After representing the district since 2020, Kevin de León conceded to Ysabel Jurado in the race for City Councilmember of LA’s City Council District 14. According to the LA County Registrar, by Nov. 11, Jurado received 57.13% of the vote, while de León received the remaining 42.87%. In a district that includes the communities of Boyle Heights, University Hills and Skid Row, residents voiced their thoughts on Jurado’s victory and her potential impact on issues such as housing, the environment and resource allocation.
University Hills resident Jamal Muwwakkil said he voted for Jurado in the election after disapproving of de León’s personal attacks against Jurado.
“[Jurado is] saying the right things and engaging with a lot of issues that are very important to the people,” Muwwakkil said.
Muwwakkil said he believed de León still had a negative reputation after a 2022 scandal, in which an audio recording leaked of fellow councilmembers making racist remarks during a conversation de León was a part of. Muwwakkil said that he felt the people around him were more enthusiastic about Jurado than de León.
“There’s something to be said for a change and newness,” Muwwakkil said.
Omeatl Tonahtiuh, a resident of the district, said he did not vote in the CD-14 election because he is not a US citizen but that most people he knew cast their votes for Jurado. He said he was more impressed with Jurado’s debate performance at the CD-14 Candidate Forum than de León’s.
“He was just really mean to her,” Tonahtiuh said. “[Jurado] presented everything very professionally and tried to defend herself in a professional manner. She had the dignity to be a little more mature about it, versus attacking him personally.”
Muwwakkil, who was also present at the forum, said that though he eventually voted for her because he disapproved of de León’s rhetoric, he did not feel strongly in favor of Jurado. He said he would have liked to see Jurado discuss her policy positions more at the forum instead of issuing broad platitudes that appeal to liberal voters and rebuttals to de León’s solutions on issues, such as housing insecurity.
Tonahtiuh said that environmental issues in his neighborhood of Boyle Heights are something he hopes Jurado tackles while she is in office.
“I just hope that people take an environmental perspective on things and really look at the environmental impact of Boyle Heights being in the midst of all these freeways,” Tonahtiuh said. “[I want there to be] an effort towards a healthier environment for our future.”
Liliflor Flores owns an art studio in Boyle Heights. She said that she saw Jurado’s victory as a bright spot in an otherwise difficult election week.
“I think she will be a really good person to really stand up against the powers that be, to be able to articulate the needs of the community,” Flores said.
Flores said she is opposed to Executive Directive 1. The directive expedites the building of affordable housing, but some have raised concerns over the displacement of already-existing tenants when their houses are torn down to build affordable housing. Flores said she expects that Jurado will also oppose the directive — a position Jurado has not confirmed — due to her background as a tenant’s rights lawyer.
“That’s what she does,” Flores said. “She fights for her renters’ rights.”
Muwwakkil said he thought there were benefits to de León’s experience with holding public office, including with issues such as the upcoming Olympics.
“There will be some decisions that need to be made about resource allocation and funding and support that I’d love to have our district well-suited for. More experience gives us the opportunity to better position ourselves in that context,” Muwwakkil said. “It’s a risk to take a chance on a new person in such a relevant time.”
Flores said she knew Jurado has never previously held a public office but that she was not concerned about Jurado’s level of experience. Flores said she believed Jurado will fight for the community she represents.
“I do feel that she’s definitely going to come into some challenges, like any other politician,” Flores said. “But I think she definitely has the passion and the fire to really make some things happen and to really represent the voice of the people in the community.”
Contact Ruby Gower at gower@oxy.edu
