2026 CANDIDATE SURVEY
Eunisses Hernandez
Candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 1
To help foster greater discussion about reforming City Hall, we asked City of LA candidates to participate in a six question survey. Half of the questions seek general feedback, and the rest are issue specific.
Please note survey responses, candidate information, and website links are provided for informational/educational purposes only. Fair Rep LA is presenting these responses as submitted without edit, evaluation, or commentary. Fair Rep LA does not endorse, support, or oppose candidates or their responses in any way.
Survey Info:
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Answers: Respondents were told that questions could be answered in 1-2 sentences, and that while additional context was welcome, the form had a 1,250 character limit for each question (approximately 200 words).
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Resource Document: Additional background information was provided via a resource document.
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Participation: Surveys were sent to all City of LA candidates qualified to appear on the ballot. This is a very busy time for candidates, so we appreciate everyone who made time to respond. Please avoid reading too much into a candidate’s lack of participation. We respect the limited bandwidth campaigns have, and it's possible that our request(s) may have been lost in their inbox.
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Background: The City of Los Angeles is undergoing the first comprehensive review of our city’s governance structure in 27 years. The Charter Reform Commission recently transmitted a report containing over 60 recommendations to the City Council, who will soon be deciding what will be sent to the November ballot for potential approval by voters.
I am supportive of recommendations that make Los Angeles more transparent and accountable to Angelenos, including expanding Council oversight of LAPD, lowering the voting age, allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections, implementing Ranked Choice Voting, establishing a formal Capital Improvement Program, moving toward a two-year budget process, and expanding participatory budgeting opportunities. I want to see reforms from this process that increase opportunities for civic participation and bring more people into decision-making processes, especially young people and historically underrepresented communities. I also strongly support long-term budgeting and capital planning reforms that will allow us to actually deliver infrastructure improvements that our City so desperately needs.
I have concerns about proposals that would further consolidate executive power in the Mayor’s Office, including proposals allowing the Mayor to participate in Council closed sessions. I also have questions about proposals to convert the CAO into a CFO structure and believe there needs to be more public discussion about whether certain financial oversight responsibilities are more appropriately housed in independently elected offices like the Controller rather than appointed positions. Many of the recommendations still require significant implementation through future ordinances that have not yet been drafted and I believe it will be important for advocates, labor, and community organizations to remain engaged and vigilant throughout that process to ensure the final policies reflect the intent of the proposed reforms.
I strongly support advancing the workforce equity recommendations developed by the Black Worker Center, many of which were unanimously approved by the Charter Reform Commission but remain stalled in the meet-and-confer process. I believe we still need thoughtful civil service reform that improves hiring, retention, staffing capacity, and equity while protecting workers and strengthening the City’s ability to deliver core services. We cannot continue operating with severe staffing shortages, outdated hiring systems, and long delays in service delivery while expecting departments to meet residents’ needs. I also believe we should continue exploring reforms that strengthen public participation in budgeting, infrastructure planning, and local governance more broadly.
Yes, I support expanding the City Council. Los Angeles is one of the largest cities in the country, and having each Councilmember represent roughly 260,000 residents creates real barriers to accessibility, responsiveness, and meaningful representation. I believe that by expanding the Council, we can create a more representative and democratic system, particularly for working-class communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color that are currently underrepresented in local government. There are still many questions around redistricting, resources, staffing, and equitable representation, and I believe it’s critical that communities remain deeply involved throughout the process and that when this change takes place, we also advance Ranked Choice Voting and more robust public financing for local elections.
Yes, I support Ranked Choice Voting and I believe it will increase voter participation and allow voters to support candidates they genuinely align with while still ensuring majority support outcomes.
Yes, I support expanding the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds for local elections. Young people are already organizing around issues like climate justice, housing, public transportation, education, policing, and public investment. They are directly impacted by decisions made by local government and should have a seat at the table in shaping those decisions.