Ysabel Jurado announces victory in the race for Council District 14

Battle for LA’s City Council District 14

Who represents Council District 14? Both candidates – Kevin de Leon and Ysabel Jurado – have been linked to controversial recordings.

LOS ANGELES – Ysabel Jurado emerged victorious in the race for LA City Council District 14 on Thursday evening after taking an early lead over incumbent Kevin de León.

“After knocking down 83,000 doors, mobilizing more than 1,000 volunteers, sending more than 8,000 postcards and registering hundreds of voters to vote, we won. The little campaign that could overcome corruption, hate speech, misogyny and racial division. This victory belongs to the señoras and the titas who welcomed us into their homes and distributed flyers at their church groups, to the young people who organized meet and greets on their college campuses, to the single mothers who told their stories and shared their struggles, to the organizers and tenants who fought tirelessly for their right to remain in their neighborhood. Together, we cut through the political theater and built a movement that focuses on the real issues: affordable housing, our youth and our elders, real public safety, the homelessness crisis, and defending our small businesses. Juardo said in a statement.

Her victory in District 14, which includes downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno and Northeast LA, comes less than a month after she found herself in the middle of a scandal after audio captured her saying, “F*** the police.”

During a meeting on Cal State LA on October 17thJurado was asked about her current position on police and what she thought about spending discretionary funds on overtime for officers. She responded by saying, “What is the rap verse? F-the policeThat’s how I see them.”

Her comment sparked outrage, with people holding a rally urging her to drop out of the race. But Juardo stayed in the race. She told FOX 11’s Susan Hirasuna that in the days after the audio’s release, she went door to door talking to voters and claimed she had found enough support.

She was asked several times if she regretted using the rap lyrics.

Jurado admitted that her father was disappointed in her, but she reiterated her vision for public safety, which would see police focus on serious crimes and gang intervention.

“The safest cities invest in public schools, education, youth development, recreation, and parks and libraries. You know, we need to focus on financing that. We cannot continue to fund a budget that continues to prioritize one department at the expense of I mean, when we look at this neighborhood, our library in Boyle Heights has been closed for four years before the pandemic, despite cries from community members that this is a place is what makes them safe,” Jurado explained.

She is supported by three current council members who recently voted against pay increases for the LAPD.

In 2022, her opponent, Kevin de Leonwas also involved in a scandal involving a leaked racist audio recording.

Jurado said she entered this race to “change the history of corruption” at City Hall – citing the controversies surrounding former councilor José Huizar (convicted and now jailed for taking bribes from developers and cheating on his taxes ) and de Leon.

“This neighborhood has been used and abused, and we have total distrust,” Jurado said. “People are asking for honest, responsible and responsive council members, and that is 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 ensuring residents get their fair share of city services; and working to reduce homelessness, with a focus on Skid Row, the epicenter of the crisis.

She also highlighted collaboration with homeless service providers, community organizations and LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents the 2nd District, which includes the Skid Row and CD14 neighborhoods.

Additionally, Jurado has expressed concerns about the city’s anti-camping law and measures, noting that these policies could make it more difficult to place unhoused residents in temporary or permanent housing.

She said she would focus on public safety through a multi-layered approach; discussed concerns about street lighting and maintenance; and how police officers are overloaded with calls for help that could be handled by unarmed response teams.