Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de Leon is running for reelection despite a racism scandal that threatens to derail his political future.
De Leon was first elected to the city council in 2020 but became embroiled in a scandal last October, when a recording between him and then-council members Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo was released that included them using allegedly racist language against white, black, and Asian residents over redistricting.
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In announcing his reelection plans to Politico on Wednesday, the city councilman said his constituents had his back following the scandal and that is what motivates him to run.
“When a lot of people that I called my friends and allies turned away from me, my constituents had my back,” de Leon said. “I understood in a deeper way the relationship that I had with my community and how that motivates and drives me. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I’m running.”
The recording featured Martinez claiming that fellow Councilman Mike Bonin, who is white, used his child, who is black, as an "accessory," with de Leon chiming in to say it is like when Martinez "brings her Goyard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag." Another exchange on the tape featured de Leon claiming that "white folk will cut you in a heartbeat," among other remarks.
De Leon faced a failed recall effort and calls from various leaders, including President Joe Biden, to resign from office after the scandal, but the California Democrat thinks he could be elected to another term.
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The embattled councilman was seen as a Golden State Democrat on the rise before the scandal, serving in the state Assembly from 2006 to 2010 and the state Senate from 2010 to 2018. He also ran for Senate in 2018, receiving the California Democratic Party's endorsement and advancing to the general election, but lost to incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
The city council primary election is set for March 5, 2024, with the top two vote earners advancing to the general election on Nov. 5, 2024.