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Two years after the audio leak scandal rocked Los Angeles City Hall, voters finally have their say in this election. And tell them they did it.
Voters overwhelmingly supported charter changes aimed at curbing the political power of elected officials by creating an independent zoning commission and empowering the city’s Ethics Commission. Advocates have long been pushing for these reforms, but they were blocked by the city’s political leadership until the 2022 scandal. The bill passed with nearly 75% support as of Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, voters in City Council District 14 ousted City Councilman Kevin de Leon, who was caught on tape making deplorable racist remarks and refused to resign. Tenants’ rights lawyer and first-time candidate Isabel Jurado had a double-digit lead over the veteran politician in the final count.
This was an important election for Los Angeles, even if it was overshadowed by the presidential election. City voters passed Charter Amendment DD, which enacted independent redistricting, laying the groundwork for fairer and more representative elections. This means that city politicians can no longer draw their own district boundaries and effectively choose their own voters.
Leaked recordings show Mr. de Leon, two other city councilors and a labor leader trying to manipulate redistricting to preserve their power and weaken the power of their perceived enemies. It became clear that he was planning to do so. That was allowed under the city’s old zoning system.
Reform is long overdue. Independent redistricting commissions increase citizen participation, reduce gerrymandering, and elect districts that represent communities rather than the interests of individual politicians.
Voters also sent a message that they will hold their elected leaders accountable. De Leon was an active participant in the sordid conversation that sparked the scandal. He belittled his colleague’s black son as a prop he carried around like a Louis Vuitton handbag, suggested black people had too much political power, and made demeaning remarks about activists and voters.
After the recording was exposed, residents and fellow elected leaders called for de Leon to resign, recognizing how much his words had hurt Los Angeles. Instead, he stood his ground, hoping voters would forgive and forget. they didn’t.
Voters supported Charter Amendment ER, which strengthens the Ethics Commission despite a series of recent corruption scandals that have so far sent two local elected officials to prison. Going forward, the commission will be guaranteed a minimum budget and elected officials will not be denied funding for ethics enforcement. Another change would make it harder for city councils to strike down ethics reforms they don’t like. For example, the City Council has done so when asked to strengthen the city’s laws regulating lobbyists, which are difficult to enforce.
Community organizers and good government groups deserve a lot of credit for seeing these measures through. They continued to pressure City Hall to help change the system in the months and years after the scandal. We also recognize the work of elected leaders, including former Council President Paul Krekorian and Council Member Nitya Raman, who seized the opportunity to advance worthy reforms.
Of course, there is still much work to be done. The council ended up weakening the ethics reform proposal it presented to voters. The new Charter Reform Commission and its advocates should push for more substantive changes so that the Ethics Commission can serve as the watchdog that residents expect.
Advocates also urged city leaders to put on the ballot a proposal to expand the size of the City Council from 15 to 21 to 31 members. LA’s Congressional district is the largest in the nation by population. This city of 4 million people needs a larger council to better represent its residents and their diverse needs. But the council will defer that decision to the Charter Reform Commission, which will recommend additional charter changes for a vote in 2026.
The committee is still being established. Council President Marquise Harris-Dawson and Krekorian were appointed in September, and the executive director was elected a month earlier. Mayor Karen Bass must make the appointment before the next committee selection process can proceed.
Voters’ overwhelming support for charter reform shows that Angelenos support major reforms to fix City Hall. The 2026 election should give them that opportunity.
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