Three candidates are vying to fill an open seat — Christopher Robert Celona, Timothy Gaspar, and Barri Worth Girvan.

By Renaissance Urbina-Thierry
UT Community News, Cal State LA

This story was produced in partnership with Cal State LA’s UT Community News and was published by the LA Public Press.

After three terms in office, Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield will vacate his seat representing a large swath of the San Fernando Valley. Due to term limits, he can’t run for re-election this year, and three candidates are vying to replace him. It’s a relatively crowded field considering that in 2017, Blumenfield ran unopposed, and in 2022, he faced only one challenger.

The third district spans the West San Fernando Valley, including the neighborhoods of Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills. The winner will likely confront major issues around housing and homelessness, including the controversial construction of hundreds of homes on the Woodland Hills Country Club golf course, transportation and mobility, including plugging gaps in the LA River bike path, and public safety.

Below is a rundown of the three candidates competing to represent the San Fernando Valley in the June 2 primary election.

Christopher Robert “C.R.” Celona

Tech entrepreneur Christopher Robert Celona refers to himself on his campaign website as a “compassionate capitalist.”

He has highlighted his intention to translate his 26 years of business experience into growing the San Fernando Valley economy. On his website, he said he wants to support local businesses and address the housing crisis.

Celona is also campaigning around homelessness, public safety, and reducing government waste. He said he will address homelessness by moving people off the streets and into shelters, treatment centers for addiction, and mental health facilities. In reference to state mandates to build more housing, Celona also emphasized collaborative efforts by community leaders is imperative to reach housing goals and boost construction. State-issued mandates requiring the city to permit 456,643 new housing units between 2021-2029. As of 2026, only 18% of the mandated units have been permitted.

Asked in a March debate hosted by the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization about his position on a real estate developer’s plans to build 398 homes on the Woodland Hills Country Club, Celona voiced strong opposition, stating, “I stand with the firefighters,” who are against it due to lack of fire safety and mitigation plans. Community leaders and residents have rallied in opposition to the project due to potential fire risks.

Celona’s platform also emphasizes community law enforcement. He said he would work to ensure the Los Angeles Police Department is fully staffed while investing in initiatives to prevent crime, including “proven community based solutions, like youth programs and community policing.” 

Timothy Gaspar

Canoga Park business owner Timothy Gaspar founded independent insurance firm Gaspar Insurance Services. According to his campaign website, he has worked with several local nonprofit and civic organizations, including the Metropolitan YMCA of Los Angeles, the Woodland Hills/Warner Center Chamber of Commerce, and the board of trustees of Viewpoint School, a private school in Calabasas. 

Gaspar’s viewpoints on public issues typically skew on the conservative side. On the campaign trail, he has said he would prioritize the implementation of smart technology and modernized equipment at LAPD and supports a fully-staffed police department (boosting police departments, however, doesn’t always lead to less crime). On his website, Gaspar said many families and businesses in the West Valley are dealing with “violent crime” and “retail theft.” 

At the March debate, Gaspar said he is against the plans to build homes on the Woodland Hills Country Club golf course, saying that “the community has a right to be at the table.” He said he opposed  SB 79, a state law that overwrites local zoning rules to allow denser buildings to be constructed near transit hubs, saying it stifles the input and influence of community leaders and local government. If elected, Gaspar said he plans to “fight tooth and nail” to make sure “the community has a seat at the table” and oppose what he described as strong-arming by the state government. Gaspar said he supports community-supported housing projects, “not oversized projects that ignore local input.”

Gaspar also said he supports encampment clean ups, saying that they need to be cleaned up “swiftly and humanely.” (Clean-ups are not proven to reduce homelessness and displaced residents often remain in public spaces with fewer resources and greater safety and health risks.) 

Gaspar is endorsed by:

• Bob Blumenfield, City Council Member 3rd Council District
• Jacqui Irwin, California Assembly Member 42nd Assembly District
• Laura Chick, Former City Council Member 3rd Council District
• Luz Rivas, United States Congress, 29th District under elected officials
• Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Supervisor

Barri Worth Girvan

Barri Worth Girvan, who touts more than 20 years of experience in public service, previously served in non-elected staff roles with the California State Senate and the LA mayor’s office and is a member of the LA County Democratic Party. She also captained community outreach and engagement as the director of community affairs for Los Angeles County Supervisor, Lindsey Horvath. 

Girvan has also worked with nonprofit and community outreach programs including West Valley YMCA, Planned Parenthood, and New Directions for Youth, Inc.

Her campaign is based on reform for housing costs, public safety, workforce development, and infrastructure accessibility. 

Girvan said she supports Measure HLA and will work to “ensure” that reluctant city departments implement it to produce road improvements and safer streets for pedestrians.

At the March debate, Girvan called attention to the city’s failure to fulfill housing goals mandated by the state as construction rates have fallen “woefully short” as of 2024. She said her relationships with sitting state legislators would strengthen her ability to advocate against state housing mandates and says she will “be the voice for our community and say, this doesn’t work.” 

Without declaring clear support or opposition for the proposed plans for the Woodland Hills Country Club golf course, Barri emphasized the importance of fire safety, saying, “Until I see a fire prevention plan, I cannot support any project in our community that doesn’t have a plan for fire prevention.” 

Girvan said she would fight to “retain local control” and prevent projects that do not serve the community based on public input. She said that she plans to be proactive when development projects are proposed and says she wants to “bring the voices of our communities, of our neighborhood leaders in” to make finding a solution an inclusive and collaborative effort.

Girvan expressed her support for a fully funded LAPD, crisis units, and neighborhood safety programs to ensure safety in the San Fernando Valley. 

Girvan is endorsed by:

• California Women’s List
• Alicia Weintraub, Calabasas City Councilmember 
• Andra Hoffman, Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees
• Fran Pavley, former state senator 
• State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin
• Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
• Teamsters Joint Council 42
• California Women’s List