Ysabel Jurado pulls ahead of Councilman Kevin de León in 14th District race

In a closely watched Los Angeles City Council race for the 14th District seat, embattled incumbent Kevin de León is coming in second to tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado.

De León initially had the lead in the March 5 election, with Miguel Santiago closely behind, but Wednesday results show Jurado in the lead with 7,965 votes and de León closely trailing with 7,647 votes. This is according to figures released by according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

The spotlight shined on the 14th District race as de León faced requests to step down from his seat after it was known that he was involved in the infamous racist audio recording.

The 2022 scandal captured de León and two former councilmembers using racially charged rhetoric, which rocked the city's political landscape.

After publicly apologizing, de León stepped away from council meetings and focused on his district.

There were many who urged him to step down, including President Joe Biden.

De León has some wins on his side. Since being elected in 2020 the councilmember boasts about his district's record of housing the most homeless in the city -- a hot-button issue for his constituents who live in and around Skid Row.

Jurado of Highland Park is ahead with 318 votes. She is an affordable housing activist seeking to prevent tenant evictions and she said she supports small businesses. She does not support Municipal Code 41.18, which bars homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools, day-care centers and other sensitive locations.

Votes will continue to be counted as they trickle in and the top two candidates will meet in a runoff in November, as no candidate is holding a majority of the votes.

The 14th District encompasses Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Downtown Los Angeles, El Sereno and Northeast Los Angeles.