Kevin de León, a Los Angeles City Council member who faced calls for resignation after his involvement in a racially charged recorded conversation that led to the resignation of former Council President Nury Martinez, announced on Wednesday that he intends to seek reelection in 2024.
In an interview with Politico, De León expressed confidence in his support among his constituency, stating, “When many of my friends and allies turned away from me, my constituents stood by me. I came to understand the deep relationship I have with my community, and that drives me to continue serving. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I’m running.”
Assembly members Wendy Carrillo and Miguel Santiago, both well-known local politicians, have already announced their bids for the seat.
“Enough is enough. People are hurting. Kevin de León’s participation in the racist tapes scandal was so extreme that everyone, from local constituents to President Joe Biden, demanded his resignation,” stated Santiago in a Wednesday morning press release. “Council member de León should not be announcing his re-election today; he should be announcing his resignation.”
Santiago also criticized de León for failing his district, pointing to increased homelessness and evictions in the 14th District and labeling city services there as “abysmal.”
In an interview with City News Service in June, Carrillo mentioned the “circumstances and situation around the leaked audio recordings” as one of the reasons she decided to run for the council seat. She referred to the corruption scandal involving Jose Huizar, the former council representative of the 14th District, and stated that CD 14 has not been proactive in finding solutions. Carrillo also highlighted that the district is at the center of the homelessness crisis in the country.
The leaked audio recording, which surfaced almost a year ago, revealed discussions between Martinez, de León, then-Councilman Gil Cedillo, and L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera regarding how to protect their districts and increase Latino representation on the council. They expressed frustration with the proposed city redistricting maps and strategized ways to create favorable districts for themselves while disadvantaging other council members.
Since then, Martinez resigned, Cedillo lost his reelection bid against Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, and Herrera stepped down from his position.
De León previously acknowledged that the conversation was “wholly inappropriate” and expressed regret for seeming to condone insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private.
The leaked audio led to intense criticism and weeks of protests at City Hall, with Angelenos from across the city calling for de León’s resignation, including numerous elected officials.
During a briefing on October 11, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “The language that was used and tolerated during that conversation was unacceptable. It was appalling. They should all step down.” She added that President Biden was pleased to see one participant in the conversation had resigned but believed they all should have done so.
Despite the continued calls for his resignation, de León has remained in office but has been stripped of major committee assignments and largely isolated by his council colleagues.
An attempted recall of de León in April failed due to a lack of signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Regarding the failed recall attempt, de León stated, “Through thick and thin, our community remains focused on important battles such as homelessness, supporting local businesses, and protecting working families.”
Despite losing his committee assignments, de León has continued to lead presentations honoring key figures and cultural events and has successfully passed motions with the help of a few supportive colleagues.
The 14th District encompasses Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, downtown LA, El Sereno, and parts of Northeast LA.
The primary election for the council seat will take place in March. If no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held in November.
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