Attorney Ysabel Jurado, 32, is running for the CD14 seat and it’s not a decision she takes lightly. “I’m running because I’m tired of these same career politicians using City Hall for their personal profit and career ambitions,” Jurado told Boyle Heights Beat.
Touted by her peers as the go-to progressive candidate, Jurado has received endorsements from the LA chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and the California Women’s List. CD1 Councilmember Eunissess Hernandez and LAUSD Board Member Dr. Rocio Rivas have also endorsed Jurado.
She has never held political office before but believes her expertise in assisting working-class communities of color makes her a viable contender.
Jurado graduated in 2019 from UCLA School of Law with a specialization in public interest and policy and critical race studies. Jurado has since then practiced law in Los Angeles as a tenant’s rights attorney. “All the ordinances are written by the city attorney and that’s language that I already know because of my training and everything I do [for a living],” she said.
As a Highland Park native, she is certain her background is an asset for understanding the needs of folks residing in the district. “Also in terms of my lived experiences and knowing people around here, I am in tune with what the people are saying on the ground,” Jurado said.
She has fond memories of growing up on the Eastside with her Filipino family. She attended lively family parties every weekend, walked with her grandma from school to her house, and participated in local recreational activities in Eagle Rock such as traditional Filipino dance. She and her daughter live in the house she grew up in alongside her family.
“That was my life. Doing Filipino dancing on the weekends, hanging out at Burger King, being at my grandma’s house, and then also trying to fit in with my Mexican classmates,” Jurado said.
These memories stuck with Jurado while her family faced the challenges many working-class, immigrant households contend with. “My experience being a daughter of undocumented immigrants, a single teen mom that got food stamps at the place which is now Wingstop and an art gallery— those are just examples of how this neighborhood has changed and what drove me to become an attorney for my community.”
Jurado believes that her combined experience of living on the Eastside plus representing clients in Boyle Heights and other parts of the district has helped her campaigning efforts. “A lot of my clients have been working class Latinos, whether I’m representing them against wage theft, or when I was representing them against evictions. Regarding outreach, we’re hiring Spanish speaking staff that already live in the district.”
When asked what issues she hopes to address if elected to office, Jurado focused heavily on her desire to alleviate housing insecurity and utilize land for affordable housing. A few goals she wants to achieve include increasing renter protection, creating resource hubs throughout the district for unhoused people with various needs, and building developments with community interest in mind.
“From these years of change [in Highland Park] I’ve developed this philosophy of “development without displacement”. So often I’ve seen people have to leave [the neighborhood],” Jurado said, “but there’s still working class people in this neighborhood and certain neighborhoods in the district like Boyle Heights who aren’t getting their needs met.”
Some other issues Jurado mentioned included dealing with crime in the district, government reform, and climate change. Jurado mentioned one possible solution for dealing with the constantly warming climate in Southern California. “With Climate change, there are some easy fixes that we can do now like driveway repavement so there’s spaces in between the concrete and do a rebate for that which could help us store water to weather droughts.”
She also elaborated on her thoughts regarding crime prevention and cited a more holistic approach to reimagining public safety. “We need to attack the root causes of crime and reinvest in our communities,” she said. “We need more unarmed crisis response to prevent killings in the Black and Brown community. Reimagining public safety just means reinvesting those funds and reallocating them to other initiatives that can help attack the root causes of crime, which is poverty.”
“From these years of change I’ve developed this philosophy of ‘development without displacement.’ So often I’ve seen people have to leave, but there’s still working class people in this neighborhood and certain neighborhoods in the district like Boyle Heights who aren’t getting their needs met.”
YSABEL JURADO
Jurado’s overall goal seems to be faithfully representing the district she grew up in and still resides so her daughter and other working class POCs can feel safe for decades to come.
“I know what it’s like to have a neighborhood that has been neglected, and now, all of a sudden, it’s hot and trending so we have more resources,” she said. “I really want to give the resources to these communities that have, from me walking on the streets and knocking on doors, said they haven’t been served the way they should be.”
BOYLE HEIGHTS BEAT CANDIDATES PROFILES
Here are the nine candidate profiles published so far, in alphabetical order:
Samir Bitar: ‘I see what’s not being done and I know how to do it’
With a background in museum management, the CD 14 hopeful says his top priority is bolstering the district’s civic arts profile, including creating more affordable housing for local artists and restoring historic sites
Wendy Carrillo: ‘We need a fighter… somebody that’s from here’
The Salvadoran immigrant and assemblymember hopes to bring change to Council District 14 – including Boyle Heights, the community where she grew up
Nadine Diaz: ‘I’m running again because the corruption hasn’t stopped’
Born and raised in Boyle Heights, the 61-year-old educator and healthcare professional looks to lead CD-14 from a health and social-worker perspective
Genny Guerrero: ‘I address what’s actually happening and bring solutions to it’
The El Sereno native and CD-14 hopeful talks about mobilizing voters for the March primary, better ways of handling the city’s housing crisis and her ideas for being ‘transparent and receptive’ as a councilmember
Teresa Y. Hillery: ‘I can be a bridge between communities’
The lawyer and public transportation advocate says she wants to empower neighborhood councils in CD-14, which she aims to represent
Ysabel Jurado: ‘I am in tune with what people are saying on the ground’
Touted as the go-to progressive among CD-14 candidates, the Highland Park attorney believes in ‘development without displacement,’ increasing renter protection and a more holistic approach to public safety
William ‘R’ Morrison: ‘It’s all about neighbors caring for neighbors’
A veteran of multiple political races, the conservative Republican vying for CD 14 is focused on homelessness and public safety as his campaign’s core issues
Nick Pacheco: ‘I have the experience; I’ve done it’
The former CD 14 councilmember is trying once again to recapture his seat, rallying for community involvement but relying mostly on past accomplishments
Eduardo ‘Lalo’ Vargas: ‘I have nothing to lose’
The youngest aspiring candidate to CD 14 –and only Socialist running– believes the city should do more for its working class, including affordable housing and free public transportation
Ysabel Jurado spent years working for Garcetti and never spoke out or made any significant changes. She’s actually part of the same corrupt system she now claims she wants to change.
Ysabel isn’t able to work with others who have different opinions and different stances. There is no way she will get her ideas passed without major modifications.
Ysabel hasn’t made any major inroads with Hispanic homeowners or tenants so KDL has nothing to worry about.
KDL will easily win again.