by Elpidio R. Estioko
As Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month was celebrated last May, Ysabel Jurado’s campaign for Los Angeles City Council District 14 (CD-14) received a week-long celebration highlighting endorsements from prominent AAPI community leaders and elected officials.
During AAPI month, her campaign staff announced a series of AAPI Community Leaders and Elected Official Endorsements for her in honor of AAPI Heritage Month, with Jurado being a recognized AAPI community leader.
They acknowledged her presence in the community due to her active involvement in issues affecting her constituents.
Kicking off the commemorative week was the endorsement from the Asian Democrats of Los Angeles County (ADLAC), a steadfast advocate for AAPI representation and empowerment in the political landscape.
The ADLAC’s endorsement reaffirms the growing momentum behind Jurado’s candidacy and underscores the pivotal role of AAPI voices in shaping the future of Los Angeles.
ADLAC’s President Andrew Murphy said:
“LA City Council District 14 is home to many historic Asian American neighborhoods, and there is one clear choice who will best represent our Asian communities. Ysabel Jurado is a proven organizer, advocate, and community leader who will lead with integrity and reverse the backroom dealing, corrupt, racially insensitive politics of her opponent. The Asian Democrats of Los Angeles County (ADLAC) wholeheartedly endorse Ysabel Jurado. Ysabel is the right and only choice for Angelenos who care about diversity, community-centered policy, and honest leadership.”
Murphy’s testimony and his group’s endorsement are crucial and very significant in the quest for Jurado to be the first FilAm to be elected to the LA city council.
This is unprecedented, if I may say, for a neophyte politician in the district of LA.
This is not the only one because, in addition to ADLAC, Jurado has been endorsed by a coalition of Democratic clubs, including the Stonewall Democratic Club, the East Area Progressive Democrats, Democrats for Neighborhood Action, and the Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats, reflecting a groundswell of Democratic support for her vision and the clear choice for the Party.
“I am so excited to receive the endorsement and support of ADLAC. Their dedication to fostering equitable representation and advocating for justice aligns perfectly with the values driving our campaign,” said Ysabel Jurado.
“As we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, I feel more compelled than ever to build a truly inclusive democracy, and I’m honored to have ADLAC by my side in this fight.”
A lifelong resident of CD-14, Jurado brings both lived and professional experience to the race.
As an eviction defense attorney, single mother, and daughter of immigrants, she has lived through the challenges faced by many residents in the district.
Her platform centers on advocating for affordable housing, climate justice, workers’ rights, and creating a solidarity economy throughout Los Angeles.
In a crowded field of eight candidates, Jurado earned first place in the primary election, ahead of the incumbent council member who placed second. Recently, she earned the endorsement of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (LALCV).
“The Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (LALCV) announced its endorsement of Ysabel Jurado in the upcoming November 5 election for Los Angeles City Council District 14 (CD-14),” Jurado said.
“The endorsement comes just days after the campaign announced it had earned the support of progressive powerhouse organizations UAW6, SEIU/CIR, and the Working Families Party.”
LALCV is known for its vocal support for climate justice candidates in Los Angeles County.
So, they chose to endorse Jurado because of her strong commitment to environmental protection and advocacy, which is one of the main goals of their organization.
In their endorsement, LALCV President Shona Ganguly on the other hand said:
“Ysabel has made environmental protection an important part of her activist career and is exactly the type of candidate that LALCV seeks to support. As an attorney, Ysabel helped several local community land trusts protect open space and facilitated the transfer of private land to native tribes. As an LA City Council member, Ysabel will fight for environmental justice in the district and Citywide. The LALCV Board believes that Ysabel will be a leader on the council when it comes to protecting clean air and clean water and that she can energize her constituents to join her in those efforts.”
Jurado is committed to environmental concerns and sustainable initiatives, so the organization’s endorsement “underscored her commitment to environmental stewardship and her dedication to advancing sustainable initiatives within Los Angeles.”
All the while, they thought she was the right candidate for them… for the organization.
She continues to gather support from individuals and organizations dedicated to progressive change in Los Angeles.
The long list included Los Angeles District 1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez; Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia; 2022 mayoral candidate Gina Viola; LAUSD School Board member Rocio Rivas; LAUSD Board President Jackie Goldberg; the East Area Progressive Democrats, Culver City Mayor Emeritus Dr. Daniel Wayne Lee; Stonewall Democrats; LPAC; Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE); SEIU/CIR; UAW6; EAA; PALAD; Democratic Socialists of America – LA; and Ground Game LA.
The latter two grassroots organizations helped elect some of the city’s most progressive champions, including Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez.
Her campaign staff told me that more endorsements are to come as they are busy making appointments, not only with known professionals but also with small and big organizations in the district.
As I See It, it’s just a matter of time, come the November general election, for Jurado to realize her dream of becoming the first FilAm elected official in the LA City Council.
At the rate the campaign is going, she will surely emerge as the winner.
She is young and talented. She has the guts and the leadership to weather the storm in the campaign trail leading to her hard-earned victory in November.
Go for it, Ysabel!
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. He just published his book Unlocking the chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream which is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Xlibris Publishing. For feedbacks, comments… please email author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.
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