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Since announcing the 2016 season would be his final in the broadcast booth, Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully has been honored whenever possible. It began earlier this year when the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to rename the street leading into the main entrance Dodger Stadium. Visitors now driving on the portion of Elysian Park Avenue that runs from Sunset Boulevard to Dodger Stadium Way can say they entered on Vin Scully Avenue. Of course, the humble voice of the Dodgers would much prefer if a fuss wasn’t made over his final year. The Dodgers distributed Vin Scully Ave. t-shirts on May 10, and added Vin Scully Appreciation Night, set for Friday, Sept. 23, to their promotional calendar. What’s more, a Scully bobblehead will be distributed on Sept. 20. On Friday, Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), as acting governor, declared July 8, 2016, “Vin Scully Day” in California. A portion of the proclamation de León reads:
While Scully has accepted various honors and accolades, he politely declined the opportunity to call the 2016 All-Star Game at Petco Park. He also elected not to accept an invitation from the New York Yankees to visit Yankee Stadium with the Dodgers during a September road trip. Scully previously said he hopes to visit AT&T Park for the Dodgers’ final regular-season series. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim presented the 88-year-old with several mementos prior to his final game at Angel Stadium.
 | |
| Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 14th district | |
|---|---|
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office October 15, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | José Huizar |
| 50th President pro tempore of the California State Senate | |
| In office October 15, 2014 – March 21, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Darrell Steinberg |
| Succeeded by | Toni Atkins |
| Member of the California State Senate from the 24th district 22nd district (2010–2014) | |
| In office December 6, 2010 – November 30, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Gil Cedillo |
| Succeeded by | Maria Elena Durazo |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 45th district | |
| In office December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Jackie Goldberg |
| Succeeded by | Gil Cedillo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kevin Alexander Leon December 10, 1966 (age 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Pitzer College (BA) |
| Website | Official website |
Kevin Alexander Leon (born December 10, 1966), known professionally as Kevin de León and colloquially as KDL,[1] is an American politician serving as the Los Angeles City Council member for district 14 since 2020.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, he was a candidate in the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election. Prior to joining the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, Kevin was a professor, senior analyst, and distinguished policymaker-in-residence at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; as well as a Distinguished Fellow for Climate, Environmental Justice and Health with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute at the University of Southern California.
From 2006 to 2010, he represented the 45th district in the California State Assembly. He represented the 22nd state senate district from 2010 to 2014, and the 24th state senate district from 2014 to 2018. He was President pro tempore of the California State Senate from October 15, 2014 to March 21, 2018. In 2018, he ran for the US Senate against California's senior U.S. senator, Dianne Feinstein.
Biography[edit]
Kevin Leon was born in Los Angeles, to Carmen Osorio and Andrés Leon.[3] Both his parents were born in Guatemala with his father being of full or partial Chinese descent.[3] His mother moved from Guatemala to Tijuana, Mexico in the 1960s. She moved to Los Angeles to work as a housekeeper. A single mother with two children, she met Leon's father[3] who was largely absent. His mother married a man of Mexican descent, taking the name Carmen Osorio Núñez, and relocated to San Diego.[3] She divorced and raised him in the Logan Heights neighborhood in San Diego.[4] He also spent part of his youth in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico where his stepfather's family was located.[4] He strongly identifies with Mexican culture.[3]
The first in his family to graduate from high school, he briefly attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before dropping out. He later earned a bachelor's degree from Pitzer College in 2003.[5] While attending UC Santa Barbara, he began going by Kevin de León though he has never legally changed his name.[6]
After dropping out of college, De León worked for One Stop Immigration Center, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that assists undocumented immigrants.[7] He later became a labor organizer for the California Teachers Association, and campaign manager for Fabian Nuñez's campaign for California State Assembly in 2002.[8] De León and Nuñez have been close political allies for most of their careers.[9]
California State Assembly (2006–2010)[edit]
De León first ran for office in 2006 defeating Christine Chavez, the granddaughter of labor leader Cesar E. Chavez, to replace the outgoing Jackie Goldberg as the California state assemblymember for the 45th district, covering Hollywood and much of Northeast Los Angeles.[9]
In 2008, eyewitnesses on the floor of the state assembly observed De León casting a so-called ghost vote for assemblywoman Mary Hayashi on an affordable housing bill, opposite the way she would have voted, when Hayashi was away from the assembly floor. De León said he had no memory of the incident but also said he did not deny it, either.[10] De León was investigated by then-state assembly speaker Karen Bass, but did not face any punishment and the vote was later changed. As a result of the controversy, Bass changed assembly rules to enforce a ban on ghost voting.[11]
In 2009, he was defeated in a bid to become speaker of the California state assembly, after many assembly members found De León's ambitious nature grating, eroding his support, according to reports in the Los Angeles Times.[8]
California State Senate (2010–2018)[edit]
De León was elected to the California state senate in 2010 and became state senate president pro tempore in 2014.[12] As a California state senator, De León has been generally regarded as a liberal and describes himself as a "proud progressive."[13]
Energy and the environment[edit]
De León sponsored SB 100, which would have required the state of California to generate 50% renewable electricity by 2026 and 100% renewable electricity by 2045.[14][15] In 2018, the bill passed both houses of the California state legislature and was signed into law by governor Jerry Brown on September 10.[16]
In late 2017, De León was criticized for playing a role in killing a bill that would have blocked the controversial Cadiz Water Project, a proposal to mine and transfer groundwater from protected desert habitat in Eastern San Bernardino county to parts of Orange county.[17] Opponents of the project blamed De León, then president pro tempore of the senate, and pointed out that the company behind the project had donated $5,000 to De León's political campaign. Fabian Nuñez, a close ally and donor to De León, also represented company as its lobbyist.[18]
De León criticized the state's high-speed rail project, arguing that construction should have started in major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, rather than the state's Central Valley.[19]
Gun control[edit]
De León is an advocate of gun control.[20] In 2014, he sponsored SB 808[21] which passed both houses of the legislature. He was roundly mocked by gun rights advocates after a press conference on January 3, 2014 where he made numerous inaccurate statements[22][23] while promoting the bill. The bill was subsequently vetoed by governor Jerry Brown.
In 2016, De León led the charge in the passage of a package of 11 bills intended to prevent gun violence. These included De León's SB 1235, which created a new framework for buying and selling ammunition designed to address the ambiguities of his earlier SB 53, and his SB 1407, requiring a serial number from the department of justice before building or assembling a gun.[24][25]
Health care[edit]
De León is a supporter of creating a single-payer health care system. He promised to support senator Bernie Sanders's "Medicare for All" legislation if elected to the United States Senate.[26] He supported SB 562, a proposed bill to create a single payer health care system in California, which stalled in 2017.[27]
Gender Equity[edit]
Senator De Leon authored SB 548, legislation that would make significant investments in child care, with a focus on empowering women in the workforce. The state budget resulted with new funding for thousands of more slots for subsidized child care.[28][29]
In 2014, Senator De Leon co-authored Yes Means Yes, the first law in the nation regarding affirmative consent and sought both to improve how universities handle rape and sexual assault cases and to clarify the standards, requiring an "affirmative consent" and stating that consent can't be given if someone is asleep or incapacitated by drugs or alcohol. "Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent," the law states, "nor does silence mean consent."[30] In 2015, De Leon co-authored follow-up legislation that requires public high schools teaching health education classes to include sexual assault prevention and strategies on how to build healthy peer relationships in their curricula.[31][32]
2018 U.S. Senate election[edit]
On October 15, 2017, De León announced his bid for the United States Senate, challenging incumbent U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in the 2018 election.[33] The following day a super PAC created by California political strategists Dave Jacobson and Maclen Zilber was formed to support his candidacy.[34] On June 5, De León came in second place in the jungle primary with 12% of the total vote, enough to advance to the November general election. Feinstein received 44%, while the third place candidate, James Bradley, received 8% of the total vote. Republican candidates collectively received 33% of the vote.[35][36]
De León's 12% was the lowest ever recorded for a candidate who advanced to the general election since California instituted its jungle primary rules in 2016. In July, De León won the endorsement of the California Democratic Party at their executive board meeting in Oakland.[37] Despite the endorsement, however, De León's campaign faced fundraising struggles and low name recognition.[38][39]
On November 6, 2018, Feinstein defeated De León 54.2% to 45.8%. The race had an undervote of around 1.3 million votes compared to the gubernatorial election, likely by Republican voters choosing not to cast a vote for either candidate.[40]
Los Angeles City Council (2020—)[edit]
Prior to joining the Los Angeles City Council, Kevin was a professor, senior analyst, and distinguished policymaker-in-residence at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; as well as a Distinguished Fellow for Climate, Environmental Justice and Health with the USC Schwarzenegger Instituted at the University of Southern California.
In 2020, De León was a candidate for a March special election to the Los Angeles city council. The seat had previously been vacated by José Huizar, who was the subject of an investigation into possible corruption charges. In June 2020, Huizar was arrested and charged with several counts of bribery and corruption. De León was elected in the special election to succeed him, and assumed office on October 15, 2020.[41]
In 2021, De León advocated against SB 9, which would allow for the construction of duplexes in lots that are zoned as single-family home neighborhoods. The bill was intended to alleviate the severe housing shortage in California.[42] That same year, De León sought to stall the construction of a rapid transit bus line through Eagle Rock,[43] which prompted a critical editorial by the Los Angeles Times which characterized De León as a "spoiler."[44]
In 2022, De León championed the "Clean Streets Now" plan, his plan to reduce illegal dumping throughout the city. [45] Additionally, in the first ten months into his term, the City Council unanimously adopted De León's “25×25” plan– 25,000 units by the year 2025 – in order to help house those who are experiencing homelessness.
Personal life[edit]
De León lives in Los Angeles and has an adult daughter, Lluvia Carrasco. Carrasco's mother is San Jose councilmember Magdalena Carrasco.[46] De León has never been married.[47]
Electoral history[edit]
2018 Senate race[edit]
2020 Los Angeles City Council District 14 election[49]| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Nonpartisan | Kevin de León | 25,083 | 52.61 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cyndi Otteson | 9,294 | 19.49 | |
| Nonpartisan | Raquel Zamora | 6,483 | 13.60 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mónica García | 5,222 | 10.95 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Jimenez | 1,595 | 3.35 | |
| Total votes | 47,677 | 100.00 |
References[edit]
- ^ Rosenhall, Laurel (October 4, 2018). "How Kevin de León became the Democrat trying to topple Dianne Feinstein". Calmatters.
- ^ Cadelago, Christopher (February 21, 2017). "The untold story of how Kevin Leon became Kevin de León". Sacbee. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "SacBee: The Untold Story of How Kevin Leon became Kevin de Leon | California Latino Legislative Caucus". Latinocaucus.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Cadelago, Christopher (February 21, 2017). "The untold story of how Kevin Leon became Kevin de León". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- ^ Aron, Hillel (May 3, 2017). "Kevin de Leon Went From College Dropout to California's Senate President". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ Cadelago, Christopher (February 21, 2017). "The untold story of how Kevin Leon became Kevin de León". The Sacramento Bee. ISSN 0890-5738. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ Aron, Hillel (May 3, 2017). "Kevin Leon Went From College Dropout to California's Senate President". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ a b McGreevy, Patrick McGreevy, By Patrick (June 18, 2014). "Setback put Kevin León on the path to Senate leadership". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ a b McGreevy, Patrick McGreevy, By Patrick (June 18, 2014). "Setback put Kevin de León on the path to Senate leadership". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ "Ghost voting: A long history". SFGate. June 10, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ "Assembly leader puts limits on ghost voting". SFGate. June 11, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ McGreevy, Seema Mehta, Patrick (October 16, 2014). "Kevin de León becomes state Senate leader in $50,000 event". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ "Kevin de León to take California's 'progressive' ideas to D.C. if elected to U.S. Senate – Inland Empire Community News". Inland Empire Community News. January 8, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ Megerian, Chris (May 2, 2017). "California Senate leader unveils new proposal to phase out use of fossil fuels to generate electricity". LA Times. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ De Leon, Kevin. "SB-100 Energy policies and programs". California Legislative Information. California State Senate. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ Dillon, Liam (September 10, 2018). "California to rely on 100% clean electricity by 2045 under bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown". LA Times. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "Bill targeting Cadiz water transfer dies in Senate committee". San Bernardino Sun. September 2, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- ^ Foy, Jennifer. "De Leon carrying water for Cadiz and Trump, unfit to be U.S. Senator". VVdailypress.com. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- ^ Skelton, George Skelton, By George (June 23, 2014). "Next Senate leader Kevin de León wants Brown to rethink bullet train". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ "State Sen. Kevin de Leon talks gun control and the NRA". December 21, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ^ "Bill Text – SB-808 Firearms: identifying information". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ^ "Anti-gun lawmaker is laughing stock after ignorant claim '30-magazine clip' fires in 'half a second'". BizPac Review. January 21, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
- ^ "Anti Gun Senator's Embarrassing Slip". Military.com. January 24, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ Cadelago, Chris (June 20, 2016). "California lawmakers send sweeping gun package to Jerry Brown". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- ^ "Senate Passes Sweeping Set of Bills to Prevent Gun Violence". Senate District 24.
- ^ Hagen, Lisa (March 4, 2018). "Left faces off with Dem establishment in primary fights". The Hill. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ Mason, Melanie. "California won't be passing a single-payer healthcare system any time soon — the plan is dead for this year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Senate leader says Brown needs better understanding of poor". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Fourteen arrests at California protest in support of child care reforms". Childcarecanada.org. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ Chappell, Bill (September 29, 2014). "California Enacts 'Yes Means Yes' Law, Defining Sexual Consent". Npr.org. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Lawmakers Want High Schools To Teach 'Yes Means Yes' For Sex". Cbsnews.com. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Education committee approves bill on sexual assault policies". Beverlypress.com. July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ CNN. "Kevin León announces he'll run against Feinstein for California Senate". Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ Wire, Sarah D. "Super PAC forms to back Kevin De León over Sen. Dianne Feinstein in Senate race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Wire, Sarah D. (June 6, 2018). "Sen. Dianne Feinstein will face Kevin de León in November election". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "United States Senate election in California (June 5, 2018 top-two primary) - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ "California Democratic Party abandons incumbent Feinstein, endorses opponent". NBC News. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ "De León struggles against Feinstein in Senate fundraising race". mcclatchydc. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Finnegan, Michael (August 17, 2018). "De León captures California's anti-Trump furor, but struggles to gain traction in run to oust Feinstein". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "United States Senate election in California, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "Councilman-elect Kevin de León appointed to vacant LA city seat". Daily News. October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "'Gimme Shelter': California is on the verge of ending single-family home only zoning". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 5,
2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Kevin de León Asks Metro to Delay Eagle Rock Bus Project, Wants More Meetings". Streetsblog Los Angeles. May 15, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ "Editorial: Why is Kevin de León trying to stall a transit- and climate-friendly project in Eagle Rock?". Los Angeles Times. May 19, 2021. Retrieved September 6,
2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Council passes last of Kevin de León's measures fighting illegal dumping". Los Angeles Daily News. March 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Former College Dropout Who Would Be Dianne Feinstein". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ Panzar, Javier. "State Senate leader's daughter lands job with his campaign consulting firm". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ "Statement of Vote" (PDF). Elections.cdn.sos.ca. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ Primary results
- ^ "Los Angeles Mayor Special Election Results". New York Times. June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
External links[edit]
- Campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Join California Kevin De Leon
- Kevin de León at Ballotpedia
| California Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jackie Goldberg | Member of the California State Assembly from the 45th district 2006–2010 | Succeeded by Gil Cedillo |
| California Senate | ||
| Preceded by Gil Cedillo | Member of the California State Senate from the 22nd district 2010–2014 | Succeeded by Ed Hernandez |
| Preceded by Ed Hernandez | Member of the California State Senate from the 24th district 2014–2018 | Succeeded by Maria Elena Durazo |
| Preceded by Darrell Steinberg | President pro tempore of the California State Senate 2014–2018 | Succeeded by Toni Atkins |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Jose Huizar | Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 14th district 2020–present | Incumbent |
