts the race as a choice between enforcement-heavy strategies and a long-term housing-first play.

  • The January 7, 2025 Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive urban wildfires to hit the region, leveled homes, triggered mass evacuations and left behind long-term recovery questions.
  • The primary nominating election is set for Tuesday, June 2, 2026, with the general municipal election following on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The players

Traci Park

The incumbent City Council member for District 11, first elected in 2022. She is centering her reelection case on wildfire recovery and visible cleanup across the district.

Faizah Malik

A public-interest attorney who led housing-justice efforts at Public Counsel. She is casting the race as a choice between enforcement-heavy strategies and a long-term housing-first approach.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We've had a drastic reduction in homelessness across the district”

— Traci Park, Incumbent City Council Member

“Her campaign calls for zoning changes, quicker permitting and stronger tenant protections as top priorities”

— Faizah Malik, Candidate

What’s next

The primary nominating election is set for Tuesday, June 2, 2026, with the general municipal election following on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. If no candidate tops 50% of the vote on June 2, the top two finishers will advance to the November ballot and the winners' terms will begin in December.

The takeaway

This high-stakes race in LA's CD11 has become a referendum on how to recover from the Palisades Fire and address homelessness and housing, with the winner shaping the district's priorities for the next four years.