Kevin de León

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Kevin de León
Image of Kevin de León

Candidate, Los Angeles City Council District 14

Los Angeles City Council District 14
Tenure

2020 - Present

Term ends

2024

Years in position

4

Prior offices
California State Assembly

California State Senate District 24

Elections and appointments
Last elected

March 3, 2020

Last election

November 5, 2024

Appointed

October 13, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Santa Barbara

Personal
Birthplace
Los Angeles, Calif.
Contact

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Kevin de León is a member of the Los Angeles City Council in California, representing District 14. He assumed office on October 15, 2020. His current term ends on December 9, 2024.

De León ran for re-election to the Los Angeles City Council to represent District 14 in California. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Email [email protected] to notify us of updates to this biography.

De León's professional experience includes working as a senior associate with the National Education Association and working for the One Stop Immigration & Educational Center.

He joined the Alliance for a Better California and the California Teachers Association as a member.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: City elections in Los Angeles, California (2024)

General election

General election for Los Angeles City Council District 14

Incumbent Kevin de León and Ysabel J. Jurado ran in the general election for Los Angeles City Council District 14 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Kevin de León
Kevin de León (Nonpartisan)
Image of Ysabel J. Jurado
Ysabel J. Jurado (Nonpartisan)

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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Los Angeles City Council District 14

The following candidates ran in the primary for Los Angeles City Council District 14 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ysabel J. Jurado
Ysabel J. Jurado (Nonpartisan)
 
24.5
 
8,618
Image of Kevin de León
Kevin de León (Nonpartisan)
 
23.4
 
8,220
Image of Miguel Santiago
Miguel Santiago (Nonpartisan)
 
21.3
 
7,470
Image of Wendy Carrillo
Wendy Carrillo (Nonpartisan)
 
15.1
 
5,321
Image of Eduardo Vargas
Eduardo Vargas (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
4.7
 
1,638
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Teresa Y. Hillery (Nonpartisan)
 
4.3
 
1,519
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Genny Guerrero (Nonpartisan)
 
4.1
 
1,457
Image of Nadine M. Diaz
Nadine M. Diaz (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
2.6
 
904

Total votes: 35,147
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for de León in this election.

2022

See also: Mayoral election in Los Angeles, California (2022)

General election

General election for Mayor of Los Angeles

Karen Bass defeated Rick J. Caruso in the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karen Bass
Karen Bass (Nonpartisan)
 
54.8
 
509,944
Image of Rick J. Caruso
Rick J. Caruso (Nonpartisan)
 
45.2
 
420,030

Total votes: 929,974
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Los Angeles

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Los Angeles on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Karen Bass
Karen Bass (Nonpartisan)
 
43.1
 
278,511
Image of Rick J. Caruso
Rick J. Caruso (Nonpartisan)
 
36.0
 
232,490
Image of Kevin de León
Kevin de León (Nonpartisan)
 
7.8
 
50,372
Image of Gina Viola
Gina Viola (Nonpartisan)
 
6.9
 
44,341
Image of Mike Feuer
Mike Feuer (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
1.9
 
12,087
Image of Andrew Kim
Andrew Kim (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
1.5
 
9,405
Image of Alex Gruenenfelder
Alex Gruenenfelder (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
6,153
Image of Joe Buscaino
Joe Buscaino (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
0.7
 
4,485
Image of Craig E. Greiwe
Craig E. Greiwe (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
2,439
Image of Mel Wilson
Mel Wilson (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
2,336
Image of Ramit Varma
Ramit Varma (Nonpartisan)
 
0.3
 
1,916
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
John Jackson (Nonpartisan)
 
0.2
 
1,511

Total votes: 646,046
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: City elections in Los Angeles, California (2020)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Los Angeles City Council District 14

Kevin de León won election outright against Cyndi Otteson, Raquel Zamora, Mónica García, and John Jimenez in the primary for Los Angeles City Council District 14 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kevin de León
Kevin de León (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
52.6
 
25,083
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Cyndi Otteson (Nonpartisan)
 
19.5
 
9,294
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Raquel Zamora (Nonpartisan)
 
13.6
 
6,483
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Mónica García (Nonpartisan)
 
11.0
 
5,222
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
John Jimenez (Nonpartisan)
 
3.3
 
1,595

Total votes: 47,677
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

A complete list of de León's endorsements can be found on his campaign website here.

2018

See also: United States Senate election in California, 2018
See also: United States Senate election in California (June 5, 2018 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate California

Incumbent Dianne Feinstein defeated Kevin de León in the general election for U.S. Senate California on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein (D) Candidate Connection
 
54.2
 
6,019,422
Image of Kevin de León
Kevin de León (D)
 
45.8
 
5,093,942

Total votes: 11,113,364
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate California

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. Senate California on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein (D) Candidate Connection
 
44.2
 
2,947,035
Image of Kevin de León
Kevin de León (D)
 
12.1
 
805,446
Image of James P. Bradley
James P. Bradley (R)
 
8.3
 
556,252
Image of Arun Bhumitra
Arun Bhumitra (R)
 
5.3
 
350,815
Image of Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor (R)
 
4.9
 
323,533
Image of Erin Cruz
Erin Cruz (R)
 
4.0
 
267,494
Image of Tom Palzer
Tom Palzer (R) Candidate Connection
 
3.1
 
205,183
Image of Alison Hartson
Alison Hartson (D)
 
2.2
 
147,061
Image of Roque De La Fuente
Roque De La Fuente (R)
 
2.0
 
135,278
Image of Pat Harris
Pat Harris (D)
 
1.9
 
126,947
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
John Crew (R)
 
1.4
 
93,806
Image of Patrick Little
Patrick Little (R)
 
1.3
 
89,867
Image of Kevin Mottus
Kevin Mottus (R)
 
1.3
 
87,646
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jerry Laws (R)
 
1.0
 
67,140
Image of Derrick Michael Reid
Derrick Michael Reid (L)
 
0.9
 
59,999
Image of Adrienne Nicole Edwards
Adrienne Nicole Edwards (D)
 
0.8
 
56,172
Image of Douglas Howard Pierce
Douglas Howard Pierce (D)
 
0.6
 
42,671
Image of Mario Nabliba
Mario Nabliba (R)
 
0.6
 
39,209
Image of David Hildebrand
David Hildebrand (D)
 
0.5
 
30,305
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Donnie Turner (D)
 
0.5
 
30,101
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Herbert Peters (D)
 
0.4
 
27,468
Image of David Moore
David Moore (Independent)
 
0.4
 
24,614
Image of Ling Shi
Ling Shi (Independent)
 
0.4
 
23,506
Image of John Parker
John Parker (Peace and Freedom Party)
 
0.3
 
22,825
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Lee Olson (Independent)
 
0.3
 
20,393
Image of Gerald Plummer
Gerald Plummer (D)
 
0.3
 
18,234
Image of Jason Hanania
Jason Hanania (Independent)
 
0.3
 
18,171
Image of Don Grundmann
Don Grundmann (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
15,125
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Colleen Shea Fernald (Independent)
 
0.2
 
13,536
Image of Rash Bihari Ghosh
Rash Bihari Ghosh (Independent)
 
0.2
 
12,557
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Tim Gildersleeve (Independent)
 
0.1
 
8,482
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Michael Fahmy Girgis (Independent)
 
0.0
 
2,986

Total votes: 6,669,857
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2014

See also: California State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 7, 2014. Incumbent Kevin De Leon (D) and Peter Choi (D) defeated William "Rodriguez" Morrison (D) in the blanket primary. De Leon defeated Choi in the general election.[2][3][4]

California State Senate, District 24, General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngKevin De Leon Incumbent 65.8% 57,412
     Democratic Peter Choi 34.2% 29,848
Total Votes 87,260

2010

See also: California State Senate elections, 2010

De León was eligible but did not seek re-election in 2010. He instead sought election to the district 22 seat of the California State Senate. De León defeated Alejandro Menchaca and Edward Paul Reyes in the June 8 primary. He then won unopposed in the November 2 general election.[5][6]

California State Senate, District 22 Democratic Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Kevin de León (D) 18,743
Edward Paul Reyes (D) 3,757
Alejandro Menchaca (D) 3,727
David Rosas (D) 5,775

2008

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2008

In 2008, de León was re-elected to the California State Assembly District 45. De León (D) finished with 70,869 votes while his opponent Philip Alexander (R) finished with 15,506 votes.[7]

California State Assembly District 45
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Kevin de León (D) 70,869
Philip Alexander (R) 15,506

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Kevin de León did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

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2022

Kevin de León did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

De León's campaign website stated the following:

HOMELESS ACTION PLAN

On any given night in Los Angeles, more than 41,000 people go to sleep without a place to call home. Single mothers and fathers, veterans and the working poor, those with medical needs and others who just need a second chance; their struggles are an indictment of our tattered social safety net and a bureaucracy that has paralyzed itself into inaction.

For several years in my early twenties, I was homeless. I lived in my car, relied on the kindness of friends for a place to stay, and even spent two years sleeping on the floor of an office building where I worked.

Like so many Angelenos today – I had a job; I just couldn’t afford to pay the rent. It’s that experience that drives me to act with urgency, where others have preferred to triangulate, study, and poll-test the best way out of our city’s homelessness crisis.

That’s why I moved so quickly to create more homeless housing opportunities in the last year than anyone else in the City. All told, I have created over 1,600 units of emergency housing since being sworn into City Council – and we’re not done yet. In fact, just 10 months into my term, the City Council unanimously adopted my “25×25” plan– 25,000 units by the year 2025 – in order to help house those who are experiencing homelessness.

Anyone can make big promises about solving homelessness, but the difference is: I’m already doing something about it.

As Mayor, I will take this same action-based approach and hit the ground running to get our fellow Angelenos off the street and into housing, and to get them the help they need.

Problem: Not enough housing options to lift struggling Angelenos into housing

Solution: Build emergency units at the scale this emergency demands

  • 25 x 25
    • Councilmember de León’s plan to create 25,000 units by 2025 was unanimously passed by the City Council. This program will scale up the production of emergency housing quickly, and includes permanent supportive housing – which is what’s needed to provide our unhoused neighbors a fair shot at the life they deserve. It also requires the City to utilize creative housing solutions like adaptive reuse, tiny home shelters, and master leasing to put a roof over peoples’ heads quickly.
  • Implement Councilmember de Leon's newly adopted motion to streamline the development of emergency housing
    • This will reduce building costs and speed up production of units by requiring departments to respond to developers within 15 days of receiving plans for review.
  • Identify more land to build on
    • Overhaul the process for identifying usable properties that could be transformed into interim shelter and permanent supportive housing.

Problem: Too many who are still housed are in danger of losing their home

Solution: Focus on homelessness prevention— not just services for those already experiencing homelessness

  • Mandate affordable housing in every new project across the city
    • For too long, the city has allowed developers to buy their way out of creating affordable housing by paying in-lieu fees. Instead, Mayor de León will require the inclusion of affordable housing in new projects; and incentivize further development by upzoning commercial corridors and expanding adaptive reuse.
  • Reinforce the Tenants’ Anti-Harassment Ordinance
    • This is a newly created program that gives tenants a baseline of protection from predatory landlords. Critically, Mayor de León will implement the ordinance prior to the end of the eviction moratorium.
  • Enforce a tenant’s right to counsel
    • Approximately 90% of tenants facing eviction lack access to counsel, yet the right to counsel is one of the most cost-effective ways to keep people in their homes.
  • Fight for the resources our city needs to overcome this challenge
    • This means creating a team – directly accountable to Mayor de León – that will lead negotiations with Sacramento and Washington D.C. for resources to deal with homelessness and mental health – from increasing the value of Section 8 vouchers to funding for wraparound services. This is a generational fight for the soul of our City, and we have to marshall all available resources.
  • Expand and streamline FamilySource and WorkSource Centers
    • The city currently has entities to provide job assistance or help with receiving critical resources for those in need. This needs to be expanded throughout the city by doubling the amount of FamilySource Centers and WorkSource Centers

Problem: Lack of mental health and addiction services

Solution: Create a Los Angeles Department of Public and Mental Health to create accountability and capacity

  • Create the Los Angeles City Department of Public and Mental Health
    • For the second largest city in the nation, our existing bureaucracy – splintered between the city and county governments – has become a life-threatening hurdle to progress. Councilmember de León has already introduced a motion to create our own public health services under a new, central entity, giving the city a mechanism to draw down resources from the state and federal government to more efficiently provide mental health and substance abuse recovery services to our unhoused Angelenos.
  • Broaden ability to access support during a mental health crisis
    • A person shouldn’t have to be a danger to themselves or others to get the support they need. We will also lead the State to make it easier for families and loved ones to provide much-needed help for those truly too incapacitated to accept it.

MAKING L.A. AFFORDABLE

When the average cost of a rental in Los Angeles is $2,500 per month, and the average price of a home is just shy of $1,000,000 – if you’re not super-wealthy, you’re super out-of-luck.

As Mayor, I will be a champion for working people, making sure that everyone pays their fair share, including corporations and the super wealthy, so that the working families and small businesses who make this city go can thrive. And here’s why:

I know firsthand what it feels like to live on the margins. Growing up, there were many months when my mother – who often worked more than one job just to make ends meet – didn’t have the money to pay the rent. When the landlord would come knocking on our door, she would raise a finger to her lips, and in a hushed voice she would say, “Shh, callense! No digan nada!” “Shh, be quiet. Don’t say anything.”

In my early twenties, I spent years living out of my car, relying on the kindness of friends for a place to stay, even sleeping on the floor of an office where I worked. I had a job – I just couldn’t afford to put a roof over my own head.

Since then, it’s only gotten worse for so many Angelenos. Most people in Los Angeles spend more than half their take-home pay on rent, if they are lucky to find a place they can afford at all.

This is not the Los Angeles that we all want. Whether you’re a teacher, a firefighter, a carpenter, a street vendor or a small business owner, you deserve to have a liveable, affordable Los Angeles. As Mayor, I will be a champion for working people – enacting my plan to put this city to work for all Angelenos by addressing inequality, and making sure everyone who lives in this city has access to affordable housing.

From containing rising rents, the cost of paying the monthly bills, and housing costs to helping small businesses recover from the pandemic, we’re looking at innovative ways to make this city work better for you.

Problem: Housing feels out-of-reach for too many people

Solution: Downpayment support for first-time homebuyers; mandate affordable housing in every new project

  • Give first time homebuyers down-payment support
    • Expanding homeownership isn’t just good for the homebuyer— it’s good for communities. It allows people to build equity and generational wealth, the type of wealth that builds financial security for families. The City of Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) has a First Time Homebuyers Fund, but it is massively depleted and helps only a handful of people every year. Kevin will supercharge this fund, making the dream of owning a home a reality for more working Angelenos, and leveling the playing field. Most importantly, this fund only pays off loans for people who stay in their homes for years, not speculators trying to make a quick profit.
  • Don’t let developers play by different rules
    • For too long, developers have bought their way out of providing affordable units. By abusing exemptions, wealthy developers have been able to continue building expensive luxury units which sit vacant while working Angelos have to move to other cities to find a home. That’s why Kevin will mandate every new project approved contains various levels of affordable housing. In the Downtown Plan Update in Kevin’s district, he committed to requiring mandatory affordable housing onsite in every new project– and he will do the same for the rest of the City.
  • Upzone commercial corridors
    • Our city has hundreds of commercial buildings whose heights have been kept artificially low through zoning. This type of “downzoning” by previous City Councils has blocked off prime, usable space for affordable housing and forced us to build “out” instead of up. By upzoning commercial corridors, we can– in conjunction with Kevin’s affordable housing mandate- add density and height in the areas that need it most, creating thousands of new units to replenish our affordable housing stock and give more people a chance to call LA home.

Problem: The cost of living in Los Angeles is too high

Solution: Help people earn higher wages, and encourage small business growth

  • Reward small businesses who pay workers a higher wage
    • Small businesses have already been devastated by the COVID 19 pandemic– and so have workers. As President of the California State Senate, Kevin led the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. But as costs have increased, we need to make sure that the most vulnerable workers have some support – as well as the businesses who employ them. That’s why Kevin will cut fees and taxes for businesses who pay their employees a higher wage. Kevin will also, as he has his entire career, work towards increased unionization so that workers have the protections they deserve. Businesses will see a better bottom line as a result of supporting workers, and those workers will help move our economy forward. By helping businesses do the right thing and helping workers have more money to put back into our City, Kevin will unleash the power of small businesses to boost our economic recovery.
  • Lower Taxes on Small Business, Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share
    • Los Angeles currently utilizes a gross receipts tax on businesses, and Kevin knows how hard this can be for small to medium sized operations. That’s why he has proposed a tiered gross receipts tax to lessen the burden on smaller businesses. The smaller the business, the smaller the percentage of tax they would pay. Small businesses are the beating heart of L.A.’s economy, which is why under Kevin’s leadership small businesses will have an ally in City Hall.
  • Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
    • Public transportation should be safe, affordable, and integrated into our communities – without displacing Angelenos. Creating density around transit corridors means that not only can residents live near public transportation, but businesses in these areas have constant foot traffic. Commercial corridors will be built around transit lines to create an organic relationship between public transportation riders and shops along the route. Kevin wants to make sure that as we build out our public transportation infrastructure, we are planning routes and development together to move people around the City efficiently while giving local businesses a boost.

Problem: Shrinking pathway to the middle class

Solution: Create jobs, free up capital for LA’s small businesses and entrepreneurs

  • Make Los Angeles a Green Jobs hub
    • Kevin has a long track record on fighting climate change and is the author of some of the most consequential state greenhouse gas targets in the nation, which is why he understands how essential green industries are for our city to move into the future. From solar panel installation, to permeable pavers, to weatherizing houses, green industries can provide good, union jobs that provide a pathway to the middle class. Currently, Los Angeles has a 4 mile Green Corridor in downtown to serve as home to the CleanTech which will drive the City’s future economy. Kevin will expand this area and work with both industry groups and trade unions to attract these CleanTech businesses to our city. Finally, Kevin will create a pipeline of vocational schooling and apprenticeships with local unions to make sure the best in these new fields come from Los Angeles, and he will require Labor Peace Agreements so that workers and employers have clearly outlined rights and benefits.
  • Create a Public Bank of Los Angeles
    • California law allows for cities to operate public banks. A City Bank of Los Angeles– the first of its kind in the nation– would allow for micro-loans to small businesses, and give a chance for those who cannot be underwritten in typical banks, like green card holders, the chance to access capital. A public bank can offer much lower interest rates and has much more discretion in how they assign loans. This is an idea which already has support on the Los Angeles City Council, and amongst progressive leaders like Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Assemblymember Miguel Santiago. Kevin knows that this could level out the playing field for many small businesses, which is why he wants to make it a reality and give small businesses the boost that they need to help grow our economy.

PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN

Where I grew up, witnessing crime was a part of everyday life. The Mayor’s most important job is to keep Angelenos safe and to ensure that they’re treated with dignity and respect. Every Angeleno has the right to be safe. As Mayor, I will make sure criminals are held accountable. Public safety is more than just putting more cops on the beat– it’s about working to prevent crime before it happens.

Public safety is a complex issue that requires informed, thoughtful, and realistic solutions. Scare tactics and outlandish promises might grab headlines, but they don’t make a city safer. My plan centers around adding resources in targeted ways to address our actual public safety needs and rethinking how we approach policing. It calls for reforming our culture of policing, getting illegal guns off the streets, and using proven approaches to stop crime before it starts.

Reforming policing does not mean letting criminals off the hook. The truth is – most neighborhoods still want good, highly trained police officers to respond when we call 9-1-1, but we can have that and make significant investments in services for neighborhoods beyond policing in a more comprehensive approach to public safety.

Problem: Police are stretched too thin

Solution: Use the right tool for the job

  • Hire Mental Health Professionals
    • Sworn officers are being called on to act as social workers and mental health professionals, especially in their dealings with the unhoused. This takes precious shift hours away from the work that they have trained to do: protecting the public. Kevin understands this, which is why he is proposing hiring mental health professionals (who would be civilians) through the newly formed Los Angeles Department of Public and Mental Health to integrate into each of the 21 divisions of LAPD. With teams of two mental health professionals handling 8-hour shifts, we can provide better service to those in mental health crisis, and free up officers to do what they were trained for.
  • Better Utilize our Resources
    • LAPD Reserve officers receive the same training as active duty LAPD; indeed, many of them are retired sworn officers. These reserves offer a tremendous service to our City, but they go underutilized. Kevin will work with the LAPD Reserve Program to increase recruitment of the Reserve Corps, and he will deploy them more readily for increased visibility as a crime deterrent

Problem: Crime is on the rise

Solution: Fix the causes, not just the symptoms of crime

  • Aggressively confiscate illegal firearms and prosecute violators
  • Kevin understands that it is not enough to create strict licensing for legal guns; we have to go after the illegal, unregistered guns which are overwhelmingly used in crime. That’s why he took on the NRA and gun makers to write the strongest package of gun control laws in California’s history. Kevin will create an Illegal Gun Strike Team and instruct our police and our prosecutors to use the full array of tools provided by these laws to hold criminals accountable and take ghost guns off our streets.
  • Keeping guns away from domestic abusers
    • Kevin will work with our LAPD and the City Attorney’s office to make sure that through our Red Flag Laws, domestic abusers are kept far away from guns. The effects of spousal or domestic abuse reach far beyond the four walls of a home– they hurt our whole society. It’s time to take away deadly weapons from those who would use them to hurt those closest to them.
  • Get to the root of smash and grab
    • This current rash of smash and grab and follow home robberies are clearly part of larger national organized theft rings. By treating them as such, we have much better options for prosecuting the perpetrators. As Mayor, Kevin will not only work closely with LAPD to catch the “ground soldiers” who are carrying out the actual crimes, but he will work with Attorney General Bonta to go after the criminals who are actually at the top of these rings. It is also important to go after the platforms which these organized groups are using to sell these stolen goods online. Many groups are large, mainstream sites like Amazon, where their online stores face little to no scrutiny, to move their goods. By working with the AG’s office to ensure more scrutiny on the part of e-commerce sites, we can eliminate avenues for these groups to actually re-sell their stolen property.

Problem: Making LAPD more accountable

Solution: Reform the fundamentals

  • Change starts from the first day in training
    • Kevin will work with LAPD leadership to instill values of respect for all citizens starting at the Academy. He will also make sure that senior officers are not holding on to practices– either official or unofficial– that don’t bring LAPD’s policing in line with Los Angeles values.
  • Reducing police shootings
    • While the numbers of officer involved shootings have gone down in the last year, 2021 still saw 43 Angelenos killed by police. Of those killed, a shocking 53% were Latino, and 24% were African American, despite being only 8% of the population. This has to change. By creating alternative response teams headed by mental health professionals who can de-escalate situations, we can decrease the number of preventable deaths while simultaneously keeping officers safer.
  • Replenish the ranks of 9-1-1 dispatchers
    • As more 911 dispatchers leave the ranks of the profession, wait times become longer, and Angelenos in need suffer. The state of California mandates that 95% of 911 calls are answered within 15 seconds, but LAPD officials state that oftentimes we fall short of that by up to 30%. As Mayor, Kevin will hire more 911 dispatchers to ensure that emergency calls are answered quickly and Angelenos can get the help they need.

Transportation Plan

Transportation helped define our city. From a car culture known the world over, to the first freeway in America (the Arroyo Seco Parkway), to traffic that has become iconic in its own right, as well as our famous lack of public transit, how we get around the city is a defining part of who we are as Angelenos. But transportation is so much more than how we travel between two points. Transportation is an issue of economic equity and environmental justice. It’s how we work and how we join communities.

I am working towards making a more connected Los Angeles– especially to our communities of color and in the San Fernando Valley– and making public transportation cheaper, cleaner, and safer. One of the easiest ways to green our city is to allow more people to ride public transit, but that means making public transit better. It means more stops in the place people live and work, it means cutting costs for riders, and making our fleet all electric. I’m putting forward a transportation plan that puts the needs of working Angelenos at its center.

Problem: Many cannot afford the extra cost of public transportation

Solution: Subsidizes fares for youth and seniors

  • We cannot ask more Angelenos to use public transportation if it is not safe, clean, and affordable. That’s why Kevin will make public transportation free for those under 25 and over 75. Money spent subsidizing fares for these riders will pay dividends in cleaner air and less congested streets, and these riders will have easier options to get to where they live and play.

Problem: The San Fernando Valley is disconnected from Metro LA and the Westside

Solution: Prioritize the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor Project

  • The Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor is the single most important transit project in the City. It will help unite routes from Pacoima to Westwood, and back to Union Station. Kevin will work with partners at the State and Federal level to marshal the money through public/private partnerships to put it on the fast track to completion.
  • For too long, the Valley has remained isolated, not fully included in the transit infrastructure of the greater Los Angeles region. Even though 1 out of 5 Angelenos live in the San Fernando Valley, the region only claims two of Metro’s 93 stations.
  • Kevin understands that our city is more interconnected than ever, so he will push Metro to adopt a long range San Fernando Valley Transit Action Plan which will integrate the Sepulveda Transit Corridor, the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, the G Line Rail Conversion, and the San Fernando Valley to San Gabriel Valley Transit Corridor.

Problem: Metro serves only a fraction of Angelenos and is inaccessible to many

Solution: Create a more efficient and safe Metro that gets more Angelenos where they want to go

  • As Mayor, Kevin will increase foot patrols for added safety in and around all transit stations. It is unacceptable that 1 in 4 women who use Metro report being harassed or feel unsafe. Lastly, Kevin will slash prices to make Metrolink more accessible to working Angelenos and make it Angelenos’ first choice to move around the city.
  • The Burbank Airport is one of the Los Angeles best kept secrets and we need to create public rail and transit options for commuters from all over the region to use the Burbank Airport. The San Fernando Valley – San Gabriel Valley Transit corridor will link the B line terminus in North Hollywood with the 134 communities of Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock with the L line in Pasadena. This will link the communities of San Fernando and San Gabriel Valley while creating rail access to the Burbank Airport.
  • As Mayor, Kevin will seek to upgrade and prioritize overworked transit corridors for conversion to rail including a vital Vermont Blvd Rail Corridor and a Long Beach – San Pedro – Wilmington – Hawthorne rail transit corridor connecting the A and C Lines.

Problem: LA’s transit systems operate independently

Solution: Create synergy between DOT, Metro and Metrolink

  • From scheduling optimization, to new station locations, to TAP cards, all of LA’s public transit infrastructure needs to work as one unit. Kevin will work with General Managers to bring both agencies together to create a more integrated system. He will work with both agencies to electrify their fleets– with electric buses by 2030 and electric rail replacing diesel to follow shortly– creating a greener LA for all of us.
  • As Mayor, Kevin will do a needs assessment on the DASH and DOT buses and re-allocate resources to largest need – for far too long DASH and DOT have bowed to political pressures and not built a municipal transit system that fills the transit needs of Angelenos
  • Identify local streetcar locations and develop plans for local streetcar circulators that feed into local public infrastructure needs including in Downtown LA, Warner Center, North Hollywood and Koreatown.

Problem: Metrolink is underutilized by riders

Solution: Make Metrolink trains cheaper to ride, accessible and more frequent

  • If we want people to get out of their cars and take public transit, we need to make transit options fit their needs. Right now, Metrolink stops are once every hour; we have to do better than that. Kevin will make sure trains come every 20 minutes to make it easier for Angelenos to get a train that fits their schedule.
  • Electrification of the entire system – Metrolink’s diesel trains for too long have emitted noxious fumes and particulate matter into nearby communities and we need to have Metrolink move into the current day on environmental goals.
  • Creating more short hop trips – Metrolink should offer shorter routes that occur more frequently and look at trip duration especially along the Ventura County and the Antelope Valley line.
  • Adding stations to the Ventura and Antelope Valley lines to increase access within the San Fernando Valley including adding a Pacoima station on the Antelope Valley line, a North Hollywood station, and a North Hills Station on the Ventura Line to create more accessibility to communities of color.

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

Climate change is an existential threat to human existence, and in California we see it more and more every year. From droughts, to a seemingly never-ending wildfire season, climate change is here, and we have to do everything within our power to mitigate its most damaging and deadly effects. That’s why as President of the California Senate, I made California the national leader in fighting climate change. I authored and passed the historic SB 100 which made California the largest economy in the world to commit to a clean energy grid by 2045; and legislation to ensure that our climate investments go to the underserved communities most sharply impacted by the effects of air pollution and climate change.

But environmental policy is about much more than just fighting climate change – it is about environmental justice. It is about ensuring that no matter what zip code you live in, you have access to clean air and greenspace. It is about righting the historical wrongs which concentrated industry and pollutants in poorer communities of color, while preserving parks for those who already had so much. That’s why I wrote AB 31, which funded the creation of at least 22 parks in Los Angeles alone, with an eye to equity and environmental justice. Every child should be able to feel green grass underneath their feet. Every mother and father should be able to send their kids outside to play without worrying about the air they breathe. Every Angeleno should be able to enjoy the natural wonders of this land we call our home.

Problem: Los Angeles still has some of the dirtiest air in the nation

Solution: Bring electrification within reach for Angelenos

  • During the beginning of the pandemic when stay-at-home orders were implemented, we saw a huge drop in CO2 and CO2e (one of the largest contributors to smog) including a 20% drop in nitrous oxides as measured by the South Coast air district. In fact, transportation is the source of 50% of greenhouse gasses in our state. While decades of vehicle emission regulations have made gas powered cars much cleaner, in order to really clean our air we have to go electric. Metro is already on track to have a zero-emission fleet by 2030, but what about the rest of us? Governor Newsom has announced a deadline of 2035 for all new cars sold in California to be electric, which means that we need more charging infrastructure. As Mayor, Kevin will work to add 125,000 new EV chargers by 2030, as well as 3,000 new super-chargers, with an emphasis on neighborhoods with a higher population of renters. This also applies to the expansion of electric car-sharing programs like BlueLA, which Kevin helped create by spearheading SB 1275, and will bridge the “green divide” for historically underserved communities.

Problem: As the climate warms, too many Angelenos have no defense from the heat

Solution: Expand and maintain our Urban Canopy

  • Native trees provide shade and help clean the air, all while using very little water. They are also one of the most cost effective investments we can make to improve our environment and the liveability of our city. But the cost and effort of planting thousands of new trees will be wasted if we don’t also maintain them. That’s why Kevin is committed to increasing investments in our urban canopy while hiring more arborists and biologists to better care for the urban canopy now, and in the future.

Problem: The Port of Los Angeles is one of the greatest contributors to air pollution in the region

Solution: Use LA’s economic leverage to green the port

  • Diesel emissions from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the single greatest threat to air quality in the region. As the pandemic vastly increased online ordering, thereby increasing the shipping and transporting of goods, we’ve seen a direct increase in smog and air pollution. By November of 2021, fine-particle air pollution in Downtown LA had jumped an astonishing 40% from lower levels at the beginning of the pandemic. The communities around the port– Watts and Wilmington– are suffering under a man-made cloud of dense pollutants, which are known to cause higher rates of respiratory disease and cancers. As President Pro Tem of the California Senate, Kevin made California a leader in fighting climate change– and he will do the same for Los Angeles. He will use the Port’s position as the most productive port in the nation to compel operators to not only green their vessels, but green the entire transportation chain. Many operators have used the promise of automation under the guise of fighting climate change to lean their workforces— but many of those automated machines are powered by diesel fuels. Kevin will work with the operators and the ILWU to make sure that automation is not only electrified, but serves to support the men and women who make the Port of Los Angeles the best in the nation.

Problem: Too many Angelenos have no access to open space

Solution: Supercharge the building of parks

  • Every child deserves to grow up feeling green grass beneath their feet, no matter what zip code they grow up in. In the Assembly, Kevin authored AB 31, which made sure that funding for parks would be concentrated in the most underserved communities. He then wrote 2018’s Prop 68 – a ballot measure that currently funds parks across the state, including 22 parks in the city of Los Angeles alone. As Mayor, Kevin will champion the construction of new parks and green spaces to create more tree cover, reduce heat islands, and give Angelenos a natural refuge. He will create a revolving fund for park acquisition that will allow the Parks Department to have funds readily available when land becomes available in park underserved communities. Additionally, Kevin will set a goal of having all parks irrigated by recycled water within the decade.

Problem: The electrical grid is aging and unable to keep up with demand

Solution: Work with DWP to modernize the grid NOW

  • In 2018, Kevin de León passed his landmark SB 100 – making California the largest economy in the world to legally commit itself to 100% clean energy. In 2021, Los Angeles passed its own version of SB 100: LA100, which accelerates the goals of SB 100 by a decade. Los Angeles will not reach its clean energy goals without modernizing its outdated grid – especially as we transition to more electric vehicles. Kevin will lead DWP to bring our grid into the 21st century and meet our LA100 benchmarks of 100% clean energy by 2035. He will use his State and Federal relationships to leverage all resources available to the city of Los Angeles so that we can forge ahead to a clean energy future.

Education Plan

Our kids, no matter their zip code, all deserve the best possible education. Growing up, I was no star student, but I had teachers who believed in me and made sure that I achieved my potential. That’s what we all want for our kids, but our education system is failing too many of them— and their parents. Early in my working life, I spent years fighting for our teachers and their families as a labor organizer for the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association. Those fights helped shape my dedication to our schools.

The Mayor may not be in charge of LAUSD, but they can have a big impact. A Mayor can just be satisfied with the status quo– or they can push hard for change. I believe that the Mayor of Los Angeles needs to take an active role in supporting students and our teachers. As President Pro Tem of your California State Senate, I helped our schools become more energy efficient with Proposition 39, and I’m already working with LAUSD to transition to zero-emission school buses which will have a demonstrable impact on air quality along bus routes.

I’ve outlined my plans to make our schools work better for all of our students, be better stewards of our tax dollars, and help our students move from high school to the working world.

Problem: School schedules make it hard for working parents to be active in their children’s schools.

Solution: Match the school day to work times

  • For working parents, school starts and ends too early. This is more than just an inconvenience– it is an expense to parents and our Los Angeles economy. Most schools do not offer childcare, so parents are left with the choice of either paying for after school childcare or leaving work early to pick up their kids. This leads to lower levels of employment for mothers of school aged children and costs the U.S. economy $55 billion in lost productivity annually.
  • This affects all our working parents, but it disproportionately affects black and brown families where parents are more likely to hold hourly wage jobs with little to no paid leave. In order to level the playing field for our kids, Kevin supports increased before and after school activities which would allow instruction time to remain the same but keep kids on campus longer. Many of the costs associated with lengthening the school day can be defrayed through federal grants which schools already have access to, including several through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). If we want our next generation to compete on the world stage, we need to get serious about their schooling, and that starts with a school day that works for working families.

Problem: LAUSD funnels money for high-need students to security

Solution: Protect funds meant for high-need students

  • LAUSD has only 1 counselor for every 500 students, and roughly one nurse to every 2,400 students, while at the same time having some of the most over-policed schools in the nation. In fact, tens of millions of dollars in funds that were earmarked for high-need students have been diverted to campus security services. Over policing of our schools don’t keep students safer; in fact, for the thousands of undocumented students, disciplinary actions that lead to contact with police can be traumatizing or even put them on a path to deportation. Kevin wants to move these earmarked funds back towards helping high-need students, and getting kids the services they need. By increasing counselors, nurses, and mental health professionals, we can create safer, better schools by dealing with our students as whole people– not security threats.

Problem: There is a gap between total graduation rates and those of English learners, students who are differently abled, and students in foster care

Solution: Restore vital services which were discontinued during the height of the pandemic

  • While graduation rates have ticked upwards to around 80%, English learners remain stuck at near 50%, with foster care students at 59%, and differently abled students slightly higher at 65%. Public schools are for all students, and investing in kids who have divergent needs is vital to the mission of LAUSD. The good news is that much of the funding needed for these programs is already allocated, but those programs were discontinued during the height of COVID. That’s why Kevin wants to restore programs like the mental health evaluation team (MHET), fund Bilingual Supplemental Student Health Services, and expand the UCLA/LAUSD collaborative which connects UCLA staff with school site administrators and teachers to improve high school strategies for English Learner achievement and college prep. Our LAUSD students come from all over the world, and have many different needs, but we can meet those needs by reprioritizing programs tailored to our diverse student population. Kevin will work hand in glove with LAUSD to make sure that Administrators are responsive to parents and teachers, and that everyone is working together to help our kids. Lastly, Kevin will institute a parent-led advocacy group under the auspices of the Los Angeles Mayor’s office to ensure that parents have a direct line of communication with the District.

Problem: Many students don’t see a path after high school

Solution: Expand vocational training and apprenticeship programs

  • College is not the path for every student– and it shouldn’t have to be. That’s why Kevin will work with the tech and entertainment industries, as well as City Departments, to create high-school to work pipelines for good paying, stable careers. Partnering with our friends in organized labor, Kevin wants to expand apprenticeship programs for the most needed jobs in the city and up and coming industries, helping LAUSD turn out the scholars and workers of tomorrow. Every graduating student should have a chance at a good career and a fulfilling life, whether or not they choose to attend college. That’s the future that Kevin wants for every one of them.

[8]

—Kevin de León's campaign website (2022)[9]

2020

Candidate Connection

Kevin de León completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by de León's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I love Los Angeles and CD 14 and I've represented the majority of the district for the last 12 years. I am running to take on the biggest challenges facing Los Angeles: addressing the city's housing crisis and tackling its regional transportation issues. The construction of affordable and workforce housing is crucial to the economic development and prosperity of the city. The lack of public transportation options has become a serious quality of life issue for many residents. We are not without options or solutions-we have to reject the politics of apathy and cynicism that have kept us stuck in the status quo. I want to make our city more progressive, more inclusive, more welcoming, and more supportive for every Angeleno. That's why I'm running for City Council.

  • This race is a question of leadership, not values.
  • I think we can do better, think bigger and bolder and come up with more creative solutions - together.
  • We are going to re-imagine our district in a way that benefits us and the rest of Los Angeles.

Environmental justice, clean & renewable energy, justice for our immigrant community, homelessness & housing, social safety net programs, improving access to quality education and making our world a more sustainable, more equitable, and more compassionate place.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.



2018

Campaign website

DeLeón's campaign website stated the following:

Leader on the Environment and Clean Energy

With his leadership and landmark legislation, Senator de León has established California’s reputation as a recognized global leader in the battle against climate change and a pioneer in creating a clean energy economy.

He played a central role in crafting a bipartisan deal this year to extend California’s cap-and-trade program with $1 billion of the generated revenue to tackle diesel pollution and bolster electrification of our transportation and vehicles.

Continuing steady progress in energy efficiency, Kevin has put California on a path to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 – the largest state in the nation to do so – with an eye toward becoming 100 percent renewable by 2045.

California is by far the nation’s clean-energy leader and it is paying workforce dividends with the creation of well over 500,000 clean energy jobs in the Golden State – 10 times more than there are coal jobs in the entire nation.

With SB 1275 (2014), he created a rebate initiative to make electric cars more accessible to working families with the goal of placing one million low-emission vehicles on the road.

Recognizing the disproportionate suffering from pollution and climate change in disadvantaged communities, Senator de León successfully passed SB 535 (2012) which requires California to spend at least 25 percent of cap-and-trade revenue to benefit low-income communities. This law is resulting in new transit, energy efficiency, renewable energy and affordable housing projects across the state.

Also in 2012, Senator de León co-chaired the successful Proposition 39 campaign closing a corporate-tax loophole and creating a $2.5 billion revenue fund for energy-efficiency upgrades in schools.

Exemplifying his longtime commitment to increasing access to the environment, Kevin’s first legislative measure when he arrived in Sacramento allocated park funds for communities lacking parks and green space, resulting in 126 park projects across the state - the largest initiative of its kind in the nation.

Tackling pollution in his district, Senator de León was instrumental in bringing attention and accountability to the hazardous pollution caused by the Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon, which for years had operated illegally while contaminating nearby communities with lead, arsenic, and other toxins. Senator de León has since secured millions of dollars for cleanup, while implementing oversight and reform measures at the Department of Toxic Substance Control to prevent similar future occurrences.

Kevin’s record on the environment and energy has been studied by international leaders as they lay out their own steps to confront climate change and build clean-energy economies. He led the California delegation to the U.N. Climate Talks in Peru and Morocco and accompanied Governor Brown to Paris in 2015 to showcase California’s landmark accomplishments.

Transportation, Housing and Infrastructure

The road to California’s future infrastructure has long been in disrepair. This year, Senator de León led the Legislature in creating solutions that will benefit future generations of Californians.

He was instrumental in shepherding SB 1 (Beall) into law this year, making an additional $5.4 billion a year investment in road, freeway, bridge and transit projects over the next decade. The result will be lower commute times, safer roads and job creation.

Senator de León also this year successfully passed SB 5, giving Californians the opportunity to make long-overdue investments in our parks and flood-control infrastructure with a $4 billion general obligation bond measure on the June 2018 ballot.

At a time when homeownership in California is at its lowest point since the 1940’s, Senator de León led the Senate in moving legislation to fund new development, streamline approval processes, strengthen existing laws, and create more local accountability to build new housing and increase homeownership across the Golden State.

Focusing on the most vulnerable, like returning veterans and the homeless, the Senate passed landmark measures to help those with the fewest options when it comes to housing.

In 2016, Senator de León championed the “No Place Like Home” initiative, an innovative and ambitious proposal to address homelessness in California by securing $2 billion in bond financing for construction and rehabilitation of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless Californians suffering from mental illness.

Immigrant Protection

With a firm understanding in the contributions of the undocumented community to California’s culture and economy, Kevin has led the fight against local law enforcement being commandeered to enforce federal immigration laws. This year, he passed SB 54, the California Values Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest people for immigration enforcement purposes.

The bill also directs the state Attorney General to develop model policies to be implemented by public schools, libraries, hospitals, courthouses and other public facilities that would limit “to the fullest extent possible” assistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

With President Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, Senator de León was instrumental in negotiating $30 million to assist the nearly 250,000 Dreamers in California with legal services as well as “safety net” funding to help DACA students stay in school should they become unable to work to support their education.

In 2015, Senator de León led a bicameral coalition to sponsor legislation that addresses lapses in our justice and labor systems creating serious challenges for the California’s immigrant community, including stronger wage theft laws, securing u-visas from law enforcement, and providing healthcare for undocumented children. In 2013, he brokered a compromise with Governor Jerry Brown to ensure signage of a law which allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses, gain access to insurance, and step out of the shadow economy.

Before joining the Legislature, Senator de León taught citizenship courses to immigrants and led opposition to 1994’s Proposition 187, a voter-approved statewide initiative that denied government services to undocumented immigrants.

Voice for the Working Class

Senator de León was a lead negotiator with Governor Jerry Brown and the state’s unions to secure a $15 minimum wage in California, and then shepherded the legislation through both houses to the Governor’s desk.

He overcame powerful opposition from Wall Street to pass SB 1234, which created Secure Choice retirement-savings program for California’s private-sector low-income workers. Secure Choice was the first automatic IRA program of its kind in the nation and will help millions of Californians achieve retirement security when fully implemented.

Senator de León has also authored workers’ compensation reform that lowered insurance costs for businesses, while increasing workers’ benefits. He also authored legislation that strengthens the Labor Commissioner’s authority in tackling the scourge of wage theft in cities across California - especially Los Angeles which has been dubbed the “Wage Theft Capital of the U.S.”

Senator de León also negotiated the expansion of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, replacing the program’s lottery system with a process that quantifies job creation and economic benefits to the state’s economy.

Women's Advocate

When Planned Parenthood advocated this year for an increase in higher Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for reproductive health care, Senator de León carried their fight into budget negotiations and secured $50 million from Proposition 56 tobacco tax revenue.

Guided by a strong belief in a woman’s right to control her own health care, Senator de León has been stalwart defender for preserving federal funding for family planning as a Republican-led Congress continues to target Planned Parenthood for defunding.

Senator de León’s strong and unwavering advocacy for access and choice has been recognized by Planned Parenthood with a consistent 100 percent voting record and numerous awards, with special recognition in 2014 for legislative leadership.

Alarmed by the serious problem posed nationwide by sexual violence on college campuses, Senator de León set out to find solutions for California.

In 2014, his bill to prevent sexual assault on college campuses was first law in the nation to require affirmative consent, earning him the recognition from Marie Claire last year as one of the “ten biggest supporters of women’s right in U.S. government.” Ms. Magazine selected his “yes means yes” measure as the most significant legislative victory on behalf of women for 2014. He followed up with legislation in 2015 that requires public high schools teaching health education classes to include sexual assault prevention in their curricula.

Also in 2015, he empowered women in the workforce with state budget funding for thousands of more slots for subsidized child cares.

Public Safety and Negotiating the Budget

Throughout his decade in the legislature, Senator de León has fought for sensible gun control. In 2016, he led the charge to enact the most stringent gun control policies in a generation, including his groundbreaking SB 1235 requiring background checks for anyone who buys or sells ammunition.

In three years serving as the Senate’s lead in negotiating the budget, Senator de León has secured critical investments that strengthen the bookends of a student’s educational career, pushing for new investments in childcare and higher education. Under his leadership, California has added over 20,000 additional slots for California students in the University of California and the California State University. Both budgets during his tenure as Senate leader have been delivered on time, provided protective reserves, paid down debt, provided relief funding for the drought, and wisely invested in children and working families.[8]

—Kevin de León for U.S. Senate[10]

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from DeLeon's 2018 election campaign.

"Leading" - Change California Now ad, released May 18, 2018

Committee assignments

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

California committee assignments, 2017
Rules, Chair
Rules

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, de León served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, de León served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, De León serves on these committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, De León served on these committees while a member of the California State Assembly:

Issues

Legislative scorecard

Capitol Weekly, California's major weekly periodical covering the state legislature, publishes an annual legislative scorecard to pin down the political or ideological leanings of every member of the legislature based on how they voted on an assortment of bills in the most recent legislative session. The 2009 scores were based on votes on 19 bills, but did not include how legislators voted on the Proposition 1A (2009). On the scorecard, "100" is a perfect liberal score and "0" is a perfect conservative score.[11][12]

On the 2009 Capitol Weekly legislative scorecard, De León ranked as a 94.[13]

Ballot measure committee

De León sponsors a campaign committee called "Believing in a Better California." In 2011-2012, the committee raised $188,150 and spent $168,385. Of the $168,385 that was spent, $35,400 (about 21%) went to help pass or defeat ballot measures.[14]

De León took four trips to Las Vegas with funds from "Believing in a Better California." According to an investigative report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, while in Las Vegas he attended "marquee prizefights and host glitzy fundraisers, in one case handing out boxing gloves with his autograph to Sacramento lobbyists in attendance."[14]

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Kevin de León campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2018U.S. Senate CaliforniaLost general$1,813,507 $1,775,218
2014California State Senate, District 24Won $2,756,665 N/A**
2010California State Senate, District 22Won $846,803 N/A**
2008California State Assembly, District 45Won $1,182,646 N/A**
2006California State Assembly, District 45Won $1,174,156 N/A**
Grand total$7,773,777 $1,775,218
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in California

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of California scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].







2018

In 2018, the California State Legislature was in session from January 3, 2018 through August 31, 2018.

Legislators are scored on their votes on labor issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the chamber.
Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on "policy that will support a healthy, just and resilient agriculture and food system."
Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to labor.
Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
Legislators are scored on "how they voted in accord with CMTA."
Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to the interests of consumers.
Legislators are scored on their votes on the association's position legislation.
Legislators are scored on their votes on issues pertaining to children.
Legislators are scored on their votes on issues pertaining to children.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the interests of seniors.
Legislators are scored on their votes on behavioral health issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on LGBT issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to the interests of health care consumers.
Legislators are scored on how they voted on taxpayer related issues.
Legislators are scored on how they voted on bills related to the interests of California cities.
Legislators are scored on their votes on the organization's priority legislation.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the interests of home care providers.


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012

See also


External links

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Los Angeles City Council District 14
2020-Present
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
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California State Senate District 24
2010-2018
Succeeded by
Maria Elena Durazo (D)
Preceded by
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California State Assembly
Succeeded by
-