West Long Beach’s open District 7 City Council seat has turned into a full-on Westside power test, with candidates sprinting toward the June 2 primary and pitching starkly different ideas on homelessness and neighborhood investment. With incumbent Roberto Uranga termed out, a slate of community leaders, union-backed organizers and service providers is vying to represent an area many residents say has been left on the back burner for years. More than 36,000 eligible voters live in District 7, and whoever wins will help decide how next year’s money for streets, parks and shelter services gets carved up.
What’s at stake
The City Council controls more than $3 billion in annual spending, and it is staring down a projected budget shortfall of about $60 million next year that will force tough choices on services and capital projects, according to the Long Beach Post. Homelessness sits right at the center of the District 7 fight, and the candidates diverge on whether the city should lean harder on outreach, build up shelter capacity or rely more on stricter enforcement. How the next councilmember votes on those tradeoffs will shape whether Westside neighborhoods see more social services on the ground or a stronger push for basic infrastructure fixes.
Who’s on the ballot
Current councilmember Roberto Uranga has hit the city’s term limit and is not running again, according to the Signal Tribune. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s final list confirms which candidates made the District 7 ballot, along with the June 2, 2026, primary date. If no one clears 50 percent in that primary, the top two finishers move on to the Nov. 3 general election, as outlined in voter-guide coverage by LAist.
Vivian Malauulu
Vivian Malauulu, a Long Beach Community College District trustee and registered longshore worker, is running on a promise of targeted Westside investment and stronger workforce development. Her campaign materials note that she completed a doctorate while serving on the LBCCD board. Malauulu has picked up support from labor and party groups and appears on endorsement lists from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Voters can find her detailed priorities and biography on her campaign site at VivianforLongBeach.com…