Tonia Arey, who filed with a ballot designation of "Realtor," is running for the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees Seat 6 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
The race is nonpartisan. Three other candidates appear on the ballot: Gabriel Buelna, Randall Winston and Roberto David Lacarra, according to BallotReady election data. Arey filed for the office on July 29, 2026, according to the LA County Registrar-Recorder's candidate list.
Candidate information
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Residence: Los Angeles County; Arey said she was raised in the San Fernando Valley, where her family continues to reside
- Education: High school diploma, Agoura High School; bachelor's degree in kinesiology, San Francisco State University, 1999; real estate licensure, California Brokers Institute, 2014
Experience and public service
Arey describes herself as a real estate professional with a background in residential property sales, contract negotiation and client representation, according to her Ballotpedia candidate response. She has worked as a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Realty since 2022 and previously worked at Pinnacle Estate Properties from 2016 to 2022, according to her BallotReady profile. She has also served as vice president of sales at dkspecialties since 2008.
Arey was a candidate for the LA County Board of Supervisors District 3 seat. During that earlier campaign, she cited concerns about the Pacific Palisades wildfire response as a reason for running, according to Los Angeles County Politics.
On the issues
Student support and campus safety
Arey said the district serves students from diverse backgrounds, many of whom are working, raising families or overcoming financial barriers while pursuing an education. She said they deserve safe, well-run campuses, relevant academic and workforce programs and the support necessary to complete their goals, according to her Ballotpedia candidate response.
Public safety (county-level position; not verified as a specific proposal for the district board race)
In her earlier county supervisors race, Arey said she supports restoring the rule of law in LA County, ensuring police and sheriffs have the resources, training and community support they need, investing in evidence-based crime prevention programs, and holding law enforcement accountable with transparency and community oversight, according to her Ballotpedia profile.
Homelessness (county-level position; not verified as a specific proposal for the district board race)
Arey said she supports requiring transparent reporting, measurable outcomes and performance-based contracts for all homelessness funding. She also called for expanding treatment capacity and mental health response, and keeping public spaces safe while connecting people to services. She has called for a greater focus on treatment and behavioral requirements alongside housing, according to her Ballotpedia profile.
Fire safety and emergency preparedness (county-level position; not verified as a specific proposal for the district board race)
Arey said she supports investing in fire prevention infrastructure, early warning systems and evacuation planning. She called for ensuring firefighters have the equipment, staffing and resources needed, and demanded transparency from officials in how they prepare for and respond to fire emergencies, according to her Ballotpedia profile.
Candidate responses are drawn from Arey's Ballotpedia questionnaire and BallotReady profile data. Policy positions labeled as county-level originated from her earlier LA County Board of Supervisors campaign and have not been confirmed as proposals for the district board Seat 6 race.
