Despite a recall attempt and widespread calls for his resignation, including from President Joe Biden, Kevin de Leon is fighting again for his 14th District Los Angeles City Council seat.
Mr. De Leon became embattled in 2022 after the public learned he participated in a conversation among city leaders in October of that year, that included derogatory and racist comments, mostly by then Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, who resigned shortly after audio of the meeting was leaked.
Facing criticism for his participation, Mr. De Leon apologized and said he should have said something or left the room. For months, some called for his resignation, including the president of the United States, which he refused.
He faces seven challengers in the March 5 primary and has raised $346,000 in campaign contributions, according to the latest data from the city’s Ethics Commission. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two finishers will face each other in the general election Nov. 5.
Assemblyman Miguel Santiago represents a portion of the 14th District, namely Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights, in Sacramento and has raised about $500,000. He includes fighting to raise the minimum wage in California, and his leadership on protecting tenants from eviction as legislative successes. He has the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times.
Democratic Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, who has raised about $232,000 in contributions, has also represented many of the district’s residents in the capital since 2017. On her campaign website, she points to homelessness in Los Angeles’s Skid Row, which is in her district, and calls it “a humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed with urgency, thoughtfulness and through a lens of compassion and with direct resources.” She has been endorsed by former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. She pled no contest in January after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in November.
Ysabel Jurado, a first-time candidate, says the district does not need another career politician. “We need someone from and for this community who knows what it’s like to struggle to pay for rent,” she said on her campaign website. The tenants-rights attorney and affordable housing activist has raised $220,000 in donations and has the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America-Los Angeles.
Lawyer Teresa Hillery’s website says she will fight for equitable homeownership. Calling homelessness a “human tragedy,” she vows, if elected, “to bring as many people as possible inside temporary and permanent supportive housing and to reduce the risk of falling into homelessness by protecting tenants.” She has raised $101,000 in campaign contributions.
High school teacher Eduardo Vargas, another first-timer, is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. He touts a five-point program: make housing a right, end police terror, expand workers’ rights, promote environmental justice, and provide free public transit. Among his endorsers is the California Nurses Association. Mr. Vargas has raised $36,000 in campaign donations.
Business owner Genny Guerrero promises, if elected, to fight homelessness by prioritizing gainful employment, stabilizing local housing, and preventing displacement. She has raised $22,000.
Samir Bitar, an advocate for the arts, has raised $15,000 and garnered the endorsement of the Green Party. On his website, Mr. Bitar offers a plan to retain local businesses, repair infrastructure, and add homeless shelters.
Finally, health professional Nadine Diaz, who has raised $7,000, ran for the seat in 2015 but finished third behind then-winner Jose Huizar, the incumbent at the time, and former County Supervisor Gloria Molina. Atop her list of priorities are improving basic city services, and helping veterans and homeless people.
The district stretches from Eagle Rock in the north to Boyle Heights and downtown LA, and includes the graffiti-marred Oceanwide Plaza, an eyesore near
Crypto.com arena that city leaders have vowed to clean up and secure.
