Eight months before the primary elections to elect the two main contenders for mayor of Los Angeles in the November general elections, many are beginning to wonder which side Latinos will be on.
For the activist Francisco Moreno, the best candidate is Kevin De León, because “he is a race, he comes from the working class and he can speak to you for you, with full confidence.”
However, the political science professor at Los Angeles community colleges, Chamba Sánchez, dismisses it because he says that his political career has not yielded results. As the electoral campaigns advisor, Luis Alvarado says that De León’s weakness is that he lacks a lot of money for his campaign.
The list of candidates to govern the second most populous city in the country grows every day.
The only Latino who has launched the campaign is the Los Angeles councilor, Kevin De León, but months before he was anticipated to participate in the contest, the city attorney, Mike Feuer, and the councilman Joe Buscaino.
Also Jessica Lall who directs the Central City Association, the African-American businessman Mel Wilson of the San Fernando Valley and the most recent adhesion is that of California Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass.
The city attorney Feuer is Jewish; Councilor Buscaino is the son of Italian immigrants, and during 15 years was official Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Billionaire shopping mall mogul Rick Caruso prepares to run for mayor of Los Angeles. And the list of candidates could continue to rise.
Unofficially it is known that the two favorites of the Democratic party are Karen Bass and Kevin De León.
Born in Los Angeles, Bass of 67 years, she was a community organizer and aspires to be the first female mayor. She was the first African-American woman to be president of the California Assembly, and she has been a congresswoman for 6 terms.
Last year, Bass was considered on the list of candidates for vice president, but finally the decision fell to Kamala Harris. He was also highly likely to be appointed to the position Harris would vacate in the Senate. However, Governor Newsom ended up appointing former Secretary of State Alex Padilla as Senator.
De León, has in his record, having been leader of the California Senate. His mother was an immigrant from Guatemala and his father is of Chinese descent. It was formed by a single mother, who took it forward with her work cleaning houses.
However, a rumor has emerged that Bass brings the blessing from Washington; and therefore would have the support of the machinery of the Democratic party.
De León launched his campaign in the heart of Los Angeles, Plaza Dolores, accompanied by a large group of Latinos. Bass did it in South Los Angeles. Former mayor Antonio Villaraigosa surprised by publicly supporting him.
The incorporation of Villaraigosa has suggested a possible division among Latinos; and ask ourselves where the vote of the Latino community would lean.
The primary election is June 7, and the general election is the November 8, 2022. Democrats outnumber Republicans 3 to 1 in Los Angeles.
Analysis and reactions
The Professor of Political Science of the Community Colleges, Chamba Sánchez, said that Latinos are too busy working and struggling to survive in this city and do not have time to engage politically.
Therefore, he pointed out that candidates must be innovative enough to spark enthusiasm in our communities.
“ We have voted, marched, and we still do not see policies that change our communities for the better ”.
He said that most of the politicians running for mayor have had political positions and have been part of the problem.
“ Other Latinos who are paying attention to this mayoral race, we would like to see a new voice and vision. We are tired of common places and being underestimated. ”
What is more, he dared to say that Latinos have matured a little more and they will not only vote for the Latino boy.
“De León was the Senate Majority Leader in the State Senate, but he didn’t do much for the communities he represented here in Los Angeles” .
He criticized that everyone plays in their campaigns with their humble origins: “I am one of you. I have suffered a lot. It may be true, but they have been part of the ruling class in recent decades and have not done much for the communities they claim to have emerged from. ”
From his point of view, Villaraigosa’s influence has faded, and is irrelevant to this mayoral campaign.
As for Karen Bass, she said she is a lovely lady, and was a force in her community as an activist. But then she was elected to the Assembly, became president, went to Congress and has not done much.
“Also, it does not offer a new vision, at least not now.”
He indicated that some of the candidates who are running are not material to be mayor.
“These candidates never crossed the threshold to be strong leaders. De León is one of them, “he considered.
” At this moment, I don’t see any candidate who can enthuse Latinos. It would be great to see one of us in these offices, but we also need them to solve the problems of our communities. ”
Lastly, he said that billionaire Caruso is still thinking about running as a candidate in the mayoral election and could arouse interest in this race.
“He’s ruthless and has a lot of $$$.”
The best candidate
The activist Francisco Moreno said that people like Caruso want to be mayor because they know that the Los Angeles mayor’s office is a very strong position at the national level, but above all it has great economic potential that he could take advantage of for his businesses .
Contrary to what Professor Sánchez thinks, Moreno believes that the best candidate is Kevin De León. “It is still race. They are working class people. He would understand us better. He speaks our language. ”
And although he emphasized that perhaps at the local level, it may be that we saw many results as a senator, he and former senator Ricardo Lara are owed the AB law 60 which authorizes driver’s licenses for the undocumented.
“That law was already dead, and they rescued it and managed to take it to a vote. That is a great achievement for Kevin for our immigrant community. ”
Regarding Bass, she indicated that she is not known by the Latino community.
“Not even I knew her because she has never been involved in our struggles.”
And as for Villaraigosa, she stated that it is no longer a factor of weight that help win an election.
“He left through the back door when his term as mayor ended. And now he is a businessman. ”
Regarding the rest of the candidates, he said that the only thing they will do is subtract votes and spend the money they have to spare for their campaigns.
It’s too early
Political campaign consultant Luis Alvarado said it is too early to anticipate the role of Latinos in the mayoral campaign in the 2022.
“We would have to wait until January to see some indicators of a possible division of Latinos between Karen Bass and Kevin De León.”
In his opinion, Bass is very capable and intelligent and has the ability to work with different groups, and he comes with strength. But you need Latinos, and attracting a character like Villaraigosa is not enough. “It shows that you do not know the Latino community well because Villaraigosa is already out of the game.”
But then there are candidates like Councilor Joe Buscaino who have a lot of money to campaign, and like so many other candidates , it is only going to divide the votes, said Alvarado.
About De León, the analyst, observed that he is a strong candidate that of all, he brings the best understanding of the Latino community, but his weakness is that he lacks a lot of money for his campaign.
“Even more important than money, is that it shows that they have the capacity and leadership to convince the Jewish, African-American and Asian communities to work with it.”