California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has begun pressing Los Angeles political leaders to sign a legal agreement that would force them to draw new boundaries for the city’s 15 council districts — a dramatic step that could set off shock waves at City Hall.
The draft legal document prepared by Bonta’s office, a copy of which was reviewed by The Times, would require the city to finalize new council district maps in time for the 2026 primary election. Council members would be barred from considering their own political fortunes when approving those maps, the confidential document said.
The document does not indicate whether elected city officials have agreed to any of Bonta’s demands — or plan to push back on them. It also does not say whether Bonta’s office found any legal violations or other wrongdoing during the city’s 2021 redistricting process.
However, two sources familiar with the discussions said Bonta’s legal team has voiced concerns in recent weeks that the map approved by the City Council in 2021 does not currently provide sufficient representation for Latinos in parts of the city.
Bonta’s office singled out two council districts on the Eastside — one represented by Eunisses Hernandez, the other by Kevin de León — as areas of concern, saying those districts do not have a sufficient number of Latino voters to ensure that Latinos have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice, according to the sources, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak on the matter publicly.