Marqueece Harris-Dawson has garnered enough support from his colleagues to become the next president of the Los Angeles City Council.
On Friday, seven council members filed a motion calling for Harris-Dawson to fill the seat, giving her the required eight-member majority once her own vote is included.
Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, John Lee, Curren Price, Nithya Raman, Hugo Soto-Martínez and Katy Yaroslavsky signed the motion in support of Harris-Dawson, who has represented a South Los Angeles district for nearly nine years.
Under council rules, the motion will automatically trigger a vote on Harris-Dawson's candidacy for president on Tuesday. Harris-Dawson, re-elected to a third term on the council earlier this year, would become president on Sept. 20, according to the motion.
“We are excited about the vote and the office is grateful for the council's support,” said Harris-Dawson spokeswoman Rhonda Mitchell.
The motion came three days after Council President Paul Krekorian sent a letter to his colleagues revealing his plan to resign from the leadership position on September 20. Krekorian assumed the presidency almost two years ago, following an audio leak scandal that led to the resignation of former Council President Nury Martínez.
A change in council presidents could have a major impact on policymaking at City Hall. The president has the power to decide when items are included on the agenda of a meeting. The president also decides the composition of council committees that deal with public safety, personnel issues, transportation, the environment and many other issues.
Harris-Dawson has support from the council's left flank, which has argued in favor of reducing police spending and expanding tenant protections. Those members (Hernandez, Raman and Soto-Martínez) opposed a recent raise package for LAPD officers and, on Thursday, voted no on Mayor Karen Bass' budget.
As chairwoman, Harris-Dawson could place those members on the council's powerful budget committee, giving them greater freedom to rework the mayor's spending plan from the moment it is released. Harris-Dawson could also add more of them to the committee that oversees public safety and policing, where Soto-Martínez already occupies a seat.
First elected in 2015, Harris-Dawson represents a district that covers a large portion of South Los Angeles, including long stretches of Western Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. He is considered a close ally of Bass, who represented a portion of South Los Angeles during her time as a legislator.
Harris-Dawson spent several years as president and CEO of the Community Coalition, a nonprofit community and advocacy group founded by Bass in 1990. He assumed that role in 2004, succeeding Bass.
Last week, Harris-Dawson told the Times that she had been talking to her colleagues about what they wanted in a president. She said he heard from them that “they want to spend more time in their districts” working on constituent issues.
“It's something we're hearing from everyone,” he said, adding, “We need to create a work schedule that accommodates that.”
Harris-Dawson also earned the support of Lee, who represents the northwest San Fernando Valley and is among the most politically conservative members of the council. Lee told the Times a few weeks ago that she hoped Harris-Dawson, if she were elected president, would bring balance to the City Council on issues such as the economy and public safety.
Harris-Dawson endorsed Lee's bid for another term in the March 5 election, as did Bass.
“I've worked very well with all the council members, and that includes Harris-Dawson,” Lee said recently. “It may come as a surprise to some people, but we have worked very well together.”
