Early results show Kevin de León heading to runoff for City Council seat
Councilmember Kevin de León seems to have overcome a major obstacle in his reelection campaign after the latest Super Tuesday ballot count from the Los Angeles County Registrar.
The incumbent currently has a six-point lead on his closest competitor, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago. The two candidates appear to be advancing to the general election in November. Attorney Ysabel Jurado about a point behind Santiago with 19.18% of the vote. Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo is the only other candidate with double-digit returns at 15.92%.
The race for Los Angeles' 14th District turned into a closely watched race after de León was involved with an infamous racist audio recording that put him in the ire of protests and powerful politicians. The 2022 scandal captured de León and two former councilmembers spewing racially charged rhetoric and rocked the city's political landscape. After publicly apologizing, de León stepped away from council meetings and focused on his district while powerful politicians, such as President Joe Biden, urged him to step down.
The sitting councilmember boasts about his district's record of housing the most homeless people in the city — a hot-button issue for his constituents who live in and around Skid Row. Since being elected in 2020, de León's office has helped more than 2,500 people with housing.
The two members of the California Assembly, Carrillo and Santiago, emerged as potential replacements after garnering massive contributions and endorsements. Carillo and Santiago ran similar campaigns, focusing on homelessness and housing affordability.
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Santiago emerged as the top earner in the primary and joined Biden in asking de León to resign from office. After terming out in the state Assembly, he hoped to continue his political career in LA.