Marissa Roy Widens Lead Over John McKinney in City Attorney Race
A new poll shows Roy ahead by 17 points with 45% of voters undecided, as candidates clash on homelessness and affirmative litigation strategies.
By Alexander Novak ·
Marissa Roy has expanded her advantage over John McKinney in the race for Los Angeles city attorney, according to polling released this week. The California Deputy Attorney General now leads the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney by 17 percentage points among likely voters.
The survey was conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Los Angeles Times. It shows that the number of undecided voters has dropped to 45 percent from 70 percent in September. Meanwhile, 36 percent of likely voters support Roy, and 19 percent back McKinney.
The city attorney position carries a budget of nearly $200 million and oversees a staff of 1,000. The role serves as legal counsel for the City Council and various municipal agencies. Candidates are dividing the electorate on how to handle the office's expanding role in affirmative litigation against corporations and federal policies.
Roy has centered her campaign on affirmative litigation, a strategy her predecessor Hydee Feldstein Soto largely avoided. McKinney has described this approach as grandstanding that is out of alignment with voters. The two also disagree on how to prosecute misdemeanors, which account for roughly one-third of the city attorney's workload.
Homelessness is the top concern for 43 percent of voters, and the candidates offer different solutions. Roy plans to address the issue by combating wage theft and renter harassment to keep residents housed. McKinney proposes using individual prosecutions to encourage chronically homeless residents to enter treatment programs.
Voters are split on which candidate is better equipped to address street homelessness. Roy holds a strong lead among renters, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the electorate, as well as progressives and Democratic Socialists. McKinney maintains a commanding lead among registered Republicans and self-identified MAGA voters.
Independent expenditure groups continue to spend on behalf of both candidates. Roy's supporters are framing McKinney as closely aligned with President Trump, while McKinney's backers are linking Roy to former District Attorney George Gascón. The next major step is the election on November 3, when Los Angeles voters will select the city's second-most-powerful elected official.
Source: Los Angeles Times
