Los Angeles City Council: Challenger Isabel Jurado maintains wide lead over incumbent Kevin de Leon in race for District 14

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Progressive challenger Isabel Jurado maintains a commanding lead over incumbent Kevin de Leon Wednesday in a heated, high-profile race for the Los Angeles City Council District 14 seat.

As of Wednesday evening, the tenants’ rights attorney had received more than 30,000 votes, or about 55.5% of the total, while de Leon had received more than 24,000 votes, or 44.5, according to the Los Angeles County Recorder/Clerk. %.

That’s a slight increase in the gap between the two compared to the initial results released on election night. Ballots are still being counted and Jurado has not declared victory.

Two candidates are vying to represent a district that includes downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno and northeast Los Angeles.

Their Election Day showdown comes two years after a 2021 recording surfaced showing de Leon in a conversation with two other former council members and a former union leader during which crude and racist language was used. It sparked a scandal in which several officials, including President Joe Biden, called on de Leon to resign.

Meanwhile, Jurado was recently recorded making her own controversial statement in response to the question “F… the police” when asked about her position on police abolition at an Oct. 17 meeting at UCLA. The question came from a student who is also a de Leon employee.

De Leon, whose campaign did not respond to City News Service’s requests to interview the candidate for this story, also survived four recall attempts.

In a secretly recorded meeting, de Leon, former Councilman Gil Zedillo, former Council President Nury Martinez, and former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera discussed ways to expand Hispanic/Latino influence by manipulating the redistricting process.

In the notes, de Leon compared then-Councilman Mike Bonin’s treatment of his son at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade to “when Nuri brings his little yard bag or Louis Vuitton bag.”

He did not intervene when Martinez humiliated Bonin, who is white and openly gay; she also named Bonin’s child, Black, “ese changuito”, which means “that little monkey” in Spanish.

In addition, Martinez said of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, “Fuck that guy… He’s with the blacks.”

De Leon has apologized several times for his involvement in the conversation, including telling the Los Angeles Times last year that he should have “stopped this meeting.”

And after the leak, he remained on the board, working to rehabilitate his image.

He opened new parks and held food distribution events in his community; led public safety initiatives; provided funds to the Los Angeles Police Department to increase foot patrols of business corridors in Eagle Rock and other areas; and led an initiative to combat copper wire theft.

He also advocated for safety measures at dangerous intersections and streets in Boyle Heights and other neighborhoods; and creating more affordable housing, including working with Mayor Karen Bass on Operations Inside Safe to reduce the number of encampments.

Jurado, meanwhile, said she quoted rap lyrics with her “Fuck the police” remark and has since defended those comments despite criticism from the Los Angeles police union, interim Chief Dominic Choi, cops and some other members city ​​council. members. She also expressed her commitment to public safety.

She also noted that her comment did not live up to the level of de Leon’s post, calling the latter “disgraceful.”

“Los Angeles thrives on its diversity and greatness,” Jurado said. “(The recording) was terrible. That’s not who we are, this campaign or the city of Los Angeles.”

Jurado told CNS she entered the race to “change the story of corruption” at City Hall, citing the controversy surrounding former Councilman Jose Huizar (convicted and now in prison for accepting bribes from developers and tax fraud) and de Leon.

“This area has been used and abused, and we are in complete disbelief,” Jurado told CNS. “People are demanding honest, accountable and responsive City Council members, and that’s the bare minimum.”

In other matters, Jurado — a lifelong Highland Park resident, first-time candidate and single mother of a 14-year-old daughter — said she would focus on making sure residents receive a fair share of city services; and work to reduce homelessness, with a particular focus on Skid Row, the epicenter of the crisis.

She also stressed the importance of working with homeless service providers, community organizations and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents the 2nd District, which includes the Skid Row and CD14 areas.

In addition, Jurado raised concerns about the city’s anti-camping law and sweeps, noting that the policy could make it difficult to place homeless residents in temporary or permanent housing.

She said she would focus on public safety using a multi-layered approach; discussed problems related to street lighting and its maintenance; and how police officers are overwhelmed with calls for service that could be handled by unarmed response teams.