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Rudy Martinez
While the November election is at the top of everyone's mind these days, the municipal election next March is making news today. Yesterday, campaign finance disclosure statements were due to Los Angeles' Ethics Commission and they've revealed that a real race is developing in Council District 14, which covers parts of downtown, the Eastside (Boyle Heights, El Sereno, etc.) and Northeast L.A.(Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, etc.).Eagle Rock sushi restaurant owner and one-time reality TV participant Rudy Martinez has raised $202,620 to unseat Councilmember Jose Huizar, who has raised $203,274, a $654 difference.
“It is clear that more and more stakeholders and residents identify Rudy as the clear favorite to unseat incumbent Councilmember Jose Huizar,” said attorney Nick Pacheco, the former 14th District Councilmember, in an e-mailed statement. “Rudy is showing the type of strength that is necessary when any individual seeks to unseat an incumbent. Rudy’s ability to connect with people and his determination to secure the resources necessary to get his message out to the voters makes him an extremely competitive candidate."
However, a majority of the money -- $150,000 -- has come from Martinez himself. An additional $6,000 has come from employees of Pacheco, according to the LA Times.
The Times also noted that Huizar has received $3,000 from the Delijani family, which owns historic theatres in downtown that could benefit from a nearby parking garage Huizar has been seeking to become a reality.
