Tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado and incumbent Council Member Kevin de León presented their views on homelessness, LAPD funding and youth investment, among other topics, at the City Council District 14 (CD-14) debate Sept. 25. De León said that he and Jurado had very different visions for LA.
“There cannot be a bigger contrast between me and my opponent,” de León said. “My opponent believes in abolishing law enforcement.”
Jurado said she disapproves of de León’s connections with more conservative donors.
“I believe it is important that CD-14 candidates reject dirty money […] the money that you accept is a reflection of your values,” Jurado said. “Why do you take money from people who ruthlessly abuse the people that you serve?”
De León said he was concerned with her ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, who have endorsed her.
“The Democratic Socialists of America will be running this district,” de León said.
Jurado said the CD-14 community has played an important role in her life.
“As a single mother and a working class attorney, I am here in front of you because of the community that raised me,” Jurado said.
Jurado said she had lived in CD-14 for her entire life and that she has a deep love for serving her community.
“I am tired of these career politicians using this district for their own self-interest,” Jurado said. “We need someone from our community, for our community.”
Jurado said she would fund youth programs and invest in small businesses to reduce gang involvement and promote investment in the district.
“We need to stop drug and gang violence in the area […] [it feels] more unsafe than it ever has been,” Jurado said. “But in order to stop crime in our communities, we need to invest in our youth.”
De León said he is concerned Jurado’s leadership will further split CD-14.
“Jurado will bring division, polarization, poverty and gentrification to CD-14,” de León said.
De León said that, under his leadership, CD-14 has housed the highest number of homeless people in the city.
“Even the controller of the city of LA has stated on his website that CD-14 has […] [gotten] the most homeless people off the streets,” de León said.
Jurado said that some of de León’s policies, such as cleanups of homeless encampments, have not been effective.
“We need to make sure that we get these folks off the street and into housing,” Jurado said.
De León said that while he believes that investment in the community was needed, it shouldn’t replace LAPD funding.
“I am not an abolitionist. We need law enforcement on the streets of our community,” de León said.
Sofía Quiñones, who ran in in the March primary for California’s 52nd Assembly seat race, attended the debate. She said she wanted candidates to address the racial disparities created by the lack of government services offered to poorer neighborhoods.
“Why is it that poor people, people of color [and] disenfranchised communities are forced to live in certain ZIP codes?” Quiñones said. “That’s doubling down on segregation, so why aren’t they stopping that?”
Quiñones said she was disappointed in de León.
“We need to turn the page to heal,” Quiñones said.
De León said he was interested in moving on from a 2022 tape scandal in which a recording of members of his cabinet making racist comments was leaked.
“When we heal, we come together, and those who don’t want to heal want to scratch that wound,” de León said. “I have owned that mistake and we [have moved] forward.”
The next debate will be Oct. 5 at Dolores Mission Catholic Church in Boyle Heights, and another will be online Oct. 10.
Contact Taylor Hubbard at thubbard@oxy.edu.
Eliza Bodden contributed reporting for this article.
