"I used to be homeless, so I can relate to the problems here," said Craig, who is now a city bus driver. "I've been there. … Sleeping in churches, losing clothes because people steal. Riding the bus with my kids for entertainment because that's all you can afford."

Craig had a lot on her mind as she went to submit her votes at Menlo Ave. Elementary School, situated just off of 42nd and Vermont in the city's ninth district. Tuesday, she had watched a news report about a 12-year-old boy who was bullied to death in Philadelphia.

"Kids shouldn't be treated poorly just because they're different," said Craig. "Gang violence here is a problem. Kids get bullied every day. They need to give kids resources."

Melvena Craig's Picks

Mayor: Jan Perry

City Attorney: Carmen Trutanich

Controller: Dennis Zine

District 9: Curren Price

Craig voted for Curren Price because she believes that Price will have the interests of the community in mind. "I think he wants to get the streets cleaned up," said Craig. "He wants to get job training for the youth."

When discussing mayoral candidates, Craig said he felt like Eric Garcetti was a popular choice.

However, she went with Jan Perry, the longtime district nine councilwoman.

"She's more for the community [than Garcetti]," Craig said when discussing her vote for Perry. "She knows the area, she goes out and does events."

Craig felt like whoever represents the district needs to understand that there are a lot of challenges for the residents. She wants better support for education, for police to be more objective, and for the elderly to have more help. "They need to make it easier for people to get their medication, and there are too many long waits for emergency services," said Craig.

Reach Staff Writer Lawrence Murray via email or follow him on Twitter.