L.A. councilmember-elect Ysabel Jurado says she wants to create thriving commercial corridors

Ysabel Jurado is the latest political outsider to unseat a Los Angeles City councilmember. Jurado won the race for Council District 14 against embattled incumbent Kevin de León.

"It's an honor, a responsibility," Jurado said. "I'm continually in awe of what our team and the community was able to accomplish."

Jurado, who was born and raised in Highland Park, was a teen mother who went on to become an attorney with experience in immigration, wage theft, small business and tenants' rights. The activist and political outsider decided to run for office after incumbent de León's racist comments alongside other councilmembers became public in a leaked audio two years ago. Jurado described the tapes as the "final straw."

"I put my hat in the ring, and I ran on my values," she said.

Jurado led in the primary and now leads against de León, who has conceded, by roughly 11,000 votes.

"We did it through organizing. We did it through listening," Jurado said.

She credits the people who powered her campaign, particularly, women of color, "telling their neighbors or their prayer groups. I mean, my tita Lala and my tita Paz printed their own stuff out and just were handing it out."

Jurado also credits women like Alicia Perez, a decades-long Boyle Heights resident. Perez got involved through her son's work on the campaign. She relates to Jurado as a once single mother and expresses appreciation for her community-centered campaign. Better street lighting and clean streets were two concerns that Perez highlighted.

Among Jurado's priorities once she takes office is better public safety, starting with lighting.

"We want to light up CD 14. I mean, 40% of the lights downtown are all off," said Jurado, who also plans on holding listening tours and establishing a small business liaison. "Throughout the district, we want to make sure we have commercial corridors that are thriving so that people don't have to leave their neighborhood."

Jurado has faced questions and criticism over her position on law enforcement. "There are some parts of this district that do want more policing, right? And I'm responsive to that, but in the same breath, they also say that they don't want to be over-policed or racially profiled," she explained.

Jurado advocates for reallocating some funds from police to address root causes of crime through education, mental health, housing and job training programs. She also plans to promote housing models like those under Community Land Trusts.

Jurado will be joining a growing group of more progressive L.A. City Councilmembers. She will be the first woman and first openly queer person to represent the district that includes Boyle Heights, parts of northeast L.A.-- including her native Highland Park-- and downtown. Jurado will also be the first person of Filipino descent on the Los Angeles City Council.

"When it sinks in and when I'm in office, it'll be something that I'm like, 'How can I materially deliver for all of these communities that I'm a part of, right?'" she said.