City Council Candidate Seeks A Working Relationship with School District
“I am the only major candidate in this race who has pledged to never take donations from the corporations, developers, and charter school investors that have controlled the City Council for decades.”- Cyndi Otteson
The FBI dropped a bomb onto CD14’s power base on November 7, 2018, when it raided the offices and home of long-time city councilman José Huizar. A week later, the Council President removed Huizar from his committee assignments, depriving him of both influence and access to fundraising. He became an “invisible man” and was a no-show at community events. In the weeks following the raids he was “absent for all or part of 60% of [city council] meetings.”
With Huizar’s fall from grace, his wife’s plans also disintegrated. Just two months before the raid, she had launched her campaign to take his place, and “was the instant overwhelming favorite” to win. However, that effort ended within weeks of the FBI’s visit to her home. The impending Huizar dynasty was over before it began. There is no shortage of candidates looking to take advantage of the power vacuum.
Of the 23 people who filed their intention to run, five collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot. With his campaign coffers flush with cash from real estate developers, it appears that Kevin De León is the candidate to beat in this race. Fresh off his loss to Dianne Feinstein he needs someplace to wait out the two years left until the mayor’s office becomes vacant. Huizar’s protege, Monica Garcia is two years away from being termed out as an LAUSD Board Member and could use the city council seat as a way to continue collecting a public salary. Cyndi Otteson has served as the vice-president of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council and is “running [a] grassroots campaign” for the seat. The field is rounded out by John Jimenez and Raquel Zomora.
In an effort to find out about their views on educational issues, all five CONTINUE READING: City Council Candidate Seeks A Working Relationship with School District
