This Election, Your Voice Carries Further Than You Think

This fall, Culver City voters have a lot on the ballot: two seats on the city council, several school board seats, a school funding measure for CCUSD, and a measure on the city's hotel tax. It's easy to file this under "midterm election" and tune out. Don't. Local elections are where your vote actually moves the needle.

In Culver City, your voice matters

Culver City is about five square miles, represented by five city council members. That's a scale where you can actually know your representatives — not just their names, but where they stand. Compare that to Los Angeles, where your voice gets diluted across a city of four million people.

Here's the catch: nearly everyone running will be a registered Democrat, endorsed by a Democratic club, and calling themselves progressive. Those labels won't tell you much. The real differences show up in the policy positions they hold now and the choices candidates make once they're in office. And those differences are significant.

The national stakes are real, too. We know this is happening against a backdrop where the current administration keeps testing the limits of federal power. Pushing back on that includes electing people you trust at every level, especially the ones closest to home.

We've seen what the alternative looks like

As recently as 2024, Culver City had a more conservative majority on the city council. Those council members approved a surveillance system that was later used by federal immigration enforcement, removed bike lanes, and worked to block an affordable housing development.

That was a step backward, and Culver City residents rallied against it. Since progressive candidates were elected to the council, the city's own polling shows residents feel more positive about the city's direction. That progress isn't guaranteed, especially with the 2028 Olympics bringing new pressure and scrutiny to Culver City. We can't afford to lose the momentum.

One example of why engagement matters: earlier this year a sitting council member accepted a paid role as president of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce. Residents spoke out and state regulators ruled that he couldn't vote on matters tied to that role. Then, he withdrew his candidacy for reelection. That happened because people were paying attention. This election is a chance to ask every candidate directly: Will you take money from business interests and then vote on issues that benefit them? Or will you represent the people of Culver City?

This is on all of us

Whether you've lived in Culver City for decades or just moved here, you chose to make this place your home. We all deserve a local government that meets our needs. A city where affordability isn't just a talking point but a governing priority.

Democracy isn't a spectator sport, and locally, it isn't even that hard to participate in. Get informed. Put a campaign sign in your window. Knock on doors for a candidate you believe in. Be the person your neighbors, friends, and family turn to when they have questions about what's on the ballot.

We'll be with you through this election season. And in the coming weeks we’ll be sharing Our Culver’s endorsements and reasoning. Stay tuned — and if this was useful, forward it to someone who needs to see it.