Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Inglewood Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 5

council seats up

3 contests

12 candidates

Updated Oct 3, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

James T. Butts Jr.IncumbentMayor of Inglewood since 2011 and former Santa Monica chief of police. He served 19 years in the Inglewood Police Department.10sourced
Raina CarrilloLifelong Inglewood resident who works at Inglewood United and has served the community for 27 years.4sourced
Fre'Drisha DixonAttorney, business owner and community organizer who founded Dixon Law Partners. She founded the Inglewood Coalition for Educational Equity.5sourced
Gloria D. GrayDistrict 1 council member and retired Los Angeles County healthcare administrator. She served as chair of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's board.8sourced
Arturo MartinezLifelong Inglewood resident with more than 25 years leading technology and operations teams.4sourced
Joe SotoThird-generation Inglewood resident and small business owner.3sourced

City Council District 1 · 1 seat

City Council District 2 · 1 seat

All Inglewood voters elect the mayor; District 1 and District 2 voters each elect one council member. A candidate needs a majority to win outright, or the top two go to a runoff.

4 notes on these statements

District 1 has no incumbent on the ballot; its nomination period was extended to Aug. 12, 2026, because the incumbent did not file for the seat. City of Inglewood · Aug 7, 2026

The LA Local is holding an Inglewood mayoral candidate forum on Oct. 7, 2026. The LA Local · Sep 14, 2026

Alex Padilla did not respond to The LA Local's City Council candidate questionnaire. The LA Local · Sep 15, 2026

Joe Soto did not respond to The LA Local's mayoral candidate questionnaire. The LA Local · Sep 14, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Dionne FaulkCouncilmember, District 4; elected November 20244sourced Eloy Morales Jr.Councilmember, District 3; elected November 20244sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz8 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesBudget, ticket tax and water rates, Video billboards (Measure BB), Event traffic and the transit connector Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailing

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Budget, ticket tax and water rates

Where it standsThe 2026-27 budget projects a $30.8 million deficit, which officials say reserves will cover, and Measure AT on the ballot would raise the cap on stadium ticket taxes.

What's on the tableHow to close the deficit, how to spend any new ticket-tax money, and future water and sewer rates.

Inglewood faces a projected $30.8 million budget deficit next year, its largest in at least two decades. The LA Local · Sep 29, 2026
Officials say reserves of more than $150 million will cover the gap this year. The LA Local · Sep 29, 2026
Measure AT would remove the annual cap on the city's 10% tax on SoFi Stadium tickets and add a 2.5% tax on Intuit Dome tickets. The LA Local · Sep 18, 2026
A City Manager's Office report estimated that removing the cap would raise $47 million to $50 million a year. City of Inglewood staff report and City Manager's impact report: Initiative Measure Amending City Admissions Tax for Large Venues (July 21, 2026) · Jul 21, 2026

Video billboards (Measure BB)

Where it standsMeasure BB, an initiative on the Nov. 3 ballot, would end the city's authority to allow advertising on the public right-of-way and certain city properties.

What's on the tableHow the city handles its billboard agreements and billboard revenue, and its lawsuit over the initiative.

A City Manager's Office report says the city collects up to $6.3 million a year in revenue from billboard displays. City of Inglewood staff report and City Manager's impact report: Proposed Ordinance to Eliminate Authority for Advertising on Public Right-of-Way (July 21, 2026) · Jul 21, 2026
The council voted 4-0 in July 2026 to send the billboard and ticket-tax initiatives to voters; Dionne Faulk was absent. The LA Local · Jul 23, 2026
Neighbors for Beautiful Inglewood, the main campaign behind the billboard initiative, was started with $1 million from the city's stadiums and arenas. The LA Local · Jul 23, 2026
The city filed a lawsuit in March 2026 to block the billboard initiative from the ballot, and that lawsuit is ongoing. The LA Local · Jul 23, 2026

Event traffic and the transit connector

Where it standsIn February 2026 the council authorized eminent domain for Market Street and Florence Avenue properties for the Inglewood Transit Connector mobility hub.

What's on the tableHow to manage event-day traffic and parking, and how to carry out the transit connector project.

The council adopted eight resolutions of necessity for the transit connector mobility hub, 4-0, with Gloria Gray absent (February 10, 2026). Inglewood City Council minutes, February 10, 2026 (in the June 9, 2026 council agenda packet, item M-1) · Feb 10, 2026
All residential streets in the city are designated as permit parking under the citywide program. City of Inglewood
Two parking permits per residential address are free, and each additional approved permit costs $100. City of Inglewood

Rent and housing

Where it standsInglewood has rent control, and in November 2025 the council rezoned the Morningside High and Monroe Middle school site for multifamily housing.

What's on the tableWhether to change rent control rules and how to approve proposed housing projects.

In November 2025 the council voted 5-0 to rezone about 68 acres at the Morningside High and Monroe Middle school sites from single-family to multifamily residential. Inglewood City Council minutes, November 18, 2025 (in the Feb. 10, 2026 council agenda packet, item M-1) · Nov 18, 2025
About 23 acres of that site are designated for a proposed multifamily residential development. Inglewood City Council minutes, November 18, 2025 (in the Feb. 10, 2026 council agenda packet, item M-1) · Nov 18, 2025

Council meetings and term limits

Where it standsThe council meets on Tuesday afternoons, and Inglewood's elected officials have no term limits.

What's on the tableWhether to add evening meetings or longer public comment, and whether to put term limits before voters.

The City Council currently meets on Tuesday afternoons. The LA Local · Jul 15, 2026
Inglewood's elected officials do not have term limits, and a proposed term-limits measure did not gather enough signatures for the ballot. Wave Newspapers · Aug 19, 2026
Mayor James T. Butts Jr. is running for a fifth term. The LA Local · Sep 14, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

1. Should Inglewood's stadiums and arenas pay more toward the city's event-day costs?
2. Should Inglewood raise water and sewer rates to pay for its water system?
3. What should Inglewood do with the video billboards on city land?
4. Should the city use eminent domain to acquire private property for the Inglewood Transit Connector?
5. Should residents pay for extra neighborhood parking permits?
6. Should Inglewood make its rent control rules stronger?
7. Should the City Council hold its regular meetings in the evening?
8. Should Inglewood set term limits for the mayor and council?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

Vote-by-mail ballots begin mailingLos Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Calendar of events, Nov. 3, 2026 General ElectionOct 5, 2026
Last day to register to voteLos Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Calendar of events, Nov. 3, 2026 General ElectionOct 19, 2026
Election DayLos Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Calendar of events, Nov. 3, 2026 General ElectionNov 3, 2026

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Dionne Faulk, Eloy Morales Jr.3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

The November 3, 2026 election fills the mayor's seat and the District 1 and District 2 council seats, each for a full four-year term. City of Inglewood staff report · Mar 24, 2026
The mayor is elected by all Inglewood voters, and council members are elected by their districts; all seats have four-year terms. City of Inglewood City Clerk
The mayor presides over City Council meetings and has the same vote as council members. The LA Local · Sep 14, 2026
A candidate needs a majority of the votes cast to be elected; otherwise the top two candidates meet in a runoff on the next established election date. Inglewood City Charter, Article VII, Section 1.5

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.