Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who represents the county’s third district – which includes almost all of the Westside – was sworn into office on December 5, 2022, making her the youngest woman ever to hold the position. 

One year later, on Tuesday of this week, she became the youngest woman ever to serve as the Chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. 

“From Hollywood to the Westside, to the Valley, and the Third District, I have the privilege of working for some of the most inspiring constituents who challenge me, and my entire team to bring our best to the work we do every day to create an even better L.A. county,” said Horvath.

She added, “Undoubtedly this year will present complex challenges. Some we can predict, and some we may never see coming. With the magnitude of this moment, it is easy to feel overwhelmed or disillusioned, or to retreat to the corners of comfort in times of uncertainty. However, I still believe that a county this large and powerful can take care of all its people, and if we are to improve the lives of our people, then we must treat those lives as if they are our own.”  

Horvath expressed a sense of urgency and perseverance. She voiced her belief that the residents of L.A. County deserve the best, and called for an immediate response to action. “This is a moment for urgency. This is a moment for impatience. This is a moment for profound change. We must march forward together and take bold steps to bridge generations, and create the changes that we so urgently need,” she said. 

During the meeting, Horvath stressed that one place for urgency is climate change. She said, “No one makes that clearer than our youth, whose commitment to a cleaner, and more sustainable future is unwavering.” She continued, “We are also facing a devastating crisis of despair.” 

According to Horvath, Suicide is at an all-time high, particularly among women and girls who face more complex mental health difficulties. She also mentioned that anxiety, sadness, and substance abuse are all common challenges faced by women and young girls today. 

“During my term as chair, I will also prioritize gender-based and intimate partner violence which are consistently linked to or the root causes of the most pervasive injustices we face today. Hope starts in the home, and every person who builds a relationship with, or touches the life of a young person, has a solemn responsibility to be the cause of hope for them,” Horvath said. 

Horvath expressed the importance of voicing the younger generation. “The clarity of their experience matters in this moment as much as the lived experience in L.A. County. When we are shaping policy, we must incorporate their voices and their perspective into the work we do now before it’s too late,” she said. 

Horvath also shed light on the importance of tackling homelessness. “I am clear that the crisis of the moment is homelessness,” she said. “From the threat of becoming homeless due to the increase of rent and living costs to the reality of being unhoused while attending school – and never being able to recover from the debt that accumulates – the pervasiveness of homelessness in our region is a daily attack on our dream of a better future.”

Photo provided by the Horvath for Supervisor Campaign, 2022