Local cities
El Segundo
About this guide and how we research candidates
Volunteers research every contested race and measure directly: public filings, voting records, community group positions, and direct outreach to campaigns. We rate every entry, including when we land on No Recommendation, and we publish our reasoning for all of it.
Candidates and ballot measure committees were not given the opportunity to pay for preferential treatment and were not shown these recommendations before they were published.
Tap a name to read why.
City Council (At-Large)
John PickhaverEndorsed
LA Forward is proud to endorse John Pickhaver for an at-large El Segundo City Council seat, alongside our allies at Indivisible South Bay. His two opponents are registered independents who lean conservative – Chris Pimentel (current Mayor), and Ryan Baldino (Mayor Pro Tem). Voters can vote for up to two candidates, but we’re recommending voting only for John Pickhaver.
John Pickhaver is the only progressive candidate in the race. Pickhaver has a six-year history as a community builder and activist advocating for a more inclusive city. (El Segundo has a history of redlining and racial profiling.) Pickhaver helped spur the city to recognize and celebrate Pride Month, pushed the city to create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) citizen advisory committee, and currently serves as Chair of El Segundo’s Art and Culture Committee.
He is the only candidate willing to meaningfully discuss the need to build multifamily housing as mandated by the State of California. Although he has been a consistent voice calling for transparency and accountability from the incumbents on the City Council, he has also built positive relationships with city staff and council members. He has the skills and experience to navigate the city’s systems and work toward the best possible outcomes.
Pickhaver led a successful campaign to stop a proposed data center in an area that is now zoned for housing after the passage of SB 79. He also successfully organized opposition to a rushed process to make El Segundo a charter city, which could have led to lawsuits with the state.
The two incumbents in the race, Chris Pimentel and Ryan Baldino, have been willing to rush major changes to the city’s governance in pursuit of perceived short-term benefits. Chris Pimentel is an advocate for the defense-tech startup community, which brings attention to the city but does not necessarily provide benefits to residents and small-business owners.
Both Pimentel and Baldino have taken NIMBY positions on housing, both having voted for a “poison pill” inclusivity requirement for multifamily housing that could have thwarted development just as SB 79 rezoned areas near transit for development.
Both candidates advocated for El Segundo to become a charter city on a rushed timeline. Pimentel voted to override the City Planning Commission’s denial of a Tesla dealership on Pacific Coast Highway due to zoning issues. Pimentel also voted for – and lost – a motion for the city to invest a small percentage of City Pension funds into a volatile Crypto ETF.
The best way to ensure a progressive candidate is elected would be to vote only for Pickhaver in this race, as an additional vote for a second candidate essentially cancels out the vote for Pickhaver. If a voter chooses to vote for both seats, the recommendation would be to vote for Pickhaver and Baldino.
Wiseburn USD
School Board
Rebecca Hamburg CappyRecommended
Analysis forthcoming.