This Fil-Am political newbie shakes up LA primary race at No. 3
Photo from ysabeljuradola/Instagram
With big dreams for change but little experience in politics, Filipino American lawyer Isabel Jurado has now imprinted her name in the political landscape of Los Angeles.
Outranking veteran politicians, Jurado has claimed the no. 3 spot in primary balloting with City Councilman Kevin de León still leading the pack for District 14’s City Council seat.
Despite his fallout from a City Hall racism scandal in 2022, his efforts at rebuilding his image seem to be bearing fruit. With the public uproar and calls for his resignation even from President Biden himself, his apology and community engagement resonated with voters — propelling him as the frontrunner with 29 percent of the votes.
Next to de León, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago snagged 22.42 percent, followed closely by Jurado at 18.92 percent and Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo at 15.38 percent.
Lawyer Teresa Hillery (5.26%), community advocate Genny Guerrero (3.91%), LAUSD teacher Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas (3.64%) and health professional Nadine Diaz (2.79%) trailed the top four vote-getters.
District 14 encompasses Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Downtown L.A., El Sereno and Northeast L.A.
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A Fil-Am tenant rights lawyer with no experience serving in elective office, Jurado is a fresh face in LA politics. Focused on resolving District 14’s critical issues, her platform extends beyond traditional politics.
She is a single mom advocating for affordable housing, with a campaign built on supporting the community and small businesses, and curbing house evictions.
She supports project labor agreements, community benefit agreements, city contracts with the right to collectively bargain, expansion of worker funds, no outsourcing jobs to private companies, protecting undocumented workers and helping formerly incarcerated workers find and maintain employment.
Jurado has also come out against the city’s anti-camping laws and is critical of increasing funding for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Articulating her promise in a recent Instagram post, Jurado shared that if she wins, “I would be the first Filipinx-American and woman to hold this seat…bringing both institutional and professional knowledge…and the lived experience of a queer, immigrant-raised, working-class, woman of color.”
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Meanwhile, incumbent Imelda Padilla took a big early lead in her bid to win a full four-year term on the Los Angeles City Council from District 6.
In early results Tuesday, Padilla was leading with 79.9 percent of the vote compared to 10.8 percent for Fil-Am real estate broker Ely De La Cruz Ayao and 9.3 percent for respiratory care practitioner Carmenlina Minasova.
The northeast San Fernando Valley district encompasses Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hollywood, North Hills, Panorama City, Van Nuys and Sun Valley.
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