The sad, desperate, Hispandering end of Kevin de León's
LA TimesHe preened, he hugged, he shook hands and hobnobbed with legends and politicians. Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León was in full campaign mode two days before Tuesday’s election, when voters would decide whether he deserved a second term. But what De León’s supporters don’t get is that the Latino Power strategy that long fueled Eastside politics is over — and their guy’s campaign proved it. Other mailers funded by political action committees touted De León as someone who wanted to “preserve Latino culture,” who was “a champion for our community” and “a symbol of this great generation of strong Latino leaders.” A text message from De León’s campaign included a grainy photo of Jurado and warned that “Forty years of Latino representation is threatened.” De León even earned an endorsement from beyond the grave from his council predecessor, Eastside political titan Richard Alatorre. A mailer featured a letter in Spanish from Alatorre’s widow, Angie, disclosing that Richard had supported De León’s campaign and stating, “We should ensure that Latino leadership continues being important.” None of this Hispandering worked.
History of this topic
Kevin de León refuses to resign. What happens to his constituents?
LA Times
Once seen as a trailblazer, Kevin de León tumbles after leaked racist tape
LA Times
Kevin de León, working to clear encampments, wages an escalating fight with activists
LA TimesDiscover Related
