Kevin de León has conceded in the Los Angeles City Council race against tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado.

His concession Friday night came as Jurado continued to widen his early lead in Los Angeles City Council District 14, with nearly 13% more votes than De León, the incumbent. Jurado’s victory brings another progressive councilor to the table.

In a statement posted on social media, De León said he was “proud of the great work we have accomplished together and am grateful that our office will have a lasting impact on the community that will be seen for years to come.”

He congratulated Jurado for a “well-fought campaign.”

De León has represented the district since 2020 and hoped to secure his second term. He was one of three council members recorded in 2022 having a conversation tinged with racist comments that centered on using the city’s redistricting process to amass more power. Scandal has loomed over De León’s seat and campaign.

What the candidates said

At her election night event at Block Party, a bar in Highland Park, Jurado told LAist that she’s ready to get to work.

Yasabel Jurado waits outside the Arroyo Seco Regional Library in Los Angeles, before casting her vote on November 5, 2024.

“In the first hundred days, we’re going to start town halls because we want to know what voters really care about,” he said. “And sometimes, many times we find, even in this election campaign, that they have their own solutions to the problems that they face. And at the end of the day, they are the ones that are being affected the most.” affected by the policies I approved, therefore, work together and make co-governance a reality for them.

Jurado added that she did not expect the early results to be so positive and is relieved that the nearly two-year campaign journey is coming to an end.

“The result didn’t matter to me: what we built, what we did, was something noteworthy in itself,” he said. “So it feels like a cherry on top… to feel this.”

Meanwhile, at his Election Night event at San Antonio Winery, De León acknowledged his role in the leaked tape scandal.

“I was the owner and I apologized,” he said during a speech. “But I didn’t resign because the stakes were too high, and it was too much if our district didn’t have representation.”

Instead, De León said his team worked deeply to provide the services, programs and funding Council District 14 deserves.

“Even in the face of intense and unrelenting scrutiny and pressure, we did not flinch,” he said. “We stayed strong for our community.”

Did LAist help you vote? Member support made these voter guides possible.

Our election coverage is all about you: helping you understand the results of this election and its impact on our daily lives. And we don’t stop there, even after the results are in, there is a need for a source of trusted reporting that holds those in power accountable and sheds light on issues important to our communities.

Even after the last ballot is cast, LAist’s voting guides and reports are here for you. But we need to hear from you now with your support to know that this work we are doing is important.

We cannot do this essential work without your help. We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater, many newsrooms are facing cuts, including LAist. Member support, your support, is what will sustain a free press in Southern California.

LAist’s mission is to be here for you, so be here for us now by donating to power our trustworthy local reporting. Take a step forward right now and make the decision to give. Because that’s exactly what it is: a choice. It is a choice with consequences. If readers don’t decide to come forward and donate, the future of fact-based news in Southern California won’t be as strong.

No matter what happens in the world, LAist will continue to be a voice you know and trust.

Thank you for your generous support.

Sincerely,

Contribute now to fund your local journalism

Continue