Candidate for
Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 5

David Tyrone Vahedi, who prefers to be called Ty, is a native Southern Californian and lifelong resident of the 5th District, where he is currently running for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council. As an active member of his community, Vahedi co-founded the Westside Neighborhood Council and is a board member of the Westwood South of Santa Monica Homeowner Association. He is also a member and former chair of the Westwood-Westside Democratic Club and a member of the Sierra Club.

Vahedi currently works as an attorney, specializing in consumer law with his two partners. He also consults for the state of California and is a pro bono attorney for the Friends of Animals Foundation in Los Angeles. Prior to practicing law for the past seven years, Vahedi was a financial auditor for 14 years.

A strong supporter of children's rights and education, Vahedi was the author and proponent of the After School Tutorial Program, which would have taxed cigarette sales to support after school programs for 700,000 students statewide. The program was folded into Proposition 10, which was passed by voters in 1998.

He was also the author of Proposition 223, which was narrowly defeated and would have required 95 cents of every school dollar be spent at the school site. In addition, Vahedi serves as a mentor for at-risk teens in his neighborhood.

Vahedi was born in Los Angeles at Santa Monica Hospital. He attended Westwood Elementary, University High School and received his bachelor's degree in accounting from California State University. He received his law degree from Loyola Marymount University Law School.

He and his wife, Karli Sikich, currently live in Los Angeles with their two dogs, Stofer and Jackson, who were both animal rescues.