Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León, who for nearly a year has fended off calls to resign for his role in a racist leaked audio scandal, announced Wednesday, Sept. 20, that he will seek reelection next year.
De León was elected in 2020 to represent Angelenos in Downtown and on L.A.’s Eastside. Council District 14 is a dichotomy that includes heavily Latino working-class communities, luxurious skyscrapers and Skid Row. It includes Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Downtown L.A., El Sereno and Northeast L.A.
“In just three years, we’ve made unprecedented strides in our district on the issues that matter the most to my constituents, like improving public safety and tackling homelessness head-on,” de León said in a press release from his campaign announcing his bid for reelection.
The councilmember cited other improvements in the district, including revitalizing parks and public spaces to create safer communities.
“My constituents deserve this high level of dedicated public service and I’m grateful for their ongoing trust and support,” de León said. “At the end of the day, the heart and soul of the work that we do as council members is about serving the people, especially those that are struggling. That’s what I care about and that’s why I’m running.”
As of Wednesday, 10 other people had pulled campaign finance papers with the city’s Ethics Commission, indicating they may run in next year’s Council District 14 race. They include state Assemblymembers Wendy Carillo and Miguel Santiago, and tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado.
Last October, an audio recording secretly taped in 2021 made national headlines after it was leaked online, revealing racist comments during a backroom meeting between de León, two other L.A. City Council members and a top labor leader.
The secretly taped remarks ended the political career of then-L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez. She resigned as did Ron Herrera, the powerful head of the Los…
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