Tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado maintained her lead in the crowded race for the 14th District Los Angeles City Council seat against incumbent Kevin de León as of March 19.
On Tuesday, Ms. Jurado had 24.52 percent of the vote, leading the March 5 primary race by 398 votes, according to unofficial results from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Following closely behind is Mr. de León at 23.39 percent, while Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, who decided not to seek another term in the state Legislature to run for the council seat, had 21.26 percent.
Mr. de León faced seven candidates in the race for the 14th District, which includes Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, downtown Los Angeles, El Sereno, and parts of Northeast Los Angeles.
With none securing a majority, the two frontrunners will face off in November.
The county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk announced Tuesday afternoon that about 3,400 ballots are yet to be processed countywide.
Backed by the Democratic Socialists of America-Los Angeles, Ms. Jurado could move the City Council further to the left, joining three other DSA-LA endorsed colleagues: Nithya Raman—who won her March 5 election outright last week—Hugo Soto-Martinez and Eunisses Hernandez, both elected in 2022.
Ms. Jurado campaigned against additional funding for the Los Angeles Police Department, tenant evictions, and the prohibition of homeless encampments near schools, among other issues. She also advocates for social and community-owned and affordable housing.
Prior to Mr. de León’s 2020 election to the seat, he served four years in the California Assembly and eight years in the state Senate.
He has faced criticism for his involvement in a secretly recorded conversation in 2021 with then City Council President Nury Martinez, councilmember Gil Cedillo, and Ron Herrera, president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, which included racially charged remarks and discussions over favorable redistricting.
He voted in favor of Mayor Karen Bass’s budget last year, which proposed hiring 1,000 police officers. He has also voted for homeless encampment bans near some areas, like schools, that Ms. Jurado opposes.
“The voters will now have a clear choice between an experienced, results-driven elected official or someone who has promised to undo the progress we’ve made on important issues like homelessness and public safety,” Mr. de León’s campaign spokesperson, as reported by ABC7, said in a statement after Ms. Jurado took the lead.
Election updates will continue until results are certified before March 29.
